Current Events > 10 Games Like Hogwarts Legacy to Play Instead of Continuing to Fund J.K. Rowling

(+) Yeah! (+)

Although Hogwarts Legacy will be released in February, many gamers are boycotting the open-world action RPG and asking others to do the same. Harry Potter author J.K. Rowlingwhose transphobic views have alienated a large portion of her once-massive fan basewas not directly involved in the games development, but she owns the IP and is thus likely to make a fair amount of money in royalties.

The good news is, there are plenty of video games that will provide a similarly magical experience, including some that are based at magic schools of various stripes. Rather than buying Hogwarts Legacy, check out these games and avoid putting more money in Rowlings pockets.

The Elder Scrolls

The Elder Scrolls is a series of high-fantasy, first-person roleplaying games from Bethesda Softworks. The series debuted with Arena in 1994, and there are currently five main games and several spin-offs. Each installment features an academy where the player can enroll, and some offer quests to help you master the arcane arts.

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Fire Emblem: Three Houses isnt strictly about a magic school, but it captures a similar feeling. The content of Fdlan is about going to war, and you have the opportunity to teach one of the three houses of the prestigious Officers Academy hosted by the Church of Seiros. As you teach your students, you must also navigate turn-based, tactical battles.

Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact is an open-world fantasy RPG wherein you control the Traveler, whos been separated from their sibling and must go on a massive quest to find them with the help of their companion Paimon. This rich fantasy game is free to play (with randomized loot boxes available for purchase), and as you make your way through the land youll encounter new characters and abilities, then build powerful, elemental parties for combat and missions.

Ikenfell

Ikenfell is a turn-based tactical RPG where you play a rebellious magic student. You can explore the school, fight monsters, discover treasure, and reveal dark secrets with your friends. The mechanics are largely timing-based, and youll use them to power up spells and block attacks in combat, becoming more powerful as you progress.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits

Ember Labs Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a third-person, narrative action-adventure game prioritizing exploration and combat. You control Kena, a young Spirit Guide searching for the Mountain Shrine with the help of her spirit companions known as the Rot. As you search for this sacred site, youll help Kena and the Rot free spirits trapped in a forgotten village using upgradeable weapons and abilities, while growing your companion group and tasking them with certain quests and tasks.

Mages of Mystralia

Mages of Mystralia is an action-adventure game in which you control Zia, a mage who discovers she has magic at the start of the game. Like any beginning spellcaster, she cant control her powers immediately, which leads to her being exiled from her village after she accidentally wreaks havoc. This puts her on a journey involving a mage sanctuary, a war, and a deeply sinister plot, all in a beautiful world with a unique magical system.

Magicka

Magicka is a Norse mythology-based action-adventure game in which you play a wizard from a sacred order who has to save the world from an evil sorcerer. You combine elements to craft spells and team up with friends to dominate in combat against the minions of darkness.
The story continues in Magicka 2, in which you utilize an updated spellcasting system as you traverse a version of Midgrd thats been nearly wiped of wizards after the deadly Wizard Wars.

Noita

Noita is a pixel-based magical action rogue-lite wherein you will progress through procedurally generated levels using spells you create as you go. The game features a variety of environments, forcing you to adapt and overcome as you encounter coal mines, frozen wastelands, and more.

Spellcaster University

In Spellcaster University, youre the director of the school, rather than one of its students. This game is a combination deck-builder and management sim, tasking you with building and customizing your school, populating it with mythical creatures, and completing tasks as you try to keep things afloat. Theres no right way to play this game, and each one is utterly unique.

Witchbrook

Chucklefishs Witchbrook is a highly-anticipated magical school and town life simulator in the style of Stardew Valley. You play as a witch in training and, in addition to attending classes, completing assignments, and building your magic skills, you will also form relationships, grow crops, forage for mushrooms, go fishing, and other staples of the genre.

Chucklefish has not announced a release window for Witchbrook, largely due to the developers stance on crunch culture. Rather than pushing its 18-person team to produce the game at hyperspeed to the detriment of their own health, its prioritizing people over profit. For updates, you can wishlist the game on Steam.

https://www.themarysue.com/games-like-hogwarts-legacy-to-play-instead-of-continuing-to-fund-j-k-rowling/

I love some of the games you mentioned, and also, I won't be buying Hogwarts Legacy.

No thanks, Hogwarts Legacy looks awesome. I love J.K. Rowling, hope she makes bank off of this and future Harry Potter projects.

Goddamn the anti-Hogwarts Legacy stuff is pathetic.

'Member that Wizards 101 fans that was FTP?

Is the joke that this makes it sound really appealing

I own Ikenfell & Kena, but haven't played them yet.

I'll hopefully soon get on that.

Been having a lot of fun with Isles of Adalar and its 20 bucks on steam

I am a huge fan of JK Rowling and will be supporting her by purchasing Hogwarts Legacy.

No Bully?
This list sucks

Atelier Ryza 3

Stolen accounts out in force itt

Reminds me of that episode of The Simpsons when Lisa tried to stop everyone eating meat by bringing a bunch of gazpacho out to the BBQ

All this is doing is making the thing they're protesting against and boycotting seem more appealing.

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]

Also this

I can respect not wanting to play the game and wanting to find alternatives but none of the games listed are really similar to Hogwarts Legacy at all

I just wanna pretend to be a wizard and shoot magic spells >_>

If Bethesda were smart they'd be releasing a dlc for skyrim that expands on the Mage Academy storyline tbh

These posts just push me towards buying it at full price instead of waiting for deals.

GREEN00 posted...

