The 8 Best 'Harry Potter' Games of All Time

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter has spread out from its fictional book origins to other corners of media and merchandise. We're pretty sure you've watched all the blockbuster movies, have a closet full of T-shirts with Hermione's likeness on it, and a whole box jam-packed with extra Harry Potter collectibles. And of course, you've probably dabbled in many of the video games devoted to the magical realm that bookworms are still infatuated with. Now we gotta be completely honest with you all - there have been way too many bad to average interactive experiences that haven't lived up to the lofty expectations of the Harry Potter faithful. Even still, there are a few decent to good to even great games that exist within the vast Wizarding World. So let's recount those titles by acknowledging the best Harry Potter games ever made.

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Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone holds a distinctive honor - it's one of the best-selling PlayStation video games of all time. But truth be told, the game itself isn't all that great. Everyone raised their wands in joy when the sequel arrived, though! Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets follows the events of the second book and improves upon everything introduced in its predecessor. Venturing through the vast Hogwarts school grounds feels a bit more satisfying thanks to the refined gameplay that mixes up some familiar elements - learning spells, tackling time-based class challenges inspired by the book, and taking to the air on a broomstick embody the good times this shockingly good licensed game delivers. Before things got a bit more dark and serious, this game delivered the siganture joy and wonder Harry's first adventures were all about.

"Quidditch" is known far and wide as the beloved sport that Harry Potter and the rest of the Hogwarts student collective wish they could play in real life. While that's sadly not possible, Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup went out of its way to offer that dream scenario in the form of a decent video game. Playing as the "Chasers" results in some fun instances where you can tackle the opposition and gain the lead via special team maneuvers. Once the prized "Snitch Chase" kicks in, things get even more hectic as players take on the role of the "Seeker" and get caught up in a heated chase to catch it before the other team's representative. Making your way to the World Cup and hopping into some random Exhibition matches evoke warm memories of this fun fantasy sports experience.

You can truly never go wrong with a LEGO game that offers a hilarious and playable summarization of a beloved franchise. LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is a shining example of that formula and it still holds up as the perfect action platformer for young & old Harry Potter fans the world over. The best parts of every LEGO game (a wide cast of playable characters, tons of humorous moments, and LEGO stud collecting) mesh incredibly well with everything that defines the Wizarding World (spell learning/casting, potion-making, and harrowing adventures to embark on). We certainly enjoyed aiding our fellow student body via those "Student in Peril" missions, too. The first four Harry Potter books are all-timers, but we especially loved reliving the distressing events of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in a LEGO-ized realm.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." FACTS! Development studio Traveller's Tales made sure to let players make their way through the climactic happenings of the final three books with all that lovable LEGO charm. Lego Harry Potter: Years 5–7 wraps everything up in a nice bow with a quality series of playable capers that follow Harry, Ron, and Hermione's crusade against Voldemort and his "Death Eaters." And through it all, getting your hands on all types of studs & rare bricks, discovering "Hogwarts Crests," and unlocking all 200 playable characters remains incredibly rewarding. Go out of your way to pick up the Lego Harry Potter Collection if you wanna hop into an epic playthrough of the previous and current games we've mentioned on this list.

Back on the PS3, Sony went all-in on augmented reality games. That concerted effort was put in place with the combination of the PlayStation Eye and PlayStation Move controller accessories. A few good games came out of that marriage and we're about to mention two of the Wonderbook titles that were made in conjunction with the Harry Potter universe. Learning spells by waving your Move controller like a wand had us and a lot of other would-be wizards/witches fully immersed. While short, Book of Spells is certainly sweet.

After becoming attuned to the act of spell casting, Book of Potions arrived afterward to teach us all how to become potion-making maestros. Everything that worked in Book of Spells works just as well here - the PlayStation Move and PlayStation move controller came together to suck players into one of the more fun magical tutorials in gaming. Gathering & chopping up crucial ingredients, stirring up all those goodies in your own cauldron, and concocting essential spells is what Book of Potions offers & excels at.

It was only a matter of time before the Wizarding World got its own match-three puzzler game on mobile devices. And to be honest, we can't help but become severely addicted to them if they're done right and feature our favorite franchises. Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells injects all the Hogwarts charm and wonder everyone has become accustomed to into your every day "match up three pieces of a kind" gameplay template. It's more fun than expected as you complete hundreds of puzzles while upgrading your spells and magical abilities along the way to break you out of a pinch.

Without a shadow of a doubt, Hogwarts Legacy is the AAA Harry Potter video game fans have been dreaming of ever since the book whisked them off to the Wizarding World. Development studio Avalanche Software aka Portkey Games certainly delivered an amazing open-world action/adventure game that lets everyone live out their lives as wizarding students that must follow their own path. The many mysteries hiding within Hogwarts are so fun to discover, plus getting to take trips to Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest provides an equal amount of enjoyment. Participating in hard-fought wand duels and taking the fight to massive trolls in this game makes you feel like the most powerful magic wielder there is. Add all that to an absorbing storyline and you have yourselves the perfect playable prequel to Harry Potter's iconic adventures.