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5 mobile games that are way more magical than Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

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5 mobile games that are way more magical than Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery has started to roll out on mobile, and it's... not very good.

Any promise Jam City's casual RPG might have (and there is some) is dashed on the rocks of a terrible freemium structure. What a pity.

But don't be too distraught, Harry Potter fans (Potties? Pott-heads?). There's always Harry Potter: Wizards Unite on the horizon, which almost certainly won't suck.

Those who were simply interested in going on an easy-going magical adventure, however, are in luck. There are a bunch of brilliant alternatives that are way more worthy of your time and money.

Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition

Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition takes the already-pretty-magical and distinctly epic story of the original console RPG and compresses it into a cute zip file of a mobile game.

The controls, battle system, exploration - even the visuals have taken on a much more inviting, intuitive hue in Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition. But the essence of a right rip roaring romp remains.

Layton's Mystery Journey

You know the way Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery mixes gentle storytelling with simple tasks? Layton's Mystery Journey does something similar, only way better.

On the one hand tells the gentle tale of Katrielle Layton and her talking dog as they attempt to solve a string of light-hearted mysteries. On the other it stirs in some genuinely taxing brain teasers.

Reigns: Her Majesty

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery stands as a simplified RPG mixed with narrative adventure elements, but it doesn't go as far as Reigns: Her Majesty in either regard.

Here you're making tough, consequence-filled story choices and building up your regal character with nothing more complicated than a swipey Tinder input system. And with a story filled with magic, mystery and humour, too.

Knights of Pen & Paper 2

This loving nod to classic tabletop RPGs could have been a thoroughly esoteric nerd-fest. But Knights of Pen & Paper 2 is both joyously accessible and packed full of warm humour.

You're still embarking on quests, fighting monsters, and learning new skills in a fantasy world, but in a world that's thoroughly relatable and inviting.

Cat Quest

What could be more sweet and magical than a light-hearted romp in a fantasy world entirely made up of cats? Nothing with Harry-bloomin'-Potter in, that's for sure.

Cat Quest takes its gameplay cues from the Zelda series, but with streamlined controls, bite-sized dungeons and oodles of irresistible cat puns. Purrrfect.

Jon Mundy
Jon Mundy
Jon is a consummate expert in adventure, action, and sports games. Which is just as well, as in real life he's timid, lazy, and unfit. It's amazing how these things even themselves out.