Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery can be a frustrating time. So much of the game is gated behind timers that you’ll want to pay out for microtransactions all the time. Don’t do it! You don’t have to. It will take a …
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery can be a frustrating time. So much of the game is gated behind timers that you’ll want to pay out for microtransactions all the time. Don’t do it! You don’t have to. It will take a little patience and exploration, but you can still navigate the halls of Hogwarts without paying a cent. Follow these tips to keep playing Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery entirely for free.
Energy is the most precious commodity in the game. You need energy to do basically anything in Hogwarts Mystery, but you run out of it so quickly, it can get so frustrating you’ll want to spend money. What the game doesn’t tell you is that there’s free energy all over the place!
Lots of areas in Hogwarts will reward you with free energy if you tap on them. Paintings, statues, and other set pieces scattered in hallways or around the school will give you a free energy for tapping on them. You’ll have to discover these as you play and unlock new areas, so we recommend tapping on everything you see.
One guaranteed source of free energy is the school’s house elf population. Any time you see a house elf, tap on it for a free energy refill. House elves can appear randomly as you explore the school, so if you’re ever bored and don’t know what to do while waiting for a timer, look around for hidden energy stores and house elves.
Choosing rewards from finishing activities is one of the most important things you can do to decide how you want to progress in the game. When you finish a lesson or another task, you may be offered a choice of rewards. You might be able to advance your Courage, Empathy, or Knowledge, or there may be a gold, energy, or gem reward. Which do you choose?
Gems should always be your first choice, as they’re the hardest to come by, followed by energy. Gold is a good choice if you want to save for cosmestic rewards, but you get so little that it doesn’t always matter. You’re better off leveling up skills. You can get as little as five points to a skill or as many as 40 or perhaps even more. If you see yourself offered a large amount of experience in one of your skill points, go for that first! Also keep an eye out for large quantities of gold (100+). These are rare, and worth pursuing.
Your lessons are an important way to earn gold and other rewards, so you want to make sure you’re doing them as efficiently as possible. You never want to fail a lesson, as you’ll lose house points, and you also want to make sure that you’re not sitting idle while waiting for timers. If you’re bored, go see what lessons you can do!
That said, if a lesson is short or story-based, don’t start it unless you have full energy. You can afford to start 8-hour lessons with lower energy, because you have plenty of time to build it up and still get a maximum amount of stars if you consistently check in. Try to always do eight-hour lessons. Eight hours doesn’t mean it takes eight hours, it just means you have more to do and need more energy to do it.
For shorter lessons, try to always start them with full energy. If you must, step away from the game for a bit, then return for full energy. Shorter lessons can usually be done with a single full energy bar (or close to it), so you’ll be as good as set if you’re already full up. You won’t feel the need to buy more energy, and you’ll earn rewards to help you avoid paying for other things later.
Finally: keep playing! The more you play, the higher your level will grow. Leveling up gives you rewards and also completely restore your energy. Sometimes, this is just the boost you need to get through a tough stage.
Hang in there, save your gems, and don’t spend a dime on Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery! You won’t be able to instantly finish every lesson if you do, but you’ll still be able to enjoy and experience the entire game. Learn more about how you can earn house points and start playing the game in our guide.
