Harry Potter has become a beloved movie franchise in line with Star Wars, Star Trek, and The Lord of the Rings. Surely, you will find people that prefer Harry Potter books and movies over any other form of entertainment (except for trivia, of course). You might be one of those people, since you’re looking up Harry Potter trivia board games!
Lucky for you, there is a lot to choose from. With 8 movies and 7 books (not counting the Fantastic Beasts series), Harry Potter is a rich area for trivia games of all kinds. If you have a good group of people to play with and sufficient knowledge to shine, then you should take the floor! And while you’re preparing for your moment in the spotlight, we’ve prepared an overview of the best Harry Potter trivia board games on the market.
If you’re not interested in reading the whole article, then let me jump ahead and say that Trivial Pursuit: World of Harry Potter – Ultimate Edition is likely the best Harry Potter trivia game out there. It is a full-size game that allows for up to 8 players. The game is suitable for parties with friends, as well as quiet nights in with the family. You can play with kids and adults alike. The questions are equally fun and challenging. Overall, you can’t go wrong with this game!
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Buying Guide for Harry Potter Games (and Board Games in General)
Board games are not cheap, and no wonder! A high-quality game can provide countless nights of entertainment and fun with friends and family. Until, of course, you memorize all the answers and rip the game board to shreds. For the time being, you need to give this investment some thought. The last thing you want is to end up with a boring game that no one wants to play, or a great game that doesn’t suit your needs.
First, consider who you’re going to play with. Do you want to play with one other person (your partner, sibling, or roommate, for example), or do you want to invite 5 people over and play altogether? Some of these games are only meant for 2 players. That problem can be solved if you don’t mind playing in teams, but not everyone wants to share the spotlight with other people.
How old are your co-players? If you’re going to play with younger children, that is something you need to consider before settling on one game. Children can be no less knowledgeable than adults, but they tend to prefer more fast-paced games. At the same time, young kids below the age of 7 might have a hard time following quick gameplay. Take the ages of all players into consideration!
How knowledgeable are the players about Harry Potter? Have they seen all the movies or read all the books? Playing with people that are not as knowledgeable as you is no fun, just like it’s no fun to play when you know nothing about the topic. You need to figure out your perfect level of difficulty. The questions should be challenging, but fun. Are you a hardcore Potterhead or just a fan?
The last thing that might be important to you is collectable pieces. Does the game come with Harry Potter themed game pieces you can look at and treasure forever? Some do! You don’t have to opt for a pricier game just for some pretty figurines. Just so you know, it’s an option!
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Trivia Game (Mattel) (2000)
This game came out all the way back in 2000. It contains 750 questions about the first book. Apparently, that’s quite rare, as most board games are based on the movies. If you’re a bit of a Harry Potter snob and agree that the books were better than the movies, then you might enjoy this one.
The questions are split among 5 categories. The Harry Potter theme is apparent with the gameplay. You get to pick your house, use Charm cards, and avoid Curses. The game allows for between 2 and 6 players or teams. The benefit of this game is that you can easily play with people who are less knowledgeable than you. Those who are not confident in their answers can use the multiple-choice feature and Spell cards.
The game is meant for ages 8 and up. Originally, it was meant for kids who had just read the book. You can still play with your family and friends, regardless of age. The game is definitely less relevant now, as all the books and movies have come out, because you’d probably rather answer questions about the whole series. However, if you don’t mind focusing on the first book, then this one’s for you!
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Trivia Game (Mattel) (2002)
The game covers the second Harry Potter book – Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It’s presented in the form of a Quidditch game, where Gryffindor and Slytherin play against each other. The game is meant for 2 players or teams, so, naturally, one will play on behalf of Gryffindor and the other on behalf of Slytherin. This is a nice touch, considering the two houses were lifelong competitors in the world of Harry Potter. Overall, the game has a lot of great details that will transport the players into the movie. For instance, the game comes with a bunch of collectable game pieces.
There are 230 question cards spread among 4 levels of difficulty. There is a final and most difficult Golden Snitch question. The player/team that answers it gets 150 points (just like in the movie). Then, all the points can be counted and the winner is determined. Players can score points during the game and make opponents skip rounds of the game. The board is very well designed too.
Overall, the game is good for real Potterheads. It’s suitable for adults and children from the age of 8, but the gameplay might be too complex for very young players. The game is best played when the directions are followed closely and everybody knows the rules, which is another disadvantage. The directions might be difficult to follow at first, thus preventing players from focusing on the trivia aspect of the game, which is what we’re here for!
