Nobody expected the next Witcher game to feel like Tinder. However, that is exactly the energy Reigns: The Witcher brings to the table, and somehow it works brilliantly. Nerial, the indie studio behind the original Reigns series, has teamed up with CD Projekt RED to bring Geralt of Rivia into one of gaming’s most unexpectedly addictive formats. The result is a swipe-driven, narrative-packed, genuinely funny adventure that respects the lore while throwing it completely off the rails. Here is everything you need to know before it launches.
Reigns: The Witcher Release Date and Platforms
Key Details:
- Release Date: February 25, 2026
- Platforms: PC (Steam, GOG), Mac, iOS, and Android
- Developer: Nerial
- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Steam Deck: Verified as compatible by Valve
Reigns: The Witcher Price: How Much Does It Cost?
As of February 23, 2026, Reigns: The Witcher is priced at $5.99 on iOS, with pre-orders already live ahead of the February 25 launch. The exact Steam price has not been officially confirmed at the time of writing. However, the Reigns series has consistently launched in the $3 to $6 range on PC, so a similar price point is a reasonable expectation when the game goes live on Steam.
For a game of this scope and with the Witcher licence behind it, that pricing makes it one of the more accessible new releases of the month, regardless of which platform you pick it up on.
What Exactly Is Reigns: The Witcher?
If you have never played a Reigns game before, the concept is simple. You make decisions by swiping left or right on cards, with each choice nudging a set of balance meters up or down. Let any meter tip too far in either direction, and the run ends. It is quick to learn and genuinely difficult to master, which is exactly what makes it so compulsive.
Reigns: The Witcher applies that mechanic to the world of the CD Projekt RED games, specifically the continuity of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, rather than Andrzej Sapkowski’s original novels. Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, Dandelion, and other familiar faces all appear, and the choices you make shape each run through the moral maze of the Witcher universe.
However, there is a creative twist that makes this entry feel distinct. As narrative designer Oscar Harrington-Shaw explained in the official gameplay trailer:
“All of your adventures are told through the ballads of Geralt’s friend, Dandelion. Your fate is at the mercy of the bard.”
That framing device opens the door for scenarios that range from grounded lore moments to completely absurd detours that Dandelion has clearly embellished for a better story.
The Tinder Gameplay That Actually Works
Let’s address the obvious comparison directly. Yes, Reigns: The Witcher plays like Tinder. You swipe left or right on cards to make decisions, and each choice carries consequences that ripple through the run. However, where Tinder asks you to make snap judgments about people, Reigns asks you to navigate impossible situations in a morally grey fantasy world. The mechanic feels instantly familiar while applying that familiarity to something genuinely surprising, and that contrast is exactly what makes it feel so refreshing.
Four key meters govern Geralt’s survival across each run: his standing with humans, his standing with non-humans, his relationships with mages and sorcerers, and his commitment to the monster hunter path. Let any of them hit zero or max out and the run ends, sometimes in logical ways and sometimes in spectacular fashion. Polygon’s preview noted one outcome where getting too cosy with the sorcerers leads to Triss inviting Geralt to a party, which ends his run in a way nobody could have anticipated going in.
The strategic layer runs deeper than it first appears. You can usually see which meter a card will affect and roughly by how much, but the game rarely reveals whether that impact will be positive or negative. The cards Geralt currently holds also modify the math, shifting how tolerant certain factions are in a given run. Choices made early in a run can trigger unforeseen consequences several decisions later, which gives the whole experience a puzzle-like quality underneath the casual swipe format.
Why Dandelion Is the Star, Not Geralt
This is one of the most interesting creative decisions in the game, and it solves a genuine structural problem. In the original Reigns, death and succession drive the loop. However, if Geralt dies in a Reigns game, he is simply dead with no successor to step in. The developers needed a framing mechanism that could justify repeated runs without breaking immersion.
The answer was Dandelion. Each playthrough is framed as the bard composing and performing ballads about the White Wolf for increasingly prestigious audiences. Some scenarios reflect genuine events Dandelion witnessed. Others, as Oscar put it in the trailer, “sacrifice reality in pursuit of a gripping tale.” With each run, Dandelion builds a songbook of adventures, unlocking new titles and earning invitations to perform on grander stages.
The goal is not simply to keep Geralt alive but to compose a truly inspiring epic. Oscar summed it up perfectly in the gameplay trailer: “Only by composing a truly inspiring epic will Dandelion achieve immortality, both for Geralt and, more importantly, himself.” That self-serving bard energy gives the game a warmth and comedy that is difficult to find in most Witcher content.
The Scenarios: Funny, Dark, and Surprisingly Layered
Nerial packed Reigns: The Witcher with scenarios ranging from references to well-known Witcher 3 quests to deep cuts that only dedicated fans will clock. The studio worked closely with CD Projekt RED throughout development, meeting weekly with CDPR lore masters and writers to ensure everything in the game met the studio’s approval.
Creative director François Alliot told ScreenRant that Nerial specifically wanted a game license with the scope and world-building depth to support this kind of storytelling, and The Witcher was the natural fit. Oscar described one standout scenario in Polygon’s preview: a troll under a bridge blocking Geralt’s path. You can fight the troll, but if you ask what is wrong, you discover the troll is simply bored and wants to see more of the world. Push the conversation in the right direction, and the troll sets off on a new journey, only to reappear later in a completely different career. That kind of layered, character-driven storytelling is where Reigns: The Witcher earns its depth.
The game also draws on French mythology, incorporating creatures like a tarasque and weaving new narrative threads into the existing Witcher world alongside the familiar ones.
The Combat Mini-Game: What You Should Know
Not everything lands equally. Polygon’s preview flagged the combat mini-game as the weakest part of the experience. When Geralt encounters a monster, the game shifts away from the card mechanic to a sequence where Geralt’s head slides across the screen, and you click to change his direction, aiming to collect magical signs, swords, and potions while avoiding monster attacks. The limited control makes timing difficult, and the mechanic does not feel as natural as the core swipe format.
However, the important thing to know is that you can skip combat entirely. The option is not prominently offered during play, but it is there. Players who want to focus purely on the narrative decision-making that defines the Reigns format can do so without the combat section getting in the way.
Who Is Reigns: The Witcher Made For?
Reigns: The Witcher is designed to work across multiple audiences. Fans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will recognise familiar characters, spot references to specific quests, and catch callbacks to the game’s more obscure side content. Fans of the Netflix series or the original novels can also jump in comfortably, as the accessible format removes the barrier of needing prior game knowledge.
Oscar told ScreenRant that the game functions as a potential entry point into the Witcher universe, letting newcomers experience the world’s tone and characters quickly without committing to a 200-hour RPG. For longtime fans, it works differently, closer to an affectionate, frequently unhinged piece of interactive fan fiction set in the CDPR timeline. Both framings are entirely valid.
The Bottom Line
Reigns: The Witcher is not the Witcher game anyone predicted, and that unpredictability is exactly what makes it worth playing. The swipe mechanic brings a refreshing energy to the Witcher universe, Dandelion as narrator gives every run a comedic and self-aware quality, and the sheer variety of scenarios ensures each playthrough delivers something new. Whether you are a White Wolf veteran or a complete newcomer looking for a smart, funny narrative game on mobile or Steam Deck, February 25 is the date to watch.
Official Website: Reigns: The Witcher
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