The best Witcher game is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, one of the greatest RPGs ever made and still holding a 92 on Metacritic a decade on. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (88) is the strong middle chapter, and the 2007 original started it all. This is a small but legendary series, and with The Witcher 4 in development, here’s how the existing games rank.
CD Projekt Red only has a handful of Witcher games, but the quality runs deep — including two expansions widely considered better than most full games. Here is the ranking by review scores.
92
The Witcher 3, one of the best RPGs ever
88
The Witcher 2, the acclaimed middle game
2015
The year Wild Hunt raised the RPG bar
TW4
The next game, in development at CDPR
The best Witcher games, ranked
The Witcher games ranked by Metacritic and critical consensus. The mainline trilogy leads; the spin-offs follow.
#
Game
Year
Metacritic
1
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
2015
92
2
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
2011
88
3
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
2018
82
4
The Witcher
2007
81
5
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
2018
80
The Witcher games by Metacritic — Wild Hunt towers over the series.
How we ranked them
This list follows critical consensus, led by Metacritic. The mainline trilogy is the heart of the series: The Witcher 3 (92) is one of the highest-rated RPGs of all time, The Witcher 2 (88) is a superb middle chapter, and the 2007 original (81, higher in its Enhanced Edition) is a rougher but ambitious debut. The card-based spin-offs Thronebreaker and Gwent round out the list. Wild Hunt’s two expansions — Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine — are so acclaimed (Blood and Wine scored 92) that many rate them above most full games, though they’re add-ons rather than standalone entries.
The essential Witcher games
The games worth playing, in order of priority.
⚔️
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
2015 · 92
A landmark open-world RPG — the best in the series by far
#1
🗡️
The Witcher 2
2011 · 88
A darker, choice-heavy middle chapter that still holds up
Best older game
🃏
Thronebreaker
2018 · 82
A surprisingly deep story-driven card RPG
Best spin-off
📜
The Witcher
2007 · 81
The ambitious debut where Geralt’s game journey began
You don’t need to have played the earlier games to enjoy the best one.
👆
The best entry point
Start with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — it recaps the story you need and is by far the most polished and accessible entry. If you love it and want more, The Witcher 2 is the best way back into the earlier games. The 2007 original is for completists.
Best Witcher games FAQ
What is the best Witcher game?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, without question — its 92 on Metacritic and reputation as one of the greatest RPGs ever put it far ahead of the rest of the series.
Do I need to play the older Witcher games first?
No. The Witcher 3 stands alone and recaps the key story beats, so it’s a perfect starting point. The earlier games are worth playing afterwards if you want the full arc, but they’re not required.
Are the Witcher 3 expansions worth playing?
Absolutely. Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are among the best expansions ever made — Blood and Wine scored 92, matching the base game. Many fans rate them above most full RPGs.
Is The Witcher 4 coming out?
Yes. The Witcher 4 is confirmed and in development at CD Projekt Red, built in Unreal Engine 5, but it has no release date yet. Wild Hunt remains the definitive Witcher game until then.
How many Witcher games are there?
Three mainline RPGs — The Witcher, The Witcher 2 and The Witcher 3 — plus spin-offs including the card game Gwent and its single-player campaign Thronebreaker. The Witcher 4 will be the fourth mainline entry.
🕹️
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