Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

• Type: Mobile Role-Playing Video Game
• Developer: Jam City
• Publisher: Portkey Games
• Platforms: iOS, Android
• Release Date: 25 April 2018 (video game)

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is a role-playing video game set at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the 1980s. The story takes place after Lord Voldemort's first defeat and before the arrival of Harry Potter at the school. Players create and customize their own character, a young witch or wizard, who enrolls at Hogwarts as a first-year student. The central narrative revolves around the player character's search for their older brother, Jacob, who was previously expelled from Hogwarts for breaking school rules while investigating the fabled “Cursed Vaults” and subsequently disappeared. The player must navigate their school years while uncovering the secrets of the vaults and a shadowy organization known as 'R'. (video game) Gameplay consists of attending classes such as Potions, Charms, and Transfiguration, where players learn new spells and skills by completing tasks. These tasks typically involve tapping the screen and expending energy points, which recharge over time. Players can also form friendships and rivalries with a cast of original characters and younger versions of established figures from the books. Other game mechanics include duelling, caring for magical creatures, and making narrative choices that can affect relationships and story outcomes. (video game)

The game's story begins in 1984, with the player character's arrival at Hogwarts. They are immediately confronted with the negative reputation left behind by their brother, Jacob. Driven to clear their family name and find Jacob, the player begins to investigate the Cursed Vaults, hidden areas within the castle rumoured to contain powerful treasures and dark curses. (video game) Throughout their school years, the player, along with friends, systematically locates and breaks the curses on several vaults. Each vault presents unique challenges and guards, revealing more about Jacob's journey and the motives of 'R', the cabal seeking to control the vaults' power. The player interacts with numerous canon characters during their time at Hogwarts, including a young Bill Weasley who aids in the vault-hunting, and Nymphadora Tonks and Charlie Weasley as fellow students. The plot progresses with each school year, introducing new mysteries and characters. (video game)

Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery is an officially licensed product but is not considered part of the primary canon established by J.K. Rowling's seven novels. Its storyline, original characters, and specific magical lore (such as the nature of the Cursed Vaults) are unique to the game. While it is set within the canonical timeline (1984-1991) and features many characters and locations from the books, including Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and Severus Snape, its plot is a self-contained, non-canon narrative. Therefore, all information, events, and character developments originating from this game should be considered secondary to the material presented in the original book series.

• The game was developed by Jam City and published under the Portkey Games label, which was created by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment to oversee the creation of new Wizarding World video game experiences. (video game)
• Upon its release, the game was noted for its use of an energy system linked to microtransactions, which drew significant criticism from players and reviewers. (video game)
• Several actors from the Harry Potter films reprised their roles to provide voice work for their characters in the game, including Dame Maggie Smith (Minerva McGonagall), Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore), Warwick Davis (Filius Flitwick), and Gemma Jones (Madam Pomfrey). (video game)