Reigns: The Witcher
Review
Toss a coin - or flip a card
by William Thompson
reviewed on PC
Heads or tails - Toss a coin to your Witcher
If you've spent any time with Nerial's previous titles, you'll feel right at home with Reigns: The Witcher. The core loop remains as addictive as ever: you are presented with characters—monsters, peasants, and sorceresses alike—who demand your attention. Your response is a simple swipe left or right in a Tinder-style interface that determines the fate of the Continent.
The Tricky Balancing Act
The real depth of the game lies in the four indicators at the top of your screen. Every choice you make nudges these metrics up or down, and whether you’re negotiating a contract or meddling in Nilfgaardian politics, your goal is to keep these bars from hitting zero or maxing out. It's a high-stakes balancing act that transforms what could be a simple narrative game into a strategic puzzle, providing the experience with some much-needed weight.
Strategic Growth through Inspirations
A significant evolution in the Reigns formula is the introduction of Inspirations, which replaces the standard objective systems of previous entries. Unlocked by leveling up the bard Dandelion, these modifiers allow you to choose three active "Geralt" themes at the start of each run, such as The Bathed, The Magical, or The Sleuth. These aren't just for show; they actively alter the game's logic by opening specific questlines or shifting the probability of encountering magic-related cards. The real mastery of the game comes from pursuing the specific objectives tied to these Inspirations to earn a three-star rating. It creates a tension where you must decide whether to play it safe to stay alive or take risks to hit your goals and unlock even more content.
Combat and the Value of Death
While the dialogue is the meat of the game, the combat adds a unique tactical flavour. Played on a chessboard-style screen, Geralt must dodge enemy attacks as they scroll down the board, requiring you to swipe left and right to stay out of harm's way. Timing is everything; you must land on squares marked with a sword to score your own hits. However, the game encourages you to explore beyond just winning. Finding new and creative ways to die is actually essential for unlocking more of Dandelion's song puzzles. The procedural nature of the game rewards those who experiment with different answers, leading to unique encounters—like the famously silly Chort fight triggered by killing too many cows—that keep the experience fresh.
Singing for Your Supper
One of the most charming diversions is the bardic minigame featuring Dandelion. When the bard takes the stage at various locations, he must satisfy audience members who request specific themes for their tunes by choosing the most appropriate lyrical cards from his hand. Much like the iconic "insult sword-fighting" found in Monkey Island, you collect more of these cards as your journey progresses and you discover those aforementioned unique deaths. This loop allows Dandelion to perform more complex and rewarding ballads, turning every failed run as Geralt into a successful performance for the bard.
Visuals and Accessibility
True to the series, the game features vibrant, cartoon-style visuals that are both stylish and functional. The layout is clean and well-organized, making it easy to track your progress across different categories at a glance. Perhaps the game's greatest strength is its simplicity; whether you are navigating a conversation, dodging a Griffin's talons, or performing a ballad, the controls are entirely swipe-based. It’s a testament to the design that such complex Witcher lore can be condensed into a one-handed mobile experience without losing its soul.
Reigns: The Witcher is a perfect marriage of IP and indie mechanics. By evolving the objective system into the deeper Inspirations mechanic, Nerial has ensured that every "Game Over" feels like a step forward rather than a step back.
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6.5
fun score
Pros
Fun story, simple controls
Cons
Not much actual gameplay
