Is Gwent: The Witcher Card Game on Windows Still Good? Full Review

Gwent: Where Every Card is a Battlefield Chess Piece

Gwent strips away the mana curves and creature spam of traditional card games. It replaces them with cold, calculated bluffing and asymmetric faction warfare. Matches feel like high-stakes duels where a single misplaced card can unravel your strategy.

Three Rounds, One Victor: The Brutal Simplicity of Gwent

Gwent’s core loop revolves around winning two out of three rounds. Players alternate playing units into melee, ranged, or siege rows, each card adding strength to your total. Passing ends your turn but conserves cards for later rounds. This creates intense mind games around when to commit resources or fold.

The game’s six factions offer wildly different playstyles. Northern Realms spam bronze units with synergy. Monsters overwhelm with sheer numbers. Nilfgaard disrupt opponents’ hands. Each faction’s leader ability further amplifies strategic diversity.

A Dark Fantasy Gallery: Gwent’s Visual Feast

Every card is a hand-painted masterpiece showcasing Witcher lore. Zoom in on Ciri: Dash to see frozen breath misting from her lips. Animated premiums like Geralt: Igni erupt with fire effects that ripple across the board. The art direction stays true to the Witcher’s gritty aesthetic.

Sound design elevates the tension. Cards slam onto the board with satisfying thuds. The Monster faction’s guttural growls contrast with Northern Realms‘ clanking armor. A haunting tavern melody underscores matches, punctuated by dramatic stings during key plays.

Built for Strategy, Not Hardware

Gwent runs smoothly on decade-old systems thanks to optimized coding. Load times rarely exceed 5 seconds even on HDDs. The interface scales perfectly from 720p to 4K resolutions. Controller support feels natural, with intuitive radial menus for card selection.

Cross-platform progression between PC, iOS, and Android ensures your collection stays synced. The color-blind mode offers four filter presets. All card text uses clear, legible fonts with keyword tooltips available on hover.

System Requirements For Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

The Verdict: Gwent’s Strategic Depths Outshine Its Peers

Gwent succeeds by focusing purely on skill expression. The absence of random card draws means losses stem from misplays, not bad luck. New players get 5 starter decks and 50+ free kegs (card packs) through tutorials. The free-to-play model is generous, with daily rewards providing steady progression.

Balance updates occur monthly. Recent patches reworked underused leaders like Queen Meve while introducing mechanics like “Devotion” that reward faction purity. The Seasonal mode rotates weekly with rule modifiers like double unit abilities.

94/100: A Tactical Masterpiece With Staying Power

Gwent’s only flaw is its steep learning curve. Keywords like “Veil” (anti-status protection) and “Formation” (dual-row placement) require extensive practice. The meta occasionally stagnates before balance patches. These are minor quibbles for CDPR’s meticulously crafted card battler.

Best Deals & Where to Buy

Gwent is free-to-play with optional cosmetic purchases. Starter bundles offer premium cards at significant discounts. Currently, no major sales are active on premium currency packs.