How to Play

The Witcher: Old World

1-5 players 90-150 min 7.9 Board Game Geek Rating

Players become monster-hunting witchers exploring a perilous continent filled with creatures and quests. This competitive adventure game features deck-building mechanics where 2-5 players customize card combinations of attacks, dodges, and magical signs while completing quests and battling monsters or rival witchers. Victory requires collecting 4-6 trophies earned through monster kills, tavern brawls, attribute training, and quest completion.

Published 2023

Get Ready

Setup the game with these step-by-step instructions before diving into your turn.

Print the game board

Print the Velen Game Board in A3 or A4 format; if A4, assemble the two pieces afterward

Prepare Velen cards

Print and cut out Adventure, Monster Encounter, Story, Monster Trophy, and Companion Shield cards

Organize card stacks

Shuffle Adventure Cards face down; place Monster Encounter Cards face down; sort Story Cards by number with card 1 on top

Prepare Bard/Companion cards

Print fan-made Bard Cards (remove "Essi Daven") and shuffle, or use specified Event Cards as alternatives

Prepare Equipment cards

Use 24 specified cards from the fan-made Equipment Deck (school weapons/armor plus 12 additional items), shuffled face down

Take base game components

Gather Action Cards, Potion Cards, Monster Cards, Monster Fight Cards, and display 6 Action Cards face up

Gather additional items

Place Monster Tokens/Minis, two sets of Poker Dice, Gold Tokens, 2 Location Tokens as Trails, and Shield Markers beside the board

Place Adventure Locations

Randomly select 4 locations (numbered 1-12) in each wilderness area (Swamp, Forest, Field, Ruins) for 16 total Location Tokens

Choose Witchers

Select 2 Witchers, prepare their boards at level 1, take 10 Starting Action Cards plus 1 additional Action Card as the 11th card

Set starting resources

Each Witcher begins with 1 gold

Track injuries

Place each Witcher's Scoring Token on the white "0" space of the Injury Track

On Your Turn

What you can do during your turn.

Play simultaneously

Both Witchers may play at the same time, except during cooperative Monster fights

Move between spaces

Discard one card per space entered; spaces are adjacent horizontally, vertically, or diagonally

Respect area boundaries

During Exploration, cross wilderness boundaries but not into Village; during Interaction, stay within Village; during fights, stay within the fight area

Select Action Cards

At the beginning of Exploration and Interaction phases, choose 1 of 6 displayed Action Cards and pay their cost by discarding cards from deck

Explore Adventure Locations

When entering a space with a Location Token, discard the token and draw an Adventure Card; pay all costs even if effects cannot be resolved

Trigger fights from Adventure Cards

Shuffle all Action Cards into deck, draw 4 cards into hand, then fight; afterward use remaining cards to continue exploring

Interact in Village

Visit each location only once per phase; pay with gold or by discarding/trashing cards; 1 discarded card equals 1 gold

Initiate Monster fights

Fights begin when triggered by Story Cards, Adventure Cards, or when entering a space adjacent to a Remaining Monster in the same area

Alternate fight turns

After every fight turn, pass to the next participant; no Witcher or Monster may take two consecutive fight turns

Use Monster Trail Tokens

Optionally use a token to take the first fight turn in a Monster fight

Move during fights

After completing a fight turn and drawing cards, discard cards to move spaces; Monsters discard 1 card per space and take the shortest path

Handle Remaining Monsters

If a Monster defeats a Witcher with 2+ cards remaining, it stays on the board; the defeated Witcher moves 1 space away and gains 1 Monster Trail Token

Manage multiple Monsters

Distribute Monster Fight Cards proportionally based on total Life Points; use Shield Markers for remaining Life Points not covered by cards

Cooperate in designated fights

When Story Cards allow, both Witchers fight together; Monsters attack the nearest Witcher or randomly determine target if equidistant

Reshuffle deck timing

At the end of Exploration and Interaction phases after reaching movement objectives, shuffle all Action Cards into deck