Gwent: The Legendary Card Game review - "Just as engrossing as the original"

The rules of Gwent, the popular card game featured in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, haven't changed terribly much over the years. There have been a few minor alterations in the jump from Witcher to the standalone Gwent digital game to the physical world, but these merely add some clarity or tone down some of the early design decisions to prevent what could end up being totally overwhelming odds in certain cases.

They're quality-of-life changes, and the quality of life in the physical version of Gwent (AKA Gwent: The Legendary Card Game) is good. If you were looking for the designers to go further afield here, you're likely to be disappointed, and one could perhaps argue that this version of Gwent is too close to the original. But given that this is the first true, full-on tabletop version, I can't fault it too much for being a close adaptation. The original would have been one of the best card games around if it were real, after all.

Gwent: The Legendary Card Game features & design

• A physical recreation of the popular card game from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Place cards in different rows to win points in a best 2 out of 3
• Multiple faction decks as a starting point to build from

Everything you could possibly need to actually play Gwent is in the box, which boasts 446 different cards across five different factions – Nilfgaard, Scotia'tael, Monsters, Skellige, and Northern Realms. You can absolutely immediately mix and match, crafting decks all on your own, or you can start off from a faction's recommended deck and go from there.

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Functionally, the design of the physical Gwent game mimics that of the digital version. Three rows for different kinds of combat units, a leader with a special ability for each side, and a slot for weather effects. A traditional 1v1 duel is best 2 out of 3, and given that drawing cards is exceptionally limited, your starting hand is all you've really got.

By design, this means players are forced to weigh just how many resources (as in, cards) to invest in any given round. Do you bluff and pass early, trying to get your opponent to waste cards? Do you try to keep pace instead? What cards do you hold onto in order to win that final round? It's as much about what cards you've put down as what you might still have, which makes every single action that much more impactful and exciting.

Gameplay

• Low draw means every card counts, even the weaker ones
• Massive number of included cards makes for huge number of possible decks and strategies
• Highest score across three tracks – Close, Ranged, and Siege – wins the round; 2 rounds wins the match

Actually playing a game of Gwent varies depending on how many players are involved, but ultimately it makes for a quick affair. Barring relatively rare cards and abilities, the starting hand that you draw at the beginning of any game is more or less all of the cards you have to play with for the entire game – which is why it's a good thing it's baked in that you can initially drop two, one at a time, back into the deck to draw new cards.

For the traditional 2-on-2 match, it's essentially all about taking actions one at a time – playing a card, using a leader ability – to try and end the round with the most points. Certain card abilities can, for example, drop all the cards in the Siege row down to one or buff each card in a given row by one, for example. Other cards can destroy units under certain circumstances, and there are even spies that you place on an opponent's side that allow you to then draw two additional cards.

But you need to win two rounds total, after all, so you can't just drop everything all at once. Despite the straightforward nature of Numbers Go Up being the win condition, a major element of Gwent is determining when to pass and stop throwing more cards at a problem. Sometimes it's better to hold onto a bunch of powerful stuff to the end, or to at least make your opponent think you are with no way to know for sure.

Frankly, every single match I've played has been incredibly swift. You either draw the right cards or you don't and try to bluff your way to a win by the skin of your teeth or your opponent clinches it in the end. In none of my playtesting did it ever feel like anyone had completely run away with things or lost immediately; there was always a chance that the course of the game would take a turn for the worse or better, depending on your perspective, based on something as simple as the order of cards being played.

Should you buy Gwent: The Legendary Card Game?

While it might at first seem like Gwent is a natural purchase for Witcher fanatics alone, there's a reason that the card game has stuck around as long as it has in as many forms as it has. There's added value for anyone that can pick, say, Geralt or Yennefer out of a lineup, but the actual mechanics are good enough to satisfy even those entirely unfamiliar with the Witcher franchise.

Ratings

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How we tested Gwent: The Legendary Card Game

We played Gwent several times with different decks in different game modes. To find out more, see our guide to how we test board games. You might also read our wider GamesRadar+ reviews policy.

Looking for recommendations that can spice up games night? Don't forget to check out the best family board games, or the best adult board games.