Highlights

• Dive into the world of Harry Potter with the Wonderbook, featuring spells and potions to learn in an AR experience. Metascore: 72.
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince offers free-roaming gameplay with dueling features and an excellent Marauder's Map. Metascore: 66.
• Experience Quidditch like never before in Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, a magical sports game with exciting gameplay and commentary. Metascore: 69.

Ever since the original novels and the films rose to popularity, everyone has imagined wielding a wand just like Harry Potter. Well, with the movies being mega-blockbusters, video game tie-ins were inevitable. As a result, there have been seemingly endless amounts of Harry Potter games.

Hogwarts Legacy attracted a lot of attention as it seemed to be the Harry Potter game that everyone had been waiting for, and Avalanche's RPG debuted to largely positive reviews. However, the franchise has produced plenty of games over the years, some of which are far better than others. Let's take a look at the best Harry Potter games​​​​​​.

Updated April 13, 2024 by Mark Sammut: Harry Potter got a boost in exposure due to Hogwarts Legacy's very successful launch, with the game eventually becoming one of 2023's best sellers. The project's relevance is not quite done either, as Avalanche will be dropping an update in Summer 2024. A sequel seems destined to happen sooner rather than later, and Warner Bros has also announced Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions, although a release date has yet to be confirmed. Basically, Harry Potter games have entered their golden era.

11 Wonderbook: Books Of Spells

Metascore: 72

Ah, the Wonderbook, Sony's somewhat interesting but largely puzzling attempt to bring augmented reality to the PS3. The peripheral spawned exactly four games: Book of Spells, Diggs Nightcrawler, Walking with Dinosaurs, and Book of Potions. The first and last entries are tied to Harry Potter, although they are set in the Wizarding World universe rather than direct adaptations of the movies. They allow players to learn how to cast spells and brew potions, with each one coming with a little stage play that shows its origins.

Book of Spells is cute. The presentation is charming, and the backstories are well done for the most part. That said, it is not much of a game, nor is it particularly fun. It is the type of experience that die-hard Harry Potter might enjoy for an hour or two, only to never think about again. Still, the technology was kind of cool for the era, even if Sony did not do much with it. Book of Spells represents the Wonderbook at its best; however, there is no reason to pick up this release nowadays.

10 Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince

Metascore: 66

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was initially released in June 2009 and built upon the Order of the Phoenix's free-roaming and dueling features. The game is fondly remembered for including an excellent interpretation of the Marauder's Map and for letting players cast numerous spells around the school.

The game is one of the most popular Harry Potter releases to revisit, given that it was the last movie tie-in game to let players freely explore Hogwarts. However, Half-Blood Prince's Hogwarts is very similar to the version found in Order of the Phoenix, so it is not particularly exciting to explore if someone has played the previous game. While not a bad title, Half-Blood Prince can come across as half-baked, which is a criticism of many of the final few movie adaptations. The quick turnaround for these projects limited their potential to an extent.

9 Harry Potter And The Goblet of Fire

Metascore: 69

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire made the divisive decision of not letting players freely explore Hogwarts, a beloved feature of the previous games that had been key to their success. Instead, Goblet of Fire offered a series of action-oriented levels.

This decision results in a less spectacular and immersive overall experience, albeit one that has arguably superior minute-to-minute gameplay than most of its predecessors. Goblet of Fire's seamless couch co-op is one of its better features, and the visuals were pretty good for its era.

8 Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix

Metascore: 69

Although many people grew to enjoy the change of direction in Goblet of Fire, EA decided to return to the gameplay formula from the previous tie-in games where players could freely explore the wizarding castle of Hogwarts. The game expands on the game's exploration elements by implementing side quests and "discovery points" to reward those who tried to fully explore the school grounds.

Along with a return to free-roaming, Order of the Phoenix also introduces a new dueling system that adds welcome depth to the series' combat. While nothing amazing, Order of the Phoenix was a solid return to old-school roots following the divisive Goblet of Fire.

7 Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup

Metascore: 69

Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup is not just a great Harry Potter game, but also a very enjoyable sports game in its own right. The game of Quidditch is an exciting one and translates surprisingly well into video game form. Some may prefer the hyperrealism of FIFA or Madden, but those looking for something a bit more magical can definitely find it here.

