Any new student’s journey at Hogwarts hinges on which of the four houses the Sorting Hat will place them in. Just like the books, Hogwarts Legacy includes Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw. Unlike the books, though, you aren’t bound to joining the house that the sorting Hat suggests to you when you first arrive. Just like the boy who lived, the hat is open to your own suggestion on which house you really belong to.

So, should you just pick whichever one you like most? There aren’t a ton of impactful differences, but they do exist. Here’s how your time in Hogwarts will vary depending on which house you join.

The differences you will notice between each house are mostly cosmetic early on, but they do become a bit more significant later on.

Again taking a cue from the source material, Hogwarts Legacy‘s houses each have their own unique common room. This acts as a kind of hub area for your character. Each one is aesthetically distinct from the others, and you are only allowed in yours.

These common rooms also hold a special house chest that you need to collect all the Daedalian Keys to unlock. Once you do, you will get a unique house robe representing that specific house.

This is the first, and most notable, cosmetic change that your choice of house will have. Based on the house you choose, your character will don robes that match the color of their respective house: Gryffindor will wear red, Slytherin in green, Ravenclaw gets blue, and Hufflepuff has yellow.

While you’re completely free to mingle with students from all houses, there are a few unique interactions that will only happen with students with whom you share a house. These are mostly minor, but add a nice bit of flavor. Other NPCs will also make passing remarks based on which house you’re in — again a fun little touch — but not in any way that excludes you from interacting with them.

Finally, the most major change that comes with your choice of house is regarding a single quest. Without spoiling anything, one quest in Hogwarts Legacy will change depending on which house you are part of. This quest comes not too far into the game, so it isn’t too difficult to replay to see what each of the other house quests look like. This quest shows up after the “Trials of Merlin” main quest.

Your choice of house, ultimately, won’t impact your experience in Hogwarts Legacy a great deal. Aside from one quest that will change, nothing about how your character can progress, who they can befriend, or how the story will play out will be decided based on your house. There’s no best option. Simply pick the one you feel fits your witch or wizard best, or just go with whichever color is your favorite.