No thanks, Hogwarts Legacy looks awesome. I love J.K. Rowling, hope she makes bank off of this and future Harry Potter projects.

AdrianBeterson posted...

I am a huge fan of JK Rowling and will be supporting her by purchasing Hogwarts Legacy.

lol how much has to go wrong in one's life to be a fan of any rich person?

hockeybub89 posted...

lol how much has to go wrong in one's life to be a fan of any rich person?

I mean, they're clearly troll alts of each other. Nobody's buying a $70 game for the lulz.

lilORANG posted...

I mean, they're clearly troll alts of each other. Nobody's buying a $70 game for the lulz.

how much has to go wrong in one's life to have troll alts

Lol

That lady has got to be worth like a billion dollars, youre not going to be hurting her pocket book. It would more so affect the hundreds of people who personally worked on this game and have a vested interest in its success. This is like saying people shouldnt watch pulp fiction because Harvey Weinstein is a piece of shit.

Solid_Snake07 posted...

Lol

That lady has got to be worth like a billion dollars, youre not going to be hurting her pocket book. It would more so affect the hundreds of people who personally worked on this game and have a vested interest in its success. This is like saying people shouldnt watch pulp fiction because Harvey Weinstein is a piece of shit.

People arent drones and still get to take personal responsibility for their actions.

GOOGLE posted...

People arent drones and still get to take personal responsibility for their actions.

That's why the developers are making the game as a middle finger to Rowling.

Damn, if Hogwarts Legacy is as good as all those games, maybe I should buy 10 copies.

hockeybub89 posted...

That's why the developers are making the game as a middle finger to Rowling.

Well thats on them bro.

GOOGLE posted...

People arent drones and still get to take personal responsibility for their actions.

responsibility for what actions? wanting to make a good game for an ip they have a passion for?

Grow up

Evol posted...

Genshin Impact

>topic list

Solid_Snake07 posted...

responsibility for what actions? wanting to make a good game for an ip they have a passion for?

Grow up

What did you think I meant from my post because I get the feeling you completely missed the post?

Sounded like you were talking about anyone who chose to work on the game given the context

Reave314 posted...

Fuck Rowling Fuck Rowling Fuck Rowling

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RYnFIRc0k6E

Solid_Snake07 posted...

Sounded like you were talking about anyone who chose to work on the game given the context

I was talking about even if you dont think it will make any difference people still have the option to buy the game or not.

I know if I dont throw litter on the ground that other people still will and it probably wont have any noticeable impact on the world but I still decide Im not gonna do it. Incidentally much like JKRs opinions thats garbage as well.

How many of the games on the list are even like this game at all? People want it because of the license, not because of a vaguely desire to play and open world or game with magic.

Just buy the game used. She isnt getting your money that way. Though some elements of the plot are still sketchy lol.

Left4Doge posted...

How many of the games on the list are even like this game at all? People want it because of the license, not because of a vaguely desire to play and open world or game with magic.

Just buy the game used. She isnt getting your money that way. Though some elements of the plot are still sketchy lol.

Maybe it's me giving too much credit to video game writers but I would be shocked if the story was really as simple as like "this oppressed group is rebelling and it's your job to put them down and remind them of their place!"

We'll see when the game comes out at least lol

lilORANG posted...

I mean, they're clearly troll alts of each other. Nobody's buying a $70 game for the lulz.

lol cope. I have no alts, no reason to use alts. Other people are free to think whatever they want about this game.

GREEN00 posted...

lol cope. I have no alts, no reason to use alts. Other people are free to think whatever they want about this game.

Yes, we are free to laugh at you being a fan of a rich asshole. Are you married to her? She'd probably hate you for being a man.

hockeybub89 posted...

That's why the developers are making the game as a middle finger to Rowling.

A "middle finger" that will be making the creator of the IP millions of dollars (which she well deserves and has earned)

GREEN00 posted...

A "middle finger" that will be making the creator of the IP millions of dollars (which she well deserves and has earned)

Can you please just give us your honest opinion of trans people so the mods can get rid of you?

lilORANG posted...

I mean, they're clearly troll alts of each other. Nobody's buying a $70 game for the lulz.

I got the deluxe, play 3 days early edition for 80 though.

hockeybub89 posted...

Yes, we are free to laugh at you being a fan of a rich asshole. Are you married to her? She'd probably hate you for being a man.

@hockeybub89 You hate everyone that's found financial success in life? Really? You sound incredibly jelly TBQH.

Never heard of Ikenfell, definitely looking into that one

GREEN00 posted...

A "middle finger" that will be making the creator of the IP millions of dollars (which she well deserves and has earned)

as in being able to create trans characters, something Rowling doesn't want attached to her.

GREEN00 posted...

@hockeybub89 You hate everyone that's found financial success in life? Really? You sound incredibly jelly TBQH.

My finances are just fine. I'm too ethical to even want to become filthy rich.

But I was talking people being fans of the rich and famous. Like what does anyone gain from that? So cringey.

If its fun and not buggy I will just buy a used copy.

Elder Scrolls with mods to expand the magic really is goated, especially that Apocalypse mod for Skyrim

Buying the game for my wife, cause she like Harry Potter.

gamestunner posted...

Buying the game for my wife, cause she like Harry Potter.

How does it feel being married to a bigot?

I hope it's obvious this is sarcasm

Thanks TC for reminding me to preorder Hogwarts Legacy. I got the Deluxe Edition.

Are any of these relatively modern or not released 20 years ago?

Jagr_68 posted...

>topic list

Yep, time to leave the topic and go play Genshin.