After years of asking and hoping,Harry Potterfans finally got their wish last year whenHogwarts Legacywas announced; anopen-world RPGset in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world. Unfortunately,the game has been delayedand 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 likeHogwarts Legacysince the first film was released in 2001, so many of them are happy to wait one more year.
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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 ofHarry Potterin the meantime. To help such people decide what to play, we’ve ranked theHarry Pottervideo games by how long they take to complete. To ensure that the times are as accurate as possible, this list will feature everyHarry Pottergame listed onhowlongtobeat.com, ranked by theirMain Story completion time.
11Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2 - 4.5 Hours
It’s fair to say that theHarry Pottermovie tie-in games didn’t go out with a bang. Not only isHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2the 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, yetDeathly Hallows - Part 2feels like little more than a cash-grab.
10Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1 - 5 Hours
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 1is slightly longer than its successor, though this isn’t necessarily a good thing, as the game received even more criticism from fans and reviewers thanDeathly Hallows - Part 2.
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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 itEA’s fifth-lowest rated game on the review aggregator site, with onlyFIFA 21: Legacy Edition,NBA Live 14,and two iterations ofDead Space: Ignitionbelow it.
9Harry 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 Princewas better received than its two successors, and it far more recommendable to people today.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princeis 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.
8Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone - 6 Hours
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stoneonly 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, andplatforming gameplay stylesthat 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 aforementionedHalf-Blood Prince, though it was still very impressive for the time it was released.
7Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - 7.5 Hours
Although nostalgic bias likely plays a part, there are many people who believe thatHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secretsis the bestHarry Pottergame ever released. The game certainly has a case for this title, as it offers a few nicely designedZelda-inspired dungeons, along with one of the best iterations of Hogwarts.
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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.
6Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 7.5 Hours
Despite the love that people had for exploring Hogwarts inChamber of Secretsand the sequelPrisoner of Azkaban,the fourth game,Goblet of Fire,made the odd choice of removing free-roaming altogether. Instead,Goblet of Fireoffers a selection oflinear levelsthat 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.
5Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - 8 Hours
TheChamber 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 likeChamber of Secrets,Prisoner of Azkabanisn’t considered to be among the PlayStation 2’s best games by any means. However, it was thoroughly enjoyable and is fondly remembered by mostHarry Potterfans.
4Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - 10 Hours
Electronic Arts decided not to continue its divisive change of direction withGoblet of Firein 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 afterPrisoner of Azkaban, the explorable Hogwarts inOrder of the Phoenixlooked considerably more impressive than ever before.
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As well as bringing back an old feature,Order of the Phoenixalso introduces a few welcome new ones, such as the ability to duel students around the castle grounds freely.
3Harry Potter: Quidditch World Cup - 10.5 Hours
Considering Electronic Arts' dominance in the sports market, it’s no surprise thatHarry Potterfans were begging the industry giants to make a Quidditch game. Fans got their wish in 2003 withHarry 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 numerousinternational teams, fit with their own unique stadiums.
2LEGO Harry Potter: Years 5-7 - 11 Hours
Considering the huge success of the earlyLEGOgames such asLEGO Star WarsandLEGO Indiana Jones, there were few surprised faces when it was announced that J.K. Rowling’s wizarding franchise would be getting the brick treatment. UnlikeIndiana Jones,a franchise with only one iconic character and no synonymous locations, theHarry Potterfranchise 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 twoLEGOgames set in Hogwarts; it narrowly falls short of its predecessor’s runtime.
