5 Games to Scratch The Hogwarts Legacy Itch While Waiting for Hogwarts Legacy 2

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What do gamers love about Hogwarts Legacy? Well, there’s the endurance of the Harry Potter IP, of course. But beyond that, the game is an immersive magic school RPG that lets you live out an expansive life as a custom-created witch or wizard. With a fun open world full of nooks and crannies to explore and plenty of spells to cast, Hogwarts Legacy is part life sim, part RPG. So if you’re looking for a game like Hogwarts Legacy, you’re going to need options. Luckily, I’ve got them for you.

5. Whimel Academy

If you love Hogwarts Legacy because it lets you live out several years at magic school, this visual novel game just might be the fit for you. Gameplay-wise, Whimel Academy is quite different from Hogwarts Legacy. You won’t engage in combat here, but rather cozy into a beautifully rendered visual novel with time management elements. If you want a wholesome magical story without having to run from trolls, Whimel Academy may well be the Hogwarts Legacy-style experience you need.

This game takes you through your entire school career. You’ll choose which classes to attend, which skills to improve, and which characters to romance. Because it’s point and click, the gameplay goes at your own pace. It won’t necessarily scratch that open-world RPG itch, but it will give you an immersive and personalized new magical story where your decisions impact the outcome. Whimel Academy is available on Steam and just recently celebrated its full 1.0 release.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 

When it comes to beautiful open-world games that offer a mix of exploration, combat, and story, it’s hard to beat Breath of the Wild. This game is more of an action-adventure game than a true RPG due to the lack of leveling and character customization mechanics. But it does bring in fantasy elements and the same sense of exploration you get from Hogwarts Legacy, and many fans say it scratches a similar itch.

In Breath of the Wild, you can explore the world at your leisure, with a more nonlinear gameplay style compared to prior Legend of Zelda games. The world is its own sort of puzzle that players must unpack using the tools available to them, and there are crafting and cooking elements that give it that cozy gaming vibe. For the sense of fantasy and exploration, this game similarly balances action and coziness for a similar overall feel to Hogwarts Legacy. Originally released in 2017, Breath of the Wild is available on the Nintendo Switch or Switch 2, with an optional Switch 2 upgrade.

3. Little Witch in the Woods

Okay, so you’re in Hogwarts Legacy for the magic, and you’re disappointed that Witchbrook has been delayed to 2026. Honestly, same. But there’s another new pixel art witchy game in town in the form of Little Witch in the Woods. This is a story-based magic game where you play as a witch who finds herself, you guessed it, in the woods. Like in Hogwarts Legacy, you’ll learn new spells and potions as you play while also unlocking more of the game’s world.

Playing Little Witch in the Woods isn’t an open-world RPG experience, but it is wholesome and magical. There are definitely some Harry Potter-inspired nods in this one, as well, including a talking magical hat. So if you’re in it for the magic and a good story, this might just be the game that tides you over until Hogwarts Legacy 2, or at least until Witchbrook. This one is available for PC via Steam and launched earlier this year.

2. Oblivion Remastered

If you like the RPG and combat elements of Hogwarts Legacy, may I suggest playing The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered? This recently released remaster of the original game is a visual and UI upgrade to an expansive Elder Scrolls adventure. It is set in an open world and packed full of side quests to unlock and hidden areas to explore. If getting lost on the Hogwarts grounds is your go-to Hogwarts Legacy playstyle, this Elder Scrolls entry just might do it for you.

There’s less crafting and coziness here than in some other suggestions on the list, but it’s not zero. You’ll need to gather materials to keep your armor and weapons in good repair, and you can always spend a day riding your horse around Cyrodiil while avoiding enemies. Yes, there’s a story, but you can let it unfold at your own pace while accidentally contracting Vampirism and sinking hours into finding the cure. Not that I’m speaking from experience there, or anything. Oblivion Remastered released in 2025 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

1. Horizon: Zero Dawn

If you’re looking for a gorgeous open-world RPG with a solid story and creative combat, Horizon: Zero Dawn is the way to go. There are many options for how to approach combat here, similar to the arsenal of spells at your disposal in Hogwarts Legacy. The world is expansive and beautifully rendered, but with a post-apocalyptic vibe that will be a bit of a change from your time at Hogwarts.

This game is certainly more combat-focused than Hogwarts Legacy, but it leans into exploration and discovery in a similar way. There’s a day-night cycle and weather system that make it all the more immersive, ensuring this is a world you can get lost in. The animation is top-notch, and there’s solid sound mixing and voice acting to make this a game worth checking out. Horizon: Zero Dawn released in 2017 for PS4 and recently received a 2024 remaster for PS5 and PC.

Do you have a go-to game like Hogwarts Legacy? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!