How Does Gwent Appeal to Traditional Roulette and Card Game Players?
Gwent is a collectible card game that originated as a mini-game within the popular video game series called The Witcher, developed by CD Projekt Red. It was initially introduced in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, but due to its popularity, it was later released as a standalone game called Gwent: The Witcher Card Game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt earned widespread critical acclaim for a variety of reasons, with the inclusion of Gwent being a major highlight of the fantasy offering. The game within a game was so popular that fans begged CD Projekt Red to turn it into a standalone game. The Polish developer duly obliged, and now Gwent: The Witcher Card Game is one of the top collectible card games online.
Gwent appeals to Witcher players and fantasy fans in general, but the developers also needed to tap into traditional card game mechanics to attract a wider audience. CD Projekt Red managed to bring in casino players by adding aspects inspired by roulette and traditional card games.
What Similarities Does Gwent Have to Classic Games?
For new card games to have any chance of success, they need to draw inspiration from longstanding games that have survived for decades. There are certain aspects that are fundamental to card games. These include cards having different values, players needing to manage their hands, and cards being drawn from the deck.
Because CD Projekt Red always envisioned Gwent as an eSport to rival other offerings like Hearthstone, many elements of the game are skill-based. This has helped it appeal to blackjack and poker players. Players need to take great care in deck building and assess the other player’s hand when deciding on their moves. They also need to consider using low-value cards first and saving more powerful cards for later in the game.
There are also facets of randomness to Gwent’s gameplay that serve to attract slot and roulette players. Players who know about roulette strategy and how to bet on the spinning wheel will enjoy certain parts of Gwent’s gameplay. It doesn’t involve all the inside and outside bets associated with the classic casino game, but it does use RNG in various ways. For example, it can determine where attacks land or which card receives a boost.
How Does Gwent Keep Players Engaged?
The major difference between Gwent and other card games like blackjack and poker is the complexity of the title. It has a vast number of cards from a range of different factions. Every month, the developer has to adjust the power of certain cards. For example, as the meta develops over a season, it quickly becomes obvious which cards are overpowered. These are often nerfed, while cards that are out of use can get buffs to make them more viable.
The regular updates to the game keep players engaged because they need to put a lot of thought into deck building. Part of the game’s appeal is the strategizing that takes place in this phase, and top players are always looking to get the edge on their rivals. There are also new cards and factions added from time to time to freshen things up, and this keeps players coming back for more.
Part of Gwent’s immense popularity is its ability to attract a wide range of players. Along with fantasy lovers being drawn to the card design, the classic card game-inspired mechanics appeal to casino players.