The Witcher 4 will focus on Ciri, who seems to be a fully-fledged Witcher by the time the game takes place, but it’s also aiming for a 2028 release date. This means that there’s at least a year before you’ll get to jump into a new journey in the world of The Witcher, and that’s assuming that there are no delays between now and 2028.
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As you rejoice in The Witcher 4’s confirmed physical release, you’ll also want to have a set of games that you can jump into as you wait for the next new game, and there are actually a lot of great options to choose from in that same spirit.
10
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
An Expansive World with Strange Monsters
The world of BoTW isn’t as dreary as that of The Witcher series in appearance, but the light and graphics fool you into not fully realizing what a terrifying world it would be to live in. Then, instead of Witchers and sorceresses out there helping cull the monster population, you just have Link and the soldiers taking the bulk of that work.
If you want a world to explore, monsters to kill, and a big bad villain to get rid of in order to save Hyrule, then you can easily spend dozens of hours in BoTW. As an added bonus, there’s a sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, to help you pass even more time.
9
Divinity: Original Sin
Experience Larian Before Baldur’s Gate 3
If you enjoy Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Witcher, then Divinity: Original Sin is actually the perfect game to try next. It isn’t set in the world of Dungeons and Dragons, and the Divinity universe has more similarities and the same vibes that you find in The Witcher.
The real charm of the Divinity games is the characters and the strange circumstances some of them find themselves dealing with. It’s quite heavy on the RPG elements, and I’d say it’s more story-heavy than The Witcher, but not to an extreme extent. I just find the Divinity games to be enjoyable and replayable, letting you sink time into them.
8
Elden Ring
For When Killing Monsters Is Your Priority
The main job of a Witcher is slaying monsters, and Elden Ring lets you slay plenty of horrific-looking monsters, many of which might leave you frustrated with their mechanics. Plus, the world of The Lands Between is large and interesting to explore, and if you want to understand the story, you have a lot of exploring to do.
Another perk with Elden Ring, aside from the hundreds of hours you can sink into the game, is that you can replay it and try out different character builds. Then, you have the multiple endings that might encourage you to keep restarting.
7
Gothic Remake
The Witcher’s Spiritual Predecessor
Gothic is one of the most classic RPGs you can play, and The Witcher feels like a spiritual successor to this game. Considering Gothic is considered a game that helped define the genre, it makes sense that you can see how its elements evolved over time in other games.
Gothic was recently remade, which means that you can now play it with more of the modern gameplay luxuries that make it less clunky compared to the original. However, this might not be the best choice if you want a fast-paced game, as it falls into the same slow style that many older RPGs have.
6
Final Fantasy 16
A Darker World Than You Expect
Final Fantasy, as a series, has a lot of variety in the type of games you encounter. FF7 is heavy on sci-fi elements, but FF16 has a world that feels more like The Witcher’s. However, FF16 has the added bonus of being able to fight using Eikons, which are basically massive entities that only select people are able to summon at a cost to their souls.
The combat system is friendlier to Witcher players, as it’s more of an active-time system rather than turn-based. Between that and the emotional story set in an unforgiving world, it’s a game worth trying even if it’s not a franchise you usually play.
5
Baldur’s Gate 3
Another World Filled With Monsters
Baldur’s Gate 3 is set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe, which has quite a few similarities to The Witcher. At least, the vibes end up feeling close enough that it’s able to scratch that fantasy itch as you wait for the next Witcher. BG3 is just less about going out to kill monsters and more about finding a way to not become a monster.
You could play BG3 until the release of The Witcher 4, because each playthrough changes depending on your choices. If you play the pre-made characters, then you also get to experience scenes that you wouldn’t see otherwise. It’s no wonder my playtime is in the hundreds of hours.
4
Monster Hunter Wilds
Flawed but Fun
Witchers kill monsters, so playing Monster Hunter Wilds while waiting for Ciri’s journey in The Witcher 4 is thematically fitting. Being able to play with friends also helps when you’re looking for a game to pass time, as it feels different to play by yourself compared to playing with others, and sometimes that’s because your friends make things more difficult than they need to be.
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Unlike The Witcher’s world, the world in Monster Hunter Wilds includes humans and monsters trying to co-exist. As you might expect, that doesn’t tend to go smoothly. While you can find complaints about Monster Hunter Wilds, it’s still an enjoyable game.
3
Oblivion Remaster
Skyrim Gets All the Love
Yes, Skyrim is great and massive and all that, but if you enjoy games like The Witcher, then you’ve likely already played Skyrim. It’s almost always recommended to players who like The Witcher the same way The Witcher gets recommended to Skyrim players. So, maybe it’s time to try a different Elder Scrolls game, like Oblivion, instead.
Oblivion is a classic RPG that has a world and fantasy elements similar to The Witcher. As an added bonus, it was recently remastered and is now easy to find and runs better on modern hardware without having to mod or emulate it.
2
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (1 and 2)
A Masterclass RPG
When it comes to modern games that have the soul of classic RPGs, Kingdom Come: Deliverance and its sequel are top-tier choices. You won’t be fighting monsters, but you’ll still face no shortage of enemies while playing as Henry. It’ll also keep you busy since you have two games to get through and they both have large worlds that are packed with side content.
KC:D doesn’t have the heavier fantasy element that The Witcher does, but the developers paid attention to details in the world so they could make it as historically accurate as possible. As you play, you can read your journal for information about those details. It’s a game for those who can’t resist delving into lore. You’ll want to take care while exploring this open world, but you’ll have a blast doing so.
1
The Witcher 3
Of Course, This is Number One
While all three Witcher games are fitting choices to play as you wait, the third game is the largest and the most polished, avoiding some issues that the first two games have due to their age. However, there’s another reason to play The Witcher 3, in particular, before The Witcher 4 is released.
If you’re keeping up with Witcher news, then you might already know that the third game is getting a new story DLC and a remaster. Replaying it after getting the DLC and before the next game means that you have more to experience than you did before. Plus, it’s probably useful to have a refresher on the lore.
There are a lot of great games set to be released in the next few years, but the hardest part of a new game is always waiting to be able to play it. Luckily, there’s no shortage of great choices between RPGs to play while you wait for The Witcher 4.
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