Gwent is a game that I have spent over 500 hours playing. I've spent about the same amount of time on Thronebreaker. I'm frankly a complete sucker for that unique intersection of fantasy and card-based systems. Gwent: Rogue Mage is really just that; a single-player, kick-your-feet-up Gwent experience that strips away the narrative downtime of Thronebreaker, and removes the pressure of getting beat down by meta decks for hours. It's a solo-journey in the world of the Witcher that you traverse by playing Gwent. After about an hour and some change, I can confidently say that if feels familiar enough to be fun for any Gwent fan, but fresh enough to offer something new and different that stokes the fires of enjoyment. It brings rogue-lite elements to the table, reminscent of Slay the Spire, but with the brilliant aesthetic that CDPR brings to this franchise. For the price, it's an absolute bargain and if you're a Gwent stalwart there is no reason to not ugprade to the deluxe version and get the kegs on offer. A fun little journey so far that hopefully will receive future support to ensure the game's longevity, as the ideas and mechanics on offer here provide a solid foundation for what is hopefully an exciting and diverse content future.
