Harry Potter Board Game Diagon Alley

Top reviews from other countries

5.0 out of 5 stars Great gift

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 9 January 2014

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Really did not know it even existed. Made a great gift for my girlfriend who love Harry Potter. Thank you.

4.0 out of 5 stars In very good condition, thanks

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 27 July 2016

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Quite pricey, but kids enjoyed playing with it and all pieces/parts were present and correct

5.0 out of 5 stars Bought second-hand: excellent condition, all pieces, $25.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 17 January 2013

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Firstly, I would not pay the almost $200 that the occasional "new condition" version of this game is being offered for. I went through a third-party seller and paid about $25 for a "very good" condition with all the pieces. As good as new - even the box was good.

That said, it is a great game, and my almost eight-year-old loves it. It works best for 3 or more players, but with a few "tweaks", two people can enjoy it too.

When you first read the rules, it is hard to wrap your head around them: just skim the basics and start to play. We're still occasionally making group decisions about how to "interpret" a rule that leaves just enough leeway for an interpretation.

We have created a few house rules to cut down on mindless turns around the board (not always necessary, but sometimes the die just work that way):
- We treat The Leaky Cauldron as a "release a token" location. (Since not all the items (books, potions, owls, etc.) are put out, it lets people get another piece in play. This has really livened things up, especially if the tokens are face-down, so you can't choose exactly which one you need. We don't pay for them, but otherwise it works like a shop).
- If there are only two players, deal 6 spell cards each to start (this means that people are not afraid to use their spell cards, and it makes things much more interesting and reduces the chances of the first mover's chance of an (almost) automatic win).
- if you choose to forefeit your cash when passing Gringott's, you can introduce the token (books, owls, potions, etc.) of your choice into play.

Please Note: to understand some of these rules, you must know that the "official rules" say to place one less of each token (except wands) than players into play. This is probably to encourage people to use their spell cards to swipe tokens from each other and to increase the race to get to the pieces. Sometimes, though, the necessary "swipe" spell cards don't show up and then you can spend a long time not getting anywhere. As always, this always depends on the shuffle and the die.

This game is reasonably quick with three or fewer players, and it is always interesting enough to look forward to. That said, it is best with kids - the more cerebral board gamers may have to look elsewhere or get very creative with the rules. I can see us using it with kids up until 14-15. It helps if they love Harry Potter.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best HP game out there.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 1 January 2016

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Never heard of this game till I was thinking of birthday gifts, and wondered if there was a HP board game. This one is a lot of fun, and my 6 year old is begging to play it every other day or so since he got it 6 months ago.

Quick "synopsis": you start off with 6 coins, 2 galleons, 2 sickles, and 2 knuts. There are 6 Diagon Alley shops, each selling a different item, requiring a different combination of 2 coins. You have to visit all 6 shops, purchase their item, and return to the start to win. When you pass Gringotts, you collect one of each of the coins. You often collect cards, which can help or hurt your cause.

Replay value is very high. Would recommend buying a used set that claims to have all the pieces. Your young HP fanatic will love it. Great $20 well spent.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun for Harry Potter fans and non-fans!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on 27 October 2012

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Common sense age suggestion: 10 years+
Complexity: easy to moderate
Fun level: lots! :-)
Area needed to play: small/medium coffee table for 4 people
Rules: takes two readings but manual includes quick and a simpler version's instructions for younger kids or more impatient adults

While I'm a very enthusiastic Harry Potter fans, the game should be fun even for non-fans. The rules are quite simple but the alternate path "knockturn alley" rules and some of the other rules about closing shops are a little complex. The basic premise is to collect all the materials needed for the shopping list and make it back to the start point -it is assuredly, not as simple as it sounds!

There are spell cards, little hat tokens, alternate paths, wizard money, floo powder travel and all your favorite Diagon Alley stores to make it very interesting :) Your fellow players shenanigans to block you to win will eventually lead you to say Expelliarmus!