“Harry Potter: Defenders of Hogwarts,” an officially licensed board game from the design studio MinaLima, is set to release this October after a Kickstarter campaign that raised more than $1.7 million, CBR reported Oct. 1. Fans who missed the campaign can still pre-order the Defenders of Hogwarts game through Kickstarter’s late pledge option, starting at $79.
Defenders of Hogwarts release details
- Release: October 2026 for Kickstarter backers, with a limited release online and at select retailers this fall
- Format: Board game
- Players: 2 to 5, ages 13 and up
- Playtime: About 90 minutes per game
- Designers: MinaLima, with industrial designer David Waterman, licensed by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products
- Late pledge: $79 minimum on Kickstarter
- Components: 200 pieces, including more than 100 illustrated cards
Beyond the Kickstarter shipments, MinaLima plans a limited release online, at select retailers, at House of MinaLima shops and at Harry Potter Shops starting in autumn 2026, with a global multilingual release planned for spring 2027, according to The Leaky Cauldron.
How the game plays
The setup puts Hogwarts under attack from Death Eaters. Players either join Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Slytherin or Ravenclaw to protect the school or take the side of the Dark Forces and Lord Voldemort. Cards drive the action as pawns move across a board showing Hogwarts Castle and its grounds.
To win, the house players need 2 Defense Shields. Each one takes a Library Book card, a Parchment Scroll and either a Dark Detector or a Dumbledore’s Army Coin, ComicBook.com reported.
One player controls the Dark Arts side alone. That player can pass through protective spells, locked doors and barriers, and wins by collecting every Dark Arts token and reaching certain locations. If the Dark Arts player lands on a space a house player occupies, the house player gets bumped off, and the Dark Arts player draws from their Acquire Deck.
Why Defenders of Hogwarts matters to fans
The campaign blew past its $67,425 goal, finishing at $1,718,956 from more than 10,000 backers, according to CBR. ComicBook.com reported in early July that it had already passed $850,000 with 18 days left.
MinaLima is the team of Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima, the graphic designers behind the props and printed materials in the “Harry Potter” films. Their artwork covers the cards and board, and early reviewers quoted by CBR praised both the components and the gameplay.
The timing lines up with a busy stretch for the franchise. HBO’s “Harry Potter” series is set to debut in December, and our coverage of the HBO series trailer and cast has the details. Tabletop fans can also check out our list of fictional board games we want to play.
What’s next
The Defenders of Hogwarts game is due to ship to backers in October, per ComicBook.com. Late pledgers can add optional upgrades, including wooden tokens, metal player pawns, card sleeves and token bags. For more new releases, visit our Tabletop section.
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