The job of a Witcher is never done, and neither is the plight of the charismatic bard, Dandelion. Whilst Geralt attends to the battling of various beasties and solving of many a magical mystery, his charming sidekick tends to prefer weaving words of the Witcher’s adventures.

Here’s where Reigns: The Witcher puts its players, not in the slaying but rather in the storytelling, with devs Nerial and publisher Devolver Digital taking the two where they’ve never braved before – into CD Projekt Red’s Witcher world.

During my preview, I tested out my way with words with man, magic-users, and monsters – finding that my social skills needed some work, and that’s exactly why Reigns: The Witcher got me hooked.

Reigns: The Witcher is unforgiving, but not in the same way as the titular Witcher series. Moreso, it becomes a test of wits and a fight for mastery against a strange adversary…cards. During Dandelion’s composing of Geralt’s tales, you’ll actually be experiencing them.

For those familiar with the certain addictive action of swiping left and right to find the elusive better option, the base gameplay seems simple.

Decisions are made during dialogue and through a choice of two actions. Encounters aren’t necessarily with enemies, that is, unless you piss them off enough. It’s all about balance – by keeping that sweet spot between the demands of humans, non-humans, and monsters, all while keeping up the hunt.

At the start of each run, you’ll draw three beautifully illustrated cards representing modifiers or scenarios Geralt must overcome. It might be that sorcerers are easily dissatisfied or that one action impacts two factions. You may have a specific goal, such as helping factions or getting a creature to crack a smile.

No two runs are the same, and every choice has a consequence. A consequence that usually resulted in the fate of the fictional Geralt in Dandelion’s tales. The goal is to survive as long as possible for Dandelion’s performances to receive the fanfare they deserve.

I haven’t quite reached the heights of fame yet, but my time in Reigns: The Witcher is definitely not through – I will continue to fight for fame, fortune, and glory.

Written by: Yasmin Noble