After years of asking and hoping, Harry Potter fans finally got their wish last year when Hogwarts Legacy was announced; an open-world RPG set in J.K. Rowling's wizarding world. Unfortunately, the game has been delayed and is now expected to release at some point in 2022 rather than this year. However, there wasn't too much of an outcry when this news was announced, as fans have been waiting for a game like Hogwarts Legacy since the first film was released in 2001, so many of them are happy to wait one more year.
Although many fans are content with waiting a short while longer, that doesn't mean that they won't want to fill the void by playing other games in the world of Harry Potter in the meantime. To help such people decide what to play, we've ranked the Harry Potter video games by how long they take to complete. To ensure that the times are as accurate as possible, this list will feature every Harry Potter game listed on howlongtobeat.com, ranked by their Main Story completion time.
11 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 - 4.5 Hours
It's fair to say that the Harry Potter movie tie-in games didn't go out with a bang. Not only is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 the franchise's shortest game, it's also one of the most poorly received, exemplified by its lackluster Metascores that ranged between 43 and 55. The game felt like a missed opportunity for Electronic Arts, as its corresponding film was undoubtedly the best source material for a video game from the entire film series, yet Deathly Hallows - Part 2 feels like little more than a cash-grab.
10 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 - 5 Hours
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 is slightly longer than its successor, though this isn't necessarily a good thing, as the game received even more criticism from fans and reviewers than Deathly Hallows - Part 2.
The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 iterations of the game both received a brutal 38 Metascore. Moreover, the PC version scored just 37, which is low enough to make it EA's fifth-lowest rated game on the review aggregator site, with only FIFA 21: Legacy Edition, NBA Live 14, and two iterations of Dead Space: Ignition below it.
9 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - 5 Hours
While the final three games all failed to surpass the five-hour mark, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was better received than its two successors, and it far more recommendable to people today.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is fondly remembered for having one of the most well-designed versions of Hogwarts to explore, which is especially enjoyable to do thanks to players having the Marauder's Map in their possession.
8 Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - 6 Hours
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone only narrowly bests the final three movie tie-in games, though a six-hour completion time is respectable for a linear-adventure game released in 2001. The game mimicked the puzzle, adventure, and platforming gameplay styles that were popular during the PlayStation 1 era while also letting players free-roam around the wizarding castle. The size of the castle and freedom to explore certainly doesn't compare to the aforementioned Half-Blood Prince, though it was still very impressive for the time it was released.
7 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 7.5 Hours
Although nostalgic bias likely plays a part, there are many people who believe that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the best Harry Potter game ever released. The game certainly has a case for this title, as it offers a few nicely designed Zelda-inspired dungeons, along with one of the best iterations of Hogwarts.
Exploring the castle grounds is optional, though EA clearly knew that players would spend a lot of time roaming around the school, as they hid tons of secrets and collectibles for players to find. Roaming the school becomes especially enjoyable around halfway through the main story, as players are given Harry's broomstick, allowing them to fly to the castle's highest points freely.
6 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 7.5 Hours
Despite the love that people had for exploring Hogwarts in Chamber of Secrets and the sequel Prisoner of Azkaban, the fourth game, Goblet of Fire, made the odd choice of removing free-roaming altogether. Instead, Goblet of Fire offers a selection of linear levels that predominantly follow the key moments from the book and film. Although the lack of free-roaming was a disappointment, the game did impress fans and critics with its cooperative mode, which offered classic, enjoyable couch co-op fun.
5 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - 8 Hours
The Chamber of Secrets' warm reception meant that the next game, Prisoner of Azkaban, had a large weight of expectations on its shoulders. These expectations were increased when it was revealed that players would be able to control Harry, Ron, and Hermione, a feature that fans had been requesting.
Much like Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban isn't considered to be among the PlayStation 2's best games by any means. However, it was thoroughly enjoyable and is fondly remembered by most Harry Potter fans.
4 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - 10 Hours
Electronic Arts decided not to continue its divisive change of direction with Goblet of Fire in its next tie-in game. Instead, they reverted back to offering a freely explorable Hogwarts castle where players could find and start missions at their own pace. Indicative of releasing just over three years after Prisoner of Azkaban, the explorable Hogwarts in Order of the Phoenix looked considerably more impressive than ever before.
As well as bringing back an old feature, Order of the Phoenix also introduces a few welcome new ones, such as the ability to duel students around the castle grounds freely.
3 Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup - 10.5 Hours
Considering Electronic Arts' dominance in the sports market, it's no surprise that Harry Potter fans were begging the industry giants to make a Quidditch game. Fans got their wish in 2003 with Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup, which is one of the franchise's most well-received releases to date.
Realistically, EA could have just created a glorified mini-game with only the four Houses playable, and it still would have sold tons of copies. Thankfully, the studio didn't go this route and instead created a thoroughly enjoyable brand of gameplay that could be played with numerous international teams, fit with their own unique stadiums.
2 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 - 11 Hours
Considering the huge success of the early LEGO games such as LEGO Star Wars and LEGO Indiana Jones, there were few surprised faces when it was announced that J.K. Rowling's wizarding franchise would be getting the brick treatment. Unlike Indiana Jones, a franchise with only one iconic character and no synonymous locations, the Harry Potter franchise is full of characters that players were excited to control and memorable areas that they wanted to see in brick form.
As the title suggests, LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 is the second of two LEGO games set in Hogwarts; it narrowly falls short of its predecessor's runtime.
1 LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 - 12.5 Hours
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 was released in 2010 and, much like its sequel, is considered to be among the top tier of LEGO games. The game features a fantastic rendition of Hogwarts castle, which certainly isn't the most realistic in the franchise, though it's a joy to explore with secrets and collectibles to find and unlock as players progress through the game and learn new spells.
The game received an impressive Metascore of 79, which is one of the franchise's highest to date.