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The Harry Potter franchise celebrated its twentieth anniversary in 2021. It continues to dominate the headlines, whether it be the recent cast reunion or the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films. This aligns beautifully with the flourishing interest in The Boy Who Lived within my own household. My 9-year-old has been avidly reading the books and watching the films for a couple of years. We have also recently started the ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ with my 7-year-old at bedtime. It was no surprise that Christmas 2021 was the year of all things witchcraft and wizardry. Harry Potter lego, Hogwarts onesies, and the Harry Potter: Quest for the Beasts board game. And so, we gathered around the table one wet Saturday morning ready to catch pixies, basilisks, and phoenixes.
Perfect for Younger Hufflepuffs
Aimed at 2 – 4 players, aged 8 and up, the aim of the game is to be the first to collect clue cards matching one of several magic beasts. Our little muggles spent a good amount of time looking at the clue cards talking about the beasts (we were even treated to an impression or two of a phoenix). You can collect clue cards either by passing over card spaces or stealing them from other players. The board itself has an interesting folding element, allowing players to travel both around the interior of Hogwarts as well as the surrounding area. Our children really enjoyed this aspect as it lent the game a sense of danger – if your character gets caught out in the open when the board changes, you lose a card. The core game dynamic is simple enough for younger witches and wizards to pick up quickly and enjoy. Each turn is like a venomous tentacula - short and snappy - so held the attention of our youngest well. This is a perfect game to play with youngsters for an hour or so.
Room for Improvement…
However, some parents and older children will be frustrated by the overreliance on the dice. There were more than a few turns when we gained a card only to have the dice take it back quicker than a snatcher grabbing a half-blood wizard. Further, whilst you might really, really want to hunt down that elusive hippogriff, this is very much luck of the draw. To win the game, you simply need to collect more cards than other players and hope that in the mass of cards, there is enough to catch a beast. The result was to make the game feel about 10 to 15 minutes longer than we would have liked (feel free to insert the obvious joke about using a time-turner).
What’s in the Box?
Harry Potter: Quest for the Beasts is very reasonably priced for its quality – we are talking knuts rather than galleons. The laminated cards are sturdy, and the board feels hardy enough to last a few rounds with a dragon (or two excitable children). The board is full of imagery from the franchise, including stills from the films. The children really enjoyed reminiscing about the abundant locations on the board.
Will we be going back out again to hunt for magical beasts? I am certain. Will the simple nature of the game stand up to long term replayability? Hmm. I’m afraid it has about as much chance as a muggle at Hogwarts. The game dynamic is simple to pick up but offers little in the way of long-term challenges. Mischief managed.