Harry Potter: Defenders of Hogwarts · a MinaLima board game
Defending Hogwarts since 2026 — the independent, source-checked guide
Bought-and-played-free of hype: we restate the official rules, weigh every published verdict, and price out exactly what a late pledge costs where you live. When the record is unclear, we put unverified on the page instead of pretending.
Data last checked: · how we verify numbers
| Fact | Value | So what |
|---|---|---|
| Format | 2–5 players · ages 13+ · official 90 min (BGG lists 90–180) | Party-length game; real sessions run long with more players |
| Structure | Asymmetric one-vs-many deck-builder — and only ONE house player wins | Not a co-op despite marketing copy; crucial if you hate spoilers |
| Crowdfund | £1,313,755 · 10,959 backers · 2026-06-30 → 2026-07-23 | £50k goal beaten 26× — the IP pulled in diehard fans |
| Late pledge | Closed 2026-10-09 Unconfirmed checkout | Hive still shows buttons; needs an account to test. Treat as closed |
| Prices | £58 / £115 / £280 (tiers) · £75 RRP incl. UK VAT | Only UK retail price published; other regions unpriced |
| Ships | Oct 2026 (main box) · Collector’s box Mar 2027 | Collector tier arrives in two waves |
Three things nobody else here with receipts
The 5.07 BGG score is a rating war, not a verdict67 one-star protest votes and 56 ten-star counter-votes make the average meaningless. We show the real distribution and what actually got reviewed.What a late pledge really costs where you liveOfficial shipping × verified tax rates = your landed cost, including both UK VAT scenarios — with over £14.00 of difference between them.It is a board game, not an RPGHalf the press called it an RPG. We trace where that started and explain what the game actually is — with sources.
Explore the site
RulesHow to play — every rule, checkedSetup, turn structure, ~120 glossary terms, the 35 mistakes and a rules FAQ restated from the official rulebook.ReviewAn honest verdictWe have not played it — and say so. Built from the rulebook, the official record and every published review, including the critical ones.EditorialBuyIs it even buyable today?Channel status, price comparison, edition math, landed-cost per region, and the wait-for-retail calendar.CompareAgainst other HP gamesHogwarts Battle, deck-builders and one-vs-many peers — which game fits which table.CrowdfundThe Kickstarter record£1.31 million raised, 10,959 backers — tiers, add-ons, shipping terms.ComponentsBoard & box contentsThe complete component list and what the KS-exclusive pieces are worth.Data
Recent data checks
- /buy/*, /kickstarter/* — Initial verification round: pledge tiers, add-on prices, shipping table (re-OCR), duties table, FX rates (frankfurter + ECB), UK retail RRP £75, FroGames €69.99 indicative listing, late-pledge closure per Update #18.
- /review/*, /rules/* — Initial sourcing: One Board Family review (2026-09-10), Bower’s Game Corner critique (2026-07-01), BGG rating distribution (138 ratings, 5.066 avg), official 17-page rulebook.
Reference rate used across this site: 1 GBP ≈ $1.3235 / €1.1837 (2026-10-12).