GWENT: The Witcher Card Game 17+

It seems like Gwent has been out for consoles and PCs for so long. Now finally iOS players get in on the action. If you played The Witcher 3 then you know not only about Gwent but also about the developers. They are a company of integrity that produces incredibly polished, fun games. The visuals and sound effects in this game are just stunning. The Gwent you remember from Witcher 3 is very different but it won't take you long to jump into it. What I love about Gwent is it obliterates frustrations I have with other card games. With games where you have mana as a power source you often have games where you have too much mana or too many cards that need mana when you have none. Then you're just sitting there continuing to watch the other player take turns without being able to do anything. The same goes for games where you get power each turn automatically. If you get stuck with lots of cards with high power you again can't do anything. With Gwent you just focus on playing and having fun. You can play any of your cards at any time. You can spend money to get ahead in the game but if the free to play aspect is very generous. I already love the iOS version and am going to be playing every day.

I enjoy the Witcher books, games, and show. I was excited to play this game and for a few days I really enjoyed it. The music and artwork are amazing. It’s a great way for me to enjoy the experience of the Witcher world without taking up hours of my time. It is obvious that a lot of time and effort went into the making of this game and I appreciate that. The issues I have are with the game play. This is not chess. You can strategize all day and still get obliterated because your opponent has better cards. Yes, you can buy those cards. Yes, they are in loot boxes. Yes, that’s how pay to win works. You still need half a brain to play the cards correctly but I was hoping for more than the same old cash grab that is becoming all you can play on anything now. I get it. It’s a business model that makes a lot of money but I was hoping for more from CD project red. I can live with that. What I can’t overlook is lag issues on a game with time limits. On the special game modes there is a faster pace which I like because standard mode can take up to 10 minutes or more to complete a game. I don’t that much time for a round of gwent because I mostly play when I catch a break at work. It is incredibly frustrating to have a card disappear as I’m trying to play it. It can cost you a 5 minute match in a matter of seconds. This has happened multiple times. I hope is resolved because as I said I really want to like this game.

I stopped playing a few years ago during open beta, right around the time of the infamous homecoming update, and recently returned due to the iOS release. Boy, have things changed for the better. There have definitely been some missteps along the development pathway that have cost the game some of its initial momentum, but the devs have definitely shown they’re willing to rectify their mistakes. With as much polish (heh) and detail that this game has, it’s a shame it doesn’t have a larger following currently. The gameplay has multiple layers of strategy, the art is gorgeous (just look at premium Seltkirk) and, speaking of premium, you earn rewards, both new cards and the currency to make them, incredibly quickly, so you’ll be able to make competitive decks soon after starting. Some concepts may seem difficult to comprehend at first, such as card advantage and when how to time your turns, but the learning stage doesn’t take long. All you need is to practice a little, or watch some of the excellent instructional videos online. Whether you’re new to the game or returning after a hiatus, there’s no time like the present to get into Gwent.