The Witcher Completionist’s Guide

The Witcher universe extends far beyond Andrzej Sapkowski’s original stories. What began as a competition entry in Fantastyka magazine has grown into a franchise spanning books, games, TV series, comics and more. For newcomers, figuring out where to start — and what to explore next — can be daunting. The best place to start is where it all began: the books. From there, this guide suggests what to read, play and watch next.

The flowchart shows which works to finish before moving on to others, without prescribing a single fixed order. The notes explain the recommendations, and the final section gives my subjective take on each part of the franchise.

The flowchart

The flowchart covers official works — both canon and non-canon — set in the Witcher universe focusing on standalone releases rather than bonus content or promotional materials. It excludes fan projects (such as Alzur’s Legacy) and non-fiction works (such as The Rise of the Witcher and Noclip’s documentary). For more on canon vs non-canon, see my chronology guide.

Controls: Ctrl+scroll or pinch to zoom, drag to pan, double-click or double-tap to fit or reset the view. Flowchart requires JavaScript support.

Books

I recommend finishing the books (see my reading-order guide) before exploring other media, though there are a few opportunities to branch out earlier. After The Last Wish you can read its comic adaptation; after Sword of Destiny, you can read the comics by Polch and Parowski or watch The Hexer TV series by TVP; and after Blood of Elves, you can read The Little Witcher. Once you’ve finished The Lady of the Lake, you can explore the rest of the franchise.

There are also three non-canon anthologies: Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna, Opowieści ze świata Wiedźmina and Szpony i kły. Of those, only Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna is written by Sapkowski, and even within the collection, only the titular story is related to the Witcher universe.

Lastly, to mark the Witcher’s 40th anniversary, Nowa Fantastyka (formerly Fantastyka) is publishing new stories set in the universe. Sapkowski didn’t write them, but I consider them official; I explain why in my chronology guide. The October 2026 issue (№ 529) is out and two more are planned.

Comics

There are comics by Polch and Parowski. Originally published in the 1990s, they were later translated and released by Dark Horse as The Classic Collection.

Dark Horse also publishes Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Witcher, a series which adapts the books. The adaptation of The Last Wish has been collected as The Last Wish: The Complete Collection. Read it after the original book.

Separately, Dark Horse collaborates with CD Projekt Red (CDPR) on The Witcher comics, which frequently reference events or characters from the games. Read them after completing the main game series. That includes Frog Kiss, which is available for free online.

Two more comics from the Dark Horse-CDPR collaboration don’t belong to either series: Ronin and The