The LEGO Harry Potter games by TT Games, which retold J.K. Rowling’s best selling seven book series in a comedic LEGO themed style are two of the developer’s greatest successes. As well as allowing you to play as over two hundred of the franchise’s best loved characters like Harry Potter, Professor Dumbledore, Severus Snape and even Voldemort himself, the two adventures provide a veritable arsenal of magical spells. From the Wingardium Leviosa levitation charm, to the environment destroyed Reducto spell and the Lumos spell which brings light to the deepest darkness, as well as getting rid of carnivorous plants that can wrap you in their clutches. A remaster of both games has recently arrived as a PS4 exclusive, so if you want to relive the adventures of the boy who lived, there has never been a better time to do so.

Back in 1993, a British point and click adventure starring a sarcastic young pre-teen named Simon arrived on the market. To his disbelief, he is summoned to another world by an elderly wizard who has been kidnapped by a sorcerer named Sordid. In order to return home, Simon must become a sorcerer himself, help the people of the magical world with their problems and defeat the evil magician. The game was filled with various parodies of fairy tales and magical stories, even taking almost blatant inspiration from classic fantasy such as Disney’s The Sword and the Stone, Lord of the Rings and Terry Pratchet’s Discworld. The voice of Simon himself in the game was provided by Chris Barrie off Red Dwarf. Four sequels followed the original adventure, with only two of them being developed by the original team at Adventure Soft. For adventurers and magic fans alike, the games will provide you with a host of supernatural occurrences, such as magical spells that cause comical results and fairy tale curses that are broken in unusual ways, such as kissing a beautiful princess to help her become a pig.

Partially funded by a Kickstarter campaign in 2014, KingART Games long awaited sequel to The Book of Unwritten Tales and its prequel The Critter Chronicles is a light hearted parody of the magical fantasy genre as a whole. The four playable characters from the original adventure, Wilbur the Gnome, Nate the Thief, Ivo the Elven Princess and a pink hairy monster named The Critter are sent on another magical quest. A mysterious spell that is causing havoc throughout the worlds of Avantesia, and with the apparent government seemingly absent, it is up to our heroes to save the day, in a world that is as full of magic as it is of self-referential humour. From self confidence lacking wish granters to mystical all seeing beings with a love of gossip, The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 has a wide variety of magical characters that any adventure fans, as well as gamers in general will love to interact with.

Developed by the now closed Lionhead Studios, the three Fable games are set in the fictional country of Albion, which is filled with magical creatures of myth and legend, as well as communities which have developed ways of living without them. From its early beginnings in the medieval era to the last games setting in the Industrial Revolution, the legacies left by the Fable series are definitely magical, even if it they aren’t the most critically acclaimed games. All three games focus on a Hero or Heroine, who is lead into the destiny of performing deeds either for the greater good, or a darker evil. As well as magic in the game world, the player can also use magical energy known as Will to cast spells of destruction and healing, as well as controlling the elements and even managing to slow down time. All three iterations of the world of Albion provide a mystical experience, whether it is in the spells that are cast by the characters, or the powerful artefacts which have the power to shape reality itself.

From the holy ruins of Zanarkand to the corrupted slums of Midgar, the many worlds of the Final Fantasy multiverse have one thing in common, and that is the power of Magic which exists in many different forms. These can range from the elemental spells that can damage enemies in battle, and heal allies from death with the sad exception of Aerith, to the mystic energies of the Fayth which can transform the souls of the dead into powerful beasts to defeat an evil force of destruction.  This tradition of using magic in the series is set to return in Final Fantasy XV when it is released next month, where Noctis and his loyal companions will be forced to use it to defeat the enemies of his kingdom. If you are a fan of using magical items and spells to overcome single minded villains in a corrupted world, then any game in the Final Fantasy series should be a game that you should definitely experience.

Which magical video games have you considered to be your favourite experiences? Let us know what you think in the comments below.