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Against the other HP games
Data last checked: · how we verify numbers
Defenders of Hogwarts is the newest Harry Potter board game — and the odd one out. Hogwarts Battle (2016) remains the line’s benchmark, ranked 466th on BoardGameGeek with a 7.3 average from some 22,000 ratings [BGG, 2026-10-12], while Defenders competes on something no other licensed HP game offers: MinaLima’s artwork and a one-versus-many structure — with a single winner, not a co-op.
Scope note: we have not played any of these games; this comparison is built from the official rulebook, BoardGameGeek data checked 2026-10-12 and named published reviews.
The benchmark: Hogwarts Battle
Defenders is a competitive, asymmetric deck-builder. So the fairest comparisons are other deck-builders — and the HP shelf has three distinct flavours of them:
- Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle (The Op, 2016) — the co-operative campaign deck-builder that plays through all seven books, with two well-liked expansions (The Monster Box of Monsters, 7.6; The Charms and Potions, 7.8 [BGG]). It is the highest-rated HP board game by a wide margin and the default answer to “which HP game should I buy?”.
- Hogwarts Battle – Defence Against the Dark Arts (The Op, 2019) — the two-player, head-to-head spin-off. Mechanically this is Defenders’ closest cousin: competitive deck-building with direct confrontation, but faster (30–60 minutes), lighter on the wallet, and rated higher (7.1, rank 1,846 [BGG]).
- Harry Potter: Death Eaters Rising (The Op, 2019) — co-operative dice-and-cards against Voldemort’s encroachment; steadier reputation at 6.9 [BGG].
Everything else on the licensed shelf is either a light family game (House Cup Competition, Clue: Harry Potter, Mischief in Diagon Alley), a two-player Quidditch simulation (Catch the Snitch), or a 2004 curiosity (Hogwarts Dueling Club).
The matrix
| Game | Players (best) | Length | Weight | Co-op? | BGG rank | BGG score | How HP-flavoured? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defenders of Hogwarts (2026, MinaLima) | 2–5 (best 4) | 90–180 min | 1.33 | No — single winner | 30,512 | 5.07* | Original story, MinaLima prop-style art; no film characters |
| Hogwarts Battle (2016, The Op) | 2–4 (best 2 & 4) | 30–60 min | 2.08 | Yes | 466 | 7.3 | Replays all seven books with the film’s cast |
| — Monster Box of Monsters (2017, expansion) | — | — | 2.64 | Yes | — | 7.6 | Film creatures join the campaign |
| — Charms and Potions (2020, expansion) | — | — | 2.00 | Yes | — | 7.8 | More of the same campaign, loved |
| Hogwarts Battle – Defence Against the Dark Arts (2019, The Op) | 2 (best 2) | 30–60 min | 1.78 | No — head-to-head | 1,846 | 7.1 | Duelling deck-builder, two players |
| Death Eaters Rising (2019, The Op) | 2–4 (best 3) | 45–90 min | 2.32 | Yes | 3,731 | 6.9 | Hold the school against Voldemort |
| House Cup Competition (2020, The Op) | 2–4 (best 4) | 75 min | 2.19 | No — friendly contest | 5,570 | 6.7 | Play a school year, win the House Cup |
| Clue: Harry Potter (2008, Hasbro/The Op) | 3–5 (best 4–5) | 30 min | 1.57 | No | 5,748 | 6.2 | Deduction wearing the theme |
| Catch the Snitch (2023, Knight Games) | 2 (best 2) | 40–60 min | 3.00 | No | 18,181 | 6.1 | Quidditch — oddly heavier than Defenders |
| Mischief in Diagon Alley (2022, The Op) | 3–5 | 15 min | 1.00 | No | 22,707 | 6.4 | Ten-minute family chaos in the shops |
| Hogwarts Dueling Club (2004, Mattel) | 2–4 (best 4) | 45 min | 1.67 | No | 28,639 | 5.4 | Mattel-era licensed curiosity |
Warning
*The 5.07 average is not a quality verdict. Of Defenders’ 138 BGG ratings, 67 are 1s and 56 are 10s — a polarised ratings battle around the IP, with the middle of the scale almost empty [BGG user data]. See why the BGG score looks so strange before quoting it anywhere.
The unofficial shelf
Two unofficial titles keep surfacing in the same searches as the licensed line: Harry Potter Miniatures Adventure Game and Scoundrels of London. We could not verify their current BGG figures in our 2026-10-12 check, so they appear in no table here — treating them as data would break our own rules. If your interest is the licence rather than the deck-building, they are worth a look on their own terms; just note they sit outside Warner Bros.’ licensed board-game line.
What only Defenders does
- MinaLima art direction. The studio behind the films’ graphic props — the Marauder’s Map, Harry’s Hogwarts acceptance letter, the Daily Prophet — designed the entire game: 200+ components and 100+ illustrated cards in one coherent visual language [official]. No other HP board game has this.
- Asymmetric one-vs-many with a single winner. One player runs the Dark Arts side against up to four houses — but the houses are not allies: only one player wins [official rulebook + the development team on BGG]. The campaign page’s framing led many people to expect a co-op; it is not one.
- The twist. Its weight of 1.33 is lighter than everything in the matrix except Mischief in Diagon Alley, while its 90–180-minute length is longer than all of them [BGG]. A very light core stretched over a long session is the combination reviewers most often praise for its look and side-eye for its pace.
Versus our analysis
If you want the deepest HP deck-building experience, Hogwarts Battle plus its two expansions is the stronger buy on every mechanical count. If you want MinaLima’s artwork as a playable, collectible object — an “art book you can play” — Defenders is genuinely alone in the licensed line, and that is the honest reason to pick it.
Which one fits you
- Co-op family nights through the books → Hogwarts Battle, adding the expansions once you’re hooked.
- Two-player duels → Hogwarts Battle – Defence Against the Dark Arts.
- One-versus-many tension → look outside the licence: Not Alone or Fury of Dracula scratch it harder (see Same money, other games).
- Artwork and collecting → Defenders of Hogwarts — this is its irreplaceable angle.
- Most game per pound → also outside the licence: Clank! or Tyrants of the Underdark.
Sources
- BoardGameGeek entries, all checked 2026-10-12: Defenders of Hogwarts (471198), Hogwarts Battle (199042), Monster Box of Monsters (223494), Charms and Potions (304297), Defence Against the Dark Arts (254192), Death Eaters Rising (283211), House Cup Competition (303006), Clue: Harry Potter (38026), Catch the Snitch (323834), Mischief in Diagon Alley (368896), Hogwarts Dueling Club (11642)
- Official rulebook (single-winner victory condition): media.minalima.com rulebook PDF
- One Board Family review, 2026-09-10 (retail sample disclosed by publisher): oneboardfamily.com/defenders-of-hogwarts-review