The game controls well and still looks pretty decent despite being nearly two decades old. It even has commentary for certain matches and a story mode to link everything together in a fairly cohesive fashion. The computer AI doesn't provide the greatest challenge though, so it's better when played with a friend. Also, the GBA version is terrible.

6 The Sorcerer's Stone (PC Version)

Metascore: 65

What better way to start the best of the game than with that first? For any Harry Potter fan wanting to get into the games, it is best to start here. However, only play the PC version; the console version is a sluggish downgrade in every aspect.

From learning new spells, collecting every Flavor Beans, and solving puzzles, The Sorcerer's Stone is an addictive Legend Of Zelda-esque game. Just be ready for some awkward voice acting and character models, although even those elements have their charm.

5 Harry Potter: Magic Awakened

Metascore: 78

A few years after debuting in China and Taiwan, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened finally made its way to the rest of the world, and the 2023 release is a more-than-decent mobile game that comes packed with neat Easter eggs and references that die-hard fans are likely to appreciate. Set after the events of the books (and movies), players step into the shoes of a new student who finds themselves attending Hogwarts. The still-developing story gradually goes through the protagonist's years at school, and while not extremely focused or engaging, it successfully moves things along.

Magic Awakened blends a few different genres and ideas together. The game prioritizes multiplayer goodness, both in the form of co-op and PvP. The latter comes in the form of duels built upon a card-based combat system that works quite well, and these fights are generally strategic and exciting. Players construct decks featuring all sorts of Harry Potter spells and lore. Outside of battles, players can explore Hogwarts and its surrounding areas while taking on quests, many of which are fairly run-of-the-mill. As a free-to-play gacha game, Magic Awakened is obviously monetized, but non-paying players can still have fun.

4 Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban

Metascore: 70

The original trilogy of EA games reached the absolute peak of perfection. It couldn't possibly get better than Chamber Of Secrets, but, surprisingly, The Prisoner Of Azkaban is pure gold. Rather than just playing as Harry, the player could control all three main heroes, including Ron and Hermione.

This allowed for more puzzle-solving as some characters had specific spells and abilities. Prisoner Of Azkaban also features the most live and expansive open map of Hogwarts; Buckbeak is ridable, there's more to collect, and the main missions are a blast. The entire original trilogy of games deserve remakes.

3 Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets

Metascore: 77

Chamber of Secrets does what any game sequel should do: it takes everything great about the first, expands upon it, and does everything better. From fighting Aragog the spider to solving puzzles in the castle, Chamber of Secrets is simply better in every way.

The sequel expands on many ideas from its predecessor, including recreating Hogwarts and Diagon Alley. While it cannot be compared to more recent Harry Potter projects, Chamber of Secrets' scale is quite impressive, and its rendition of Hogwarts is among the franchise's best when its release period is taken into account. The campaign also has quite a lot of optional content, allowing for a meatier overall experience.

2 LEGO Harry Potter Collection

Metascore: 73

Why settle for one of the LEGO games when there's an option for both combined? LEGO Harry Potter Collection is like most LEGO games; tons of stud collecting, puzzles, and fun missions. In many ways, they are very similar to the early EA Harry Potter games.

So, for every LEGO games fan or Harry Potter fan, Collection is the perfect addition to the library of games. The Harry Potter-specific mechanics are well done, the LEGO depiction of the Wizarding World is beautiful, and, as usual, the jokes are hilarious. Plus, it goes through all seven years of Harry Potter in one game without feeling rushed.

1 Hogwarts Legacy

Metascore: 85

Hogwarts Legacy is undoubtedly the top contender for the best Harry Potter game ever, even if the game's shine has dulled a bit since its debut. Just to be clear, Avalanche's project offers by far the most breathtaking and enchanting depiction of Hogwarts, and it is arguably the first game to capture the setting's magic. Set roughly a century before the events of the books, the story does a decent job of fleshing out the universe's lore, all the while stepping back and allowing fans to role-play as wizards and witches without too much interference. The game's opening few hours are not only its strongest, but arguably the most memorable in the Harry Potter video game franchise.

However, the rest of the experience is not flawless. While flashy and stylish, the combat gets repetitive after a few hours. Except for Hogwarts and a handful of other areas, the open-world leaves something to be desired and lacks personality. Considering it sold extremely well, a sequel is likely only a matter of time, and Avalanche has created a great base to build upon. If the side content, combat, and larger world are diversified, Hogwarts Legacy 2 will easily be the greatest Harry Potter game of all time.