If you're here, you're probably a fan of the Witcher franchise. Either the books, TV series, games, or all of them. Or you finished Witcher 1 to 3, find this game, and wonder: Should I play this Gwent-heavy game set in the Witcher universe? The short answer is yes, at least from me.

I will try to clear up any questions and doubts I had before starting this game, since I myself am not a big fan of card games. Gwent in Witcher 3 was fun, but half of this game are Gwent battles. It still has plenty of story though, and as a Witcher fan, any new content is always welcome.

Timeline-wise, Thronebreaker takes place even before Witcher 1, featuring Queen Meve's untold adventures during the book Baptism of Fire. So if you want to play all Witcher games chronologically, this is the place to start.

Q: Does this game have a story?
A: Yes. In fact, the story plays a major part in this game. It's not just one Gwent after another for no reason. From my observation, the Gwent here serves as a "stand-in" for some events, usually fights. Your cards are basically your army, and the enemy's card are theirs. It makes sense as well, like for example if you're fighting monsters there wouldn't be random Nilfgaardian cards in their deck, and vice versa.

Q: Are there more gameplay options in Thronebreaker other than Gwent and building your deck?
A: Yes. Outside of Gwent battles, you can move Meve throughout the map freely, collecting resources, doing sidequests, discovering point of interests, or simply just enjoying new lands. Here is an example of such, a village with people you can talk to.

Q: Do choices matter for the story?
A: Yes. During some encounters, you are presented with choices, like for example, if you want to attack a passing enemy or not. There are also dialogue choices present when you are talking to certain characters. Like other Witcher games, many choices are difficult, and even some have consequences that aren't felt directly, but in the long run. And most importantly, as I said above, your deck serves as your army. If a named character leaves your army, either because of your choice or the story demands it, their card will be removed and you can't play them anymore.

Q: Is Gwent the same as Witcher 3?
A: Not really. Gwent here is more complicated, which is to be expected since it is a major part of this game. The basic rules stay the same, the one with higher score of cards win, but some effects play differently. For example, remember those weather cards that reduces an enemy's row score into 1 per card? Now it does damage per turn.

Q: Can you skip card battles?
A: This is probably the biggest question in your mind. You're afraid to get stuck mid-playthrough because you're bad at building decks. Luckily, yes, you can skip card battles! However, you have to play in the lower difficulties. Card games there are quite easy to beat there, though.

Q: Should I skip all card battles?
A: While you could do this, I don't recommend it. Technically you're losing half the game. And sometimes, cool stuff and extra dialogue happens in these battles. And if you skip every battle, you'll miss out on every battle-related achievement. I only recommend skipping battles when it's somehow too hard for you, or you're tired and the battle seems unimportant.

Q: Does Geralt play a major role in this game?
A: Despite him being featured prominently in promotions, no, his role in this game is minimal. Technically, only a cameo, corresponding with his appearance in the aforementioned book. He is the face of the franchise, so it's not surprising his face is seen a lot despite his very brief appearance.

While in a battle, press your Esc key. A new window will open, asking if you want to forfeit. Choose Yes.

Next, you will be in a "Defeat" screen. There will be several options, like to restart the battle, or load a previous checkpoint, useful for re-arranging your deck or avoid the battle if you want to. However, to skip, you'll obviously have to press the Skip Battle option. It will be as if you won that fight.


Skipping a card game still gets you the rewards, like loot and unique card (if available) just like if you win the game normally. However, some achievements will be unobtainable if you skip literally every card game. Look at the "Combat Achievements" subsection in this guide if you want to see how many achievements you could miss by always skipping: https://psteamcommunity.yuanyoumao.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2144256367

Personally, I don't use skip very often in my playthrough. It kinda loses the satisfaction when you win a battle. First of all, you probably shouldn't skip story battles. These ones usually have some extra dialogue mid-combat, and are overall important. Usually, these are shortened battles as well, lasting only 1 round. They are marked, here is one for example:

The second one you shouldn't skip are puzzle battles since you must finish 20 for an achievement, and skipping doesn't count. These ones have a specific set of rules, and your cards are already pre-determined, no matter how strong or weak your deck is. Some can range from easy and fun to really hard and confusing. You can always look up a guide or video since your cards are always the same. For example, here's one fun puzzle battle where you guide a dog to the food:
There are more than 20 puzzle battles, I never skipped and got mine in Act 3. So don't worry if you missed or skipped a few, you're still able to get it provided you don't skip too much.

Well, than this game basically becomes a point-and-click or visual novel type game with slight RPG elements where your choices matter. You just travel to places and talk to people. Most story content are in the cutscenes anyway. However, keep in mind that you're missing out on half of the game's content. and winning combats won't be as satisfying.


You can still enjoy the game for exploration and story, but I urge you to try some of the card games. I disliked Gwent at first, even back in Witcher 3, yet I grew to love it. Hopefully, you'll grow to love the card games here, too.

So in conclusion, should you buy Thronebreaker if you're a Witcher fan but dislikes card games? I would recommend it, yes, give it a try. The story is surprisingly good, just don't expect much Geralt. And besides, you can always skip the battles if you're stuck or simply just feeling fed up with it.

Credits to xLili for providing the achievement guide and detailing which ones are only unlockable in card battles.