5 Harry Potter Games To Play Before Watching HBO's TV Series

Harry Potter has returned, if it’s even possible to consider the franchise ever having gone away.

HBO’s TV adaptation has dropped its very first trailer revealing the first season aptly to be called Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

The series is set to debut in December of this year, which is much earlier than we were initially led to believe.

The famed boy wizard is undoubtedly going to be the talk of the entertainment industry for years to come, so now is perhaps an apt time to revisit some of his gaming outings from across the years.

With Warner Bros. having possibly teased the return of Hogwarts Legacy in 2027, new gaming adventures are surely on the horizon.

For now though, here are five brilliant Harry Potter games you shouldn’t overlook.

5. LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 perhaps needs no introduction given that the LEGO video game formula is so familiar to many of us. For the uninitiated though, this is a light-hearted adaptation of the original films Order of the Phoenix, Half-Blood Prince, and Deathly Hallows - Part 1 and Part 2.

Warner Bros.

Players will progress through the familiar instalments of the story they know and love, albeit with an added sense of silly. LEGO games don’t take themselves too seriously. You’ll duel with Voldemort and his various cronies all whilst smashing things and collecting studs you can use to purchase new playable characters and other extras.

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 controls slightly more fluidly than its clunky predecessor. If you want to check it out, LEGO Harry Potter Collection landed on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S in 2024, a remaster of the entire LEGO version of the saga.

4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (PS1)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone landed in 2001 and is also based on the film and novel of the same name. It isn’t to be confused with a game that goes by the exact same title that was developed by Warthog Games and published by EA. That particular title was a cross-platform release, whereas the Harry Potter and the Philospher’s Stone we’re talking about here was a PlayStation 1 exclusive.

EA

Developed by Argonaut Games and also published by EA, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was a pretty straightforward adaptation. Argonaut did a stellar job, however, at bringing the world of Harry Potter to life as players navigated their first year at Hogwarts despite limited technology at the time.

It’s a game that delivered some iconic moments; PS1 Hagrid remains as beloved today as he was in 2001. If you fancy reliving this one, you may experience some difficulty as it remains a PS1 exclusive.

3. Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup

Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup differs from those preceding two titles given that it’s not a straight forward adaptation of one of the Harry Potter films or books. Developed by EA UK, the title unsurprisingly allows players to participate in Quidditch tournaments, the popular wizarding sport.

EA

The roster of characters is based on the Quidditch team line-ups around the time of Prisoner of Azkaban so there are plenty of familiar characters. Players could participate in an inter-house cup, a world cup, exhibition matches, or general play, so there was plenty of content on offer.

Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup arrived in 2003 on PC, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, and Game Boy Advance. Unfortunately, that means it’s not available on modern consoles but you may get a kick out of its spiritual successor Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions which launched in 2024.

2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (PC)

Out of all of the straightforward adaptations, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - notably the PC version - is easily the best. There are too many development studios to name, but it arrived in 2002. While Chamber of Secrets was readily available across several different console platforms, it’s the PC edition that fans have always favoured.

EA

It was KnowWonder who handled development on the PC version which features improved combat and generally just more fluid gameplay. A quick trip over to any fan discussions will quickly prove why this instalment reigns supreme. It featured an incredible soundtrack that oozes nostalgia for many and a fun open world. Plus Chamber of Secrets is generally up there as one of the best Harry Potter instalments.

Unfortunately, the game never made a comeback rendering it lost on PC platforms. You may be able to hunt down a physical console copy if you have the hardware to run it.

1. Hogwarts Legacy

Finally, you can’t watch HBO’s Harry Potter adaptation without playing Hogwarts Legacy given that it’s already been teased that the two projects will feature a visual kinship. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is set 100 years or so after the events of Hogwarts Legacy but it looks as if the creatives working on the new TV project have taken inspiration from that game when it comes to designing the TV show’s sets, costumes, and more.

Warner Bros.

Hogwarts Legacy has sold over 40,000,000 copies and that’s not simply because it’s the only AAA Harry Potter game to land in recent memory. Its version of Hogwarts is a joy to explore, with those opening 10 hours or so exuding pure magic as players go about attending their classes. As the game progresses, the open-world exploration does grow a little repetitive but Hogwarts Legacy is definitely a must-play for Wizarding World fans.

With speculation suggesting that a sequel may be on the way as soon as next year, it’s the perfect time to pick it up.

There Have Been Far More Potter Games Than You Perhaps Realise

While these five titles are undoubtedly the best and most memorable Harry Potter games, they’re far from being all that’s out there.

The 00s delivered us an instalment for every individual film in addition to the Philospher’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets adaptations I’ve mentioned, plus there’s LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 which is just slightly more clunky than its predeccoer.

You might want to check out Quidditch Champions, the live service title which arrived in 2024, or there’s charming mobile games Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery and Harry Potter: Magic Awakened.

Personally, I’d love to one day see a cosy gaming experience set within this world, akin to what Pokémon Pokopia has achieved. Players could home the Wizarding World’s various creatures and build whimsical, magical abodes.

For now though, these should keep you busy until something new comes along.