Forget Hogwarts Legacy. This Harry Potter Fan Game Is Horrifying.

"Harry Potter" fans have a lot to keep up with these days. Though much of the news about the Wizarding World in gaming is focused on "Hogwarts Legacy," there's a name-your-own-price indie game out there offering a hilariously horrifying gameplay experience that's strikingly different from the popular title. Depending on one's perspective, "Escape PS1 Hagrid" could be laugh-out-loud hilarious or totally creepy — if not a mix of both. As the game's creator Lolscrubs explained on itch.io, "The game is split into 3 chapters including survival-horror, platforming, fighting (one-sided tho), and a boss fight. This game is a parody of the popular fantasy franchise and not to be taken seriously."

While the characters take direct inspiration from the "Harry Potter" universe, as evidenced by Dobby, Hagrid, and Dumbledore's recognizable designs, they also distort and alter the content until it's nearly unrecognizable. For example, it'd be hard to imagine a canon version of Dobby, even in all his whims, threatening Harry to find seven syringes. It's may be even more jarring imagining Snape dancing.

The gameplay in "Escape PS1 Hagrid" is first-person, creating a survival horror level of immersion. It also adds to how much focus is on the characters and the outside world. Even in a humorous horror which already represents quite the contrast, gamers may be surprised by the varied gameplay available in "Escape PS1 Hagrid," including platforming that's highly reminiscent of the final boss fight in the original "Spyro," a game that coincidentally was recently remade.

Free and fun, "Escape PS1 Hagrid" is a smaller-scale alternative to "Hogwarts Legacy" for "Harry Potter" fans who crave nostalgia but don't want to support J.K. Rowling financially due to her ongoing controversy. And, even though "Hogwarts Legacy" offers 35 hours of gameplay or more, it may be hard for fans to justify the high $59-$70 pricetag when there are lower-cost ways to enjoy "Harry Potter" content, such as "Escape PS1 Hagrid." The game sells for whatever price players name – though this could boil down to a free download, the creator asks for donations for those who can afford them.

Since "Escape PS1 Hagrid" was first released, the developer has released "Escape PS2 Hagrid" and "Escape PS3 Hagrid" on itch.io. Additionally, "Escape PS1 Hagrid" has received an update with difficulty options, bug fixes, and other improvements since it was first released. The original game boasts many positive comments and a ⅘ star rating, showing the clear appeal of a quirky take on the Wizarding World. The humor only ramps up in the latter entries in the series, as well as the entertaining exaggeration. All in all, "Escape PS Hagrid" games offer a refreshingly new Hogwarts experience.