3 Game Apps To Play On Harry Potter’s Birthday

On this day in 1980, baby Harry James was born to an unassuming wizard couple named James and Lily Potter. And the rest, as they say, is history.

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Fun Fact: July 31, 1965 is J.K. Rowling’s birthday, and Harry learned he was a wizard from Hagrid on July 31, 1991. The date’s a pretty big deal among Potterheads.

Celebrate your love of all things Potter by playing the night away with these apps!

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Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

Get the full Hogwarts student experience

iOS, Android

Free

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Ever wondered what it would be like to attend Hogwarts yourself? Wish granted: You get to choose your house, design your character, and begin your own journey as a Hogwarts student.

The game is set a few years after Harry survives Voldemort’s (Oops! We mean He Who Must Not Be Named’s) attack, and slightly before the events of Sorcerer’s Stone. So you’re basically getting the peaceful Hogwarts education Harry’s yearmates probably wanted—potion-brewing, spell-casting, and all.

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Since the game is set in the timeline of the Harry Potter series, you’ll encounter familiar faces like Professor Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and Hagrid. Word is that the developers even got the official movie cast to provide voices for the game!

Pros: It’s a chance to attend Hogwarts… virtually.

Cons: Playing the game requires energy, which recharges after a few hours or can be purchased in-app with real money.

Fantastic Beasts™: Cases

Solve cases, Newt Scamander-style

iOS, Android

Free

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This one’s sure to be a hit with fans of J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world! In a mad mashup of Criminal Case and Doors and Rooms, players solve cases as part of the Ministry of Magic’s Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. (Try saying that without stopping for breath.)

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The game is divided into cases, each revolving around a particular magical creature. Cases are mainly solved by searching for hidden clues, but you may also be called upon to brew potions, solve puzzles, and cast spells in the process!

Pros: Kill the boredom before the launch of Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in November 2018.

Cons: App reviews report that it lags occasionally.

QuizUp

Test your knowledge against other Potterheads worldwide

iOS, Android

Free

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This app isn’t all about Harry Potter, but it’s a solid trivia game with a lot of wizarding world-related categories. There are separate trivia quizzes about general Harry Potter knowledge, Harry Potter characters, the movie series, book quotes, and more!

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You can play by yourself or go head-to-head against players from the US, Canada, Saudi Arabia, the UK, India, and more countries than you can name. There are even real-time rankings within the app, so if you become #1 in Harry Potter Spells worldwide, everyone will know.

Pros: It’s free for download!

Cons: Ads will sometimes pop up during the quiz.

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