Trivial Pursuit: World of Harry Potter – Bite-Size (2014)
We all know the iconic game loved by many, Trivial Pursuit. If you’re looking for a trivia board game, Trivial Pursuit is pretty much the safest option. This particular game is a small, travel-size version. That’s great for those who appreciate fast gameplay and maybe even want to take it with them on a trip. There are 600 questions, which is generally enough. As for the gameplay, the game is meant for 2 people or teams.
You don’t need a Trivial Pursuit game board, but you can use it if you have one. That’s kind of the perfect scenario, as you wouldn’t need to splurge on a full-size game and could still get all the benefits.
As for the game itself, it’s quite good. People criticized it for being based on the movies, which I didn’t find that problematic. The reality is, more people will be familiar with the movies than books, so the game is more inclusive this way. There is some variety in the difficulty of the questions. Some are easier and more appropriate for a wider audience, but they’re too easy for a real Potterhead. Others are more advanced and challenging.
Wonder Forge Ravensburger Pictopia: Harry Potter Edition (2017)
This game includes 200 trivia cards with 1,000 questions about all the Harry Potter films, including Fantastic Beasts. You will find questions about your favorite characters, magical creatures, locations, and enchanted objects from the popular movie franchise. What separates this game from the Harry Potter editions of Trivial Pursuit is that it’s entirely image-based. Each card comes with pictures from the Harry Potter movies, and the questions are based on those pictures. It is also cheaper than most master game sets of Trivial Pursuit, so it’s an excellent alternative.
Unfortunately, the images are quite small, which takes away from the overall experience. The game is also more suitable for children, so adult fans of Harry Potter might not find the questions challenging enough. Nevertheless, it’s a great game for casual players and families. It would make a good Christmas gift that the whole family can enjoy on a cold winter night.
Trivial Pursuit: World of Harry Potter – Ultimate Edition (2018)
If you’re familiar with Trivial Pursuit and enjoy Harry Potter, then this game is the ultimate trivia board game for you. There is no doubt that you will thoroughly enjoy this game, but only if you’re up to the challenge, of course.
Trivial Pursuit works in a very specific way. There are 6 categories of questions. Following the Harry Potter theme, the categories are: Objects & Artifacts; Death Eaters & The Dark Arts; Animals, Magical Creatures & Magical Beings; Ghosts & Muggles; Other Locations & Transportation; and Spells, Potions & Other Magic. There are 1,800 questions from all 8 Harry Potter movies.
Unlike the bite-size Trivial Pursuit edition of Harry Potter, this one comes with a custom game board and 4 custom house crest movers. If you’re looking for something to add to your Harry Potter collection, this is it! The game allows for 2 to 8 players and is suitable for both kids and adults.
If I wanted to be critical, I would say that some of the questions are not as good as others. Unfortunately, that’s a given with trivia games and you should always expect a couple silly questions. Silly questions aside, I can’t deny that this is the ultimate Harry Potter trivia board game. It covers all the movies and has questions of varying difficulty levels. You can play with family or friends. You don’t have to be the biggest Harry Potter fan to know the answers, though some questions definitely don’t fit in the common knowledge category!
Paladone Hogwarts Trivia
This game is much less popular than others on this list. It is debatable whether it even belongs on the list, as it technically doesn’t come with a game board. However, it does come with 200 Harry Potter trivia questions.
The fun begins when you get to choose your house. As you know, there are 4 houses, so there can only be 4 players (or teams). Each card has 4 questions, one for each house. You proceed to answer only the questions that are meant for your house.
Because of the lack of a board, this game is better suited for game nights and pub quizzes. There will be no mess with everybody trying to fit around a tiny board and move their gaming pieces. It is also more fast-paced and interactive as a result. The best part is – it’s much cheaper too! If you’re not looking for a heavy, sit-down board game, then this is a great option.
Expelliarmus!
This spell makes no sense in the context, but I hope you know what it means! After all, if you’re getting ready to play a game of Harry Potter trivia, you should brush up on some general knowledge. Yes, that includes spells, potions, and other magic.
Once again, if you were too lazy to read the whole article and somehow ended up here, here’s a tip: buy the Trivial Pursuit: World of Harry Potter – Ultimate Edition game. It is a well-rounded board game that will engage the whole family or friend group. If you’re still not sure, have another look at the buying guide and ask yourself those important questions. Enjoy your game, and remember, no magic outside of Hogwarts!
Finally, if you’re a fan of movies in general, be sure to check out our top picks among all the movie trivia board games. Harry Potter still makes the list!
Have you played any of these games? Let us know in the comments! What game should we talk about next? If you want to expand beyond Harry Potter to general trivia, check out our list of the best board games overall. And for more Harry Potter trivia, check out these 125 Harry Potter Jeopardy! questions.
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