'Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery' trailer released, 'Hero Academy' sequel hits iPhone and iPad

The official teaser trailer for "Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery," launched under Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment label Portkey Games, provides some hints for what players can expect from the game when it ships later this year. The video mentions players will be able to master spells and magical skills, attend classes featuring Hogwarts professors, and battle rivals.

An accompanying press release advises the roleplaying game will be the first where players can create their own character as a Hogwarts student. As characters spend their years at Hogwarts, players will be required to make pivotal decisions that will influence their story arc, changing how later parts of the game will play out.

The avatar customization system will allow players to continually upgrade their appearance as they gain new skills, including the choice of their own pet. As players improve and build up their library of abilities, they will be able to go on adventures to new locations, and attempt to solve the various mysteries of the school.

Notably, the game won't center around Harry Potter, as it will be set at a time between his birth and his enrollment at Hogwarts. Aside from the professors, players will still be able to interact with other characters from the franchise, such as Nymphadora Tonks and Bill Weasley, who attended the school at the time as students.

Developer Jam City and Portkey Games hope to release "Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery" this spring.

Portkey has also been linked to another Harry Potter game, co-developing "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" with "Pokemon Go" studio Niantic. Though a release date has not been confirmed, it has been revealed the game will include augmented reality elements and tasks players with exploring their neighborhoods and cities.

"Hero Academy 2," released for macOS and iOS devices, is a tactical strategy game that follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, "Hero Academy," which launched six years ago and gained a large following. The new release, co-developed by Robot Entertainment and BonusXP, modernizes the game by making it a real-time turn-based game instead of using the original's asynchronous gameplay system.

Building a team from a deck of 30 cards, players take turns playing cards to add more minions to the battlefield, as well as to add gear and spells. Mana is spent to play cards, but unlike Hearthstone's system of starting with one and expanding by one with each turn's refill, the game gives you five mana each turn, plus whatever mana was left over from the previous.

Winning battles helps raise a player's position on the ranked leaderboard, with each season lasting one month. Tournaments will also be available for players to compete in, while single player gaming is offered with hours of campaigns and challenges against the game's AI.

"Hero Academy 2" is a free download, but with in-app purchases for Gems, the in-game currency, as well as a starter pack and care package. For iOS, the game is compatible with iPhones, iPads, and the iPod touch running iOS 7.0 or later, with the download weighing in at 206.4 megabytes.