Anopen-world role-playing gameset in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding school of Hogwarts has been on thetop of many gamer’s wishlistssince the books and films were first released. The idea of freely exploring the school’s halls, participating in classes, and interacting with classmates in the upcomingHogwarts Legacyhas captured the imagination of the gaming industry, putting an incredible amount of pressure on developer Avalanche Software. Possibly due to this weight of expectation, the game has been pushed back to 2022; there haven’t been too many complaints about this delay, however, likely due to the underwhelming release ofCyberpunk 2077still fresh in the mind.
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Although the delay is almost certainly a good thing in the long term, it will be leaving some players without an idea of what to play in 2021. Thankfully, there are tons of other excellent games that take place in and around school grounds that will hopefully fill the void untilHogwartsLegacyis released next year.
10Corpse Party
Kicking this list off on a dark note,Corpse Partyis asurvival horror gamethat tasks players with escaping a haunted school. The story-driven game has five separate chapters, each featuring different endings depending on the player’s decisions throughout each adventure.
TheCorpse PartyIP certainly isn’t just confined to one video game, as numerous sequels, spin-offs, mangas, and films have been released over the years. The originalCorpse Partyis a great place to start with the franchise, especially because the once Japanese exclusive is now available on Steam.
9Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Unsurprisingly,Hogwarts Legacyis far from being the firstHarry Pottervideo game, as each of the wizarding books and films has been given the video game treatment. Movie tie-ins have a bad reputation today for often being low-effort cash-grabs and granted, a few of theHarry Pottergames are indicative of this, butChamber of Secretscertainly isn’t one of them.
Chamber of Secretsoffers players a fantastic level of freedom, especially for the time of its release, as players are free to explore the castle grounds early into the game to find the numerous secrets hidden around the school.
8Detention
Red Candle Games’Detentionis a survival horror RPG set in Taiwan during the 1960s. The 2017 release was well-received by fans and critics alike, particularly for itsimmersive atmosphere, exemplified by the game’sMetascore of 83andAll Reviews mark of Overwhelmingly Positive on Steam.
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Red Candle Games are best known today for their gameDevotion,which quickly became the source of controversy in China for its criticisms of Xi Jinping. The game also caused problems between gamers and GOG whenthe site controversially U-turned on an announcement thatDevotionwould be coming to their store.
7Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy
There aren’t many franchises that can compare to the success of theHarry Potterfranchise, butStar Warsis certainly one of them.Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academywas released in 2003 and takes a leaf out of the wizarding world’s book by taking players to a fantasy school.
Although lightsaber combat isJedi Academy’s most beloved feature, the game is also fondly remembered for its encapsulating story that uses the academy to give the player a natural sense of rising through the Jedi ranks, as well as offering new insight into theStar Warsuniverse.
6Life is Strange
Life is Strangeis a story-driven game that offers a modern interpretation of thegraphic adventures that dominated PC gaming in the 80s and 90s. The game was separated into five separate episodes that were released sporadically throughout 2015.
Dontnod Entertainment’s game received tons ofpraise from fans and critics for its narrative, which won numerous awards upon release. Accolades for the story included Excellence and Innovation in Digital Storytellingfrom the Peabody-Facebook Futures of Media Awardsand Use of Narrativefrom the Develop Industry Excellence Awards.
5Academagia: The Making of Mages
Academagia: The Making of Magesis certainly not the most critically acclaimed game on this list, but Black Chicken Studios' game is worth including nonetheless for being bearing many similarities to theHarry Potterfranchise.
Academagiatakes players to an ancient wizarding school and lets them attend classes, interact with fellow students, explore the campus, and embark on numerous adventures. The game has a tough learning curve, but it can be a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy life simulator once players get into the swing of it.
4LEGO Harry Potter Collection
The second and finalHarry Pottergame to appear on this list,LEGO Harry Potter Collectionis a great value for money package that includes all of the wizarding films inLEGOform.
LEGO Harry Potter Collectionoffers players the collectathon gameplay that theLEGOgames have become synonymous with while differentiating it from otherLEGOtitles with the implementation of magic in both combatand puzzle-solving. The game also offers a fantastic rendition of Hogwarts castle, with tons of secrets to discover as the player unlocks new characters and spells.
3Doki Doki Literature Club!
Team Salvato’sDoki Doki Literature Club!may appear to simply be an anime dating simulator judging by the game’s cover art, and the first few hours of gameplay won’t do much to sway this viewpoint.
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The game will soon delve into a completely different direction, however, as it becomes clear thatDoki Doki Literature Club!is in fact an unsettling and often terrifying horror game. The sudden shift in tone isn’t just a gimmick, as Team Salvato’s game acts as a thought providing satire of the dating simulator and visual novel genres.
2Persona 5 Royal
The latest entry into the iconic Japanese-role-playing series, P-Studio’sPersona 5 Royalwas released exclusively on the PlayStation 4 in 2020 to an eye-wateringMetascore of 95. The game was also nominated for Best Role-Playing at The Game Awards 2020 butultimately lost out toFinal Fantasy VII Remake.
Persona 5 Royalis an enhanced edition ofPersona 5,which initially hit stores in 2016. Among the game’s numerous enhancements was the inclusion of new Phantom Thief member Kasumi Yoshizawa, as well as a playable third semester.
1Bully
Despite being a bit rough around the edges,Bullyis today perceived as being one of Rockstar’s best releases. The game offers an incredibly charismatic and memorable cast of characters both in the game’s cutscenes and wandering around, causing havoc in the game-world.
One ofBully’s best qualities is the variety in its gameplay. Not only do the main missions have a great range of playstyles and objectives on offer, but there are also numerous classes to complete like Art, English, and Gym, as well as side activities like Go-Karting.
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