The Witcher is a fantasy universe, spanning various forms of media full of many different aspects from such kinds of worlds. Whether playing, reading, or watching, Witcher fans can immerse themselves in grand battles, intense mysteries, meaningful stories, or to-the-wire politics.
These happen to be aspects that make for some of the best experiences in tabletop gaming. While The Witcher franchise does have a few tabletop games under its belt, none made that big of a splash. However, fear not. There are plenty of other tabletop games that take one or more of the aspects that make the franchise great and make something special.
10 Fallout: The Board Game — A Different Video Game Board Game
Plenty of RPG franchises have board games in their name. Even Final Fantasy has several, although they're not always that impressive. The Witcher is one such example, but the 2017 Fallout board game is the exception that proves the rule.
When it comes to adapting a video game RPG into a tabletop format, this is one of the best examples out there. It's got side-quests, branching narratives, the chance to explore an unknown area — the whole deal. Players are technically competing, but everyone's fighting against the game. It's more a matter of who can do it the best.
9 Scythe — Strategic Conquering
While The Witcher isn't a strategy game, players always need to go into fights with a plan. Thinking a few steps ahead and being prepared for the upcoming fight is essential. This is exactly the mindset that players will need when playing board games known as "Euro Games." At their most basic, Euro Games are resource-management and expansion games that don't rely on random elements like dice, don't have player elimination, and generally require strategic thinking.
Scythe is one of the best (if more complex) examples of this genre. The setting is more modern than The Witcher: an alternate 1920s, with more mech-suits. However, the battle between factions for territory and resources creates a downtrodden world that feels very similar in tone.
8 Coup — Murdering The Nobility
The quests Geralt has to take up on his journeys are often complex and intriguing. They may require carefully navigating a social structure by lying, cheating, and stealing his way to where he wants to be. However, they almost always involve murder. Coup ticks both those boxes. In Coup, a bunch of different character cards are available, each with different abilities that players can use to gain advantages.
However, players can claim the abilities of cards they don't have, in order to bluff. Players can choose to call each other out or not, which creates some intense deduction scenarios. The ultimate goal is to kill every opponent and be the last person standing, so knowing when to take a risk and when to play safe is a key skill.
7 Carcassonne — Building Cities & Stealing Points
One of the classics of hobby gaming, Carcassonne is as easy to get into as it is hard to spell on the first try. This game takes the medieval fantasy setting of The Witcher and puts the focus on building the cities and roads, throwing in a little bit of subterfuge and theft for sneaky players along the way.
Each turn, a player can either place a tile or place one of their pieces on a tile. The tile may be a part of a city or a road. When the city or road is complete, the person with the most pieces on it gets the points. The bigger the city/road, the greater the points. Players will want to make cities as big as possible, but other players will be looking for opportunities to steal points for themselves.
6 Munchkin — Backstabbing Dungeon Crawling
Munchkin is a very mean game, yet still family-friendly. Betrayal is one of its core mechanics, so it gets intense fast. It also features a progression system very similar to that of standard RPGs. This game pokes fun at the genre while still being a very good entry in it, which is a hard balance to strike.
Players go through the dungeon, trying to be the first to get from Level 1 to Level 10. However, in addition to battling monsters and getting stronger, players are given every opportunity to stab each other in the back. It does mean the game can go on for a while, but every betrayal brings raucous cheers and jeers their players.
5 Dark Souls: The Board Game — Not As Hard As You'd Think
While the Dark Souls board game can be challenging, it would be ironically incorrect to refer to it as "the Dark Souls of board games." What Dark Souls does do, though, is prove one of the best dungeon-crawling board games on the market. Each room is revealed slowly as players progress, and each one is a battle that requires tactics and clever strategy.
It manages to balance itself well, forcing players to constantly choose between pushing forward or heading back to the bonfire to rest up. It's a hefty box with a hefty price tag; however, with some incredible minis and components inside, it's a worthwhile purchase.
4 Warhammer 40,000 — Wipe The Floor With Massive Armies
One of the most prominent tabletop war games, Warhammer 40,000 is the top of the pile. What's great about Warhammer is all the different ways players can enjoy it. Some may get the most out of assembling and painting their figures, while others may prefer the grand strategy on display.
That grand strategy is a pretty great one, too. While The Witcher only sees players control one man in these large battles, Warhammer will make players feel like a proper general commanding their army. On top of that, it has incredibly rich lore that pulls from all corners of fantasy. Thus, players who like that aspect of The Witcher will be extremely pleased.
3 Mansion of Madness — Eldritch Mystery
The Witcher pulls its lore from a whole host of different regions of fantasy. However, one area it doesn't draw from much is Lovecraft. This may be because it's a bit too close to horror for the world, but it may leave players wanting a bit of that Eldritch buzz.
Mansions of Madness sees players entering an ever-expanding and evolving mansion. Players work cooperatively to solve the mystery of what horror is lurking within. Guided by an app, players explore the mansion, facing challenges and trying to maintain their sanity. There are loads of different scenarios, so even once the mystery is solved, another waits just around the corner.
2 Talisman — Traditional Board Game RPG
When it comes to what most people would consider a "traditional" board game (rolling dice to move around a board and do tasks towards a goal) Talisman is the best RPG out there. It may not have the expansive story-based scope of some others, but its solid mechanics will be extremely fulfilling to any RPG fan. Moving around a three-tiered board, players can choose from a massive roster of characters with different abilities and stats.
They'll fight monsters, grow stronger, and eventually reach the middle. The game can sometimes drag on, but the core loop is loads of fun, and there are tons of expansions out there. Players can customize the game in just the way they like.
1 Gloomhaven — An Unbelievable Adventure
Currently the highest-rated game on Board Game Geek, Gloomhaven is the massive tabletop RPG players have wanted for decades. It takes the open, adventurous scope of D&D, but creates a more structured experience that will engage players like never before. The box is more like a treasure chest, and it's pretty pricey too, but it's worth the experience held within.
The core gameplay consists of cooperative dungeon crawling that has a sense of challenge and progression. Gloomhaven falls into a category known as "Legacy" board games, which are designed to be played over multiple sessions. Each session has a meaningful impact on the next, while still being a fun and self-contained experience. They are some of the most beloved games in the hobby, and Gloomhaven has enough content to keep players going for months.