Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle

Deck building, wizard style. If you are familiar with deck building games like Dominion, or Star Realms, Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle will be an easy game to pick up. If you’re not, it’s a great introduction to deck building games. This is a cooperative game where the objective is to beat up the nasty villains and not get beat up yourself over 7 stories, one for each book.

Year of Release: 2016
Number of Players: 2-4
Playing Time: 30-60 min
Listed Age:11+
Mechanics: Deck Building
Theme in a Nutshell: Yer a wizard Harry

What I like:

You get to play the bravest and strongest of all the Gryffindor: Neville.

The stories increase in difficulty as you go along. The initial game is pretty much a tutorial on how this game, and deck builders in general work. This makes Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle a great way to teach kids deck building.

Great use of theme. You really feel like you’re playing through the books.

My Rating: 7/10

What I don’t like:

By the end it might be too difficult for kids.

Not a lot of staying power once you’ve completed it.

Art and images are all from the movies, which as a books-only kind of guy kind of yucks my yum.

Is if good for kids and families?

Yup! I enjoy playing this with the kiddos, even when they were younger. You can easily guide them and help them along without breaking any rules or whatnot. I wouldn’t however play this game without them.

Learn more about the game:

• Rahdo’s Runthrough of Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle (video)
• Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle on BGG
• Where to buy Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle online in Canada