Why Building a Game in a Fan Fiction Universe Makes You a Better Creator

How designing a Hogwarts-themed family mystery game helped me worldbuild for my Jack Righteous Universe

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Intro: If you're developing a creative universe, writing a book, or designing a game — the blank page is the scariest place to start. One of the best ways to get past that fear is to use a world you already love. That’s exactly what I did.

In this first article, I’ll walk you through how I used the Harry Potter universe — specifically Hogwarts in 2025 — to design a family-friendly, interactive mystery game. The project wasn’t about commercializing anything. It was about testing ideas, storytelling mechanics, and game flow in a world I already understood, with characters that meant something to the players.

Even better? It helped me shape the creative direction for my own original world: the Jack Righteous Universe.

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✅ Why Fan Fiction Is the Ultimate Sandbox

Fan fiction is one of the safest, most accessible ways to start worldbuilding. The rules are already known. The tone is consistent. And the emotional stakes are easier to manage. This isn't about copying — it's about using known frameworks to build confidence and test original ideas.

For me, using Hogwarts as a starting point gave me:

• A shared language with the players

• Instant immersion without a rulebook

• Canonical stakes that I could twist through creative side stories

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🔍 My Game Concept at a Glance

I created a 10-round, story-driven game designed to be played around a table. No cards, no dice, no custom boards. Just storytelling, narration, and acting — guided by a Game Master and grounded in a mystery connected to the Marauders.

• 1 Hero (the daughter)

• 3 Adults (mother, father, godmother)

• 1 Game Master

• Set in 2025, post-canon, with characters like McGonagall, Draco, and even Harry Potter appearing in scripted scenes

• Clues, deception, and hard emotional choices that drive the tension

Each player had a personal goal. One had a secret side quest. And one was The Deceiver.

By building it this way, I tested real-world player reactions, and I got to explore how players interact with narrative when they care about the world they’re in.

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🎯 How This Ties Into My Original Universe

While Hogwarts gave me the structure, the real goal was designing for my Jack Righteous Universe — a custom narrative world that I’m building out into books, games, and even a Broadway-style musical. In that world:

• Music carries spiritual power

• Choices have weight

• And even “villains” have their own logic

This fan fiction game helped me experiment with mechanics I’ll use in my original universe:

• The Deceiver Role (how moral ambiguity can be used in gameplay)

• Side Quests with Consequences (adding optional but meaningful paths)

• Emotion-Based Victory Conditions (winning is about impact, not score)

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💡 Want to Try Something Similar?

If you're creating a game, a story universe, or even a screenplay — try building a low-stakes game in a fan universe you love. Keep it private or just for fun. You’ll learn:

• What makes a story engaging for players

• How to structure mystery or conflict

• What decisions feel meaningful vs. forced

And if you’re curious, I’ll be releasing my full Hogwarts Mystery Game v1.0 as a free download when this series wraps. Use it, modify it, or just get inspired.

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⚖️ Quick Legal Note

This is a non-commercial, transformative fan project. It’s not affiliated with or endorsed by J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros., or any related entities. The game is free and designed purely for educational and entertainment purposes. That’s the only way fan fiction stays respectful — and protected.

More on the legal framework in an upcoming article.

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🧱 What’s Next in the Series?

In the next article, I’ll break down what Hogwarts looks like in 2025 — according to canon and fan theory — and how that let me set a mystery in a believable, respectful way.

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Here’s the full series—built to show how to create an entire immersive game from scratch, inside a beloved universe, without breaking canon (or the law):

1️⃣ Fan Fiction Game Worldbuilding: A Jack Righteous Case Study
2️⃣ What Hogwarts Looks Like in 2025 for Fan Creators
3️⃣ The Marauders’ Legacy: Hidden Lore for Story Creators
4️⃣ The Anti-Muggle Underground – A New Threat with Old Roots
5️⃣ Hogwarts Staff & Allies in 2025 Fan Stories
6️⃣ Mapping Hogwarts – Secret Spaces, Magical Threats, and Lore-Friendly Clues
7️⃣ Magical Objects for Fan Fiction: Canon-Friendly Guide
8️⃣ Why Muggles Might Visit Hogwarts in 2025
9️⃣ Design a Fan Game Without Breaking Canon
🔟 Writing Scenes & Roles for Mystery Fan Games
1️⃣1️⃣ Player Goals & Conflict in Fan Fiction Games

Fan Game Legal Guide: Stay Safe & Original