Unleashing the Magic: Hogwarts Legacy Transforms Harry Potter's Universe into an Unforgettable Life Simulation

Highlights

Cozy farming sim games like Stardew Valley could be a logical and natural progression for Harry Potter.

The latest update of Hogwarts Mystery has the potential to incorporate additional life-simulation elements, creating an opportunity for a distinct Harry Potter life simulation game. Additionally, the shop within Hogwarts Legacy holds great potential for expansion. An imaginative take on the genre set in the Harry Potter universe could afford players the opportunity to cultivate magical crops, care for adorable animals, and perform spellcasting.

While fans speculate about the potential sequel for Hogwarts Legacy, the next Harry Potter game could draw inspiration from a different genre. Cozy and relaxing farming simulation games like Stardew Valley continue to be popular, making it a logical direction for a fully immersive Harry Potter game. Unlike previous Harry Potter games that focused on action and adventure, Hogwarts Legacy has largely overlooked life simulation mechanics. The exception is Hogwarts Mystery, a game by Portkey Games, which incorporates some elements of the genre through role-playing and customization options tied to a central story. However, the recently released Hogwarts Mystery update, Beyond Hogwarts, expands upon this with new content that allows players to decorate their house and pursue a magical career. Given the enduring popularity of farming and life simulation games, the player shop feature in Hogwarts Legacy may have already laid the foundation for an extraordinary standalone Harry Potter life simulation game.

How The Next Harry Potter Game Could Make Hogwarts’s Legacy’s Player Shop Next-Level

The player shop in Hogwarts Legacy's exclusive quest, 'Minding Your Own Business', is only accessible to PS5 players. However, the mechanics of managing the shop are limited, serving primarily as a place to sell unwanted loot. Shop customization and decoration options are also restricted, providing an opportunity for a potential new Harry Potter game to expand on these features. In this game, players would be able to fully customize and decorate their chosen shop, while also engaging in side activities and quests to gather ingredients or produce for their shop. This immersive experience would allow players to fulfill their Harry Potter dreams and fantasies beyond the Hogwarts school setting, focusing on magical management, relationship building, and the inclusion of sought-after romance options.

How Hogwarts Legacy’s Magic Neep And Farm Sim Games Could Inspire The Next Harry Potter Game

In relation to a player-run magical shop in Hogwarts Legacy, The Magic Neep in Hogsmeade serves as a perfect model. With its charming and rustic farmhouse aesthetic, surrounded by lush greenery, it resembles the setting of farming simulation games. While players can construct a Vivarium cottage in the Room of Requirement, there is untapped potential for incorporating life simulation mechanics to enhance the Hogwarts Legacy experience. This could include activities like eating, sleeping, and cooking, creating a truly immersive lifestyle. By adding a Harry Potter twist to the popular concept of a farm sim shop, players would have the opportunity to engage in a unique magical experience, tending to magical crops and animals, and even casting spells on watering cans in Hogmeade. Whether designed with a retro pixel art style reminiscent of Hogwarts Legacy or not, players would have the freedom to choose the type of shop they want to run, ranging from stocking Dark Arts ingredients for RPG morality elements to choosing the location, such as Diagon Alley or other places in the Harry Potter universe. It will be intriguing to see the future developments of Harry Potter games like Hogwarts Mystery and how they might explore the realm of life simulation.

Hogwarts Legacy is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S, with a Switch version releasing November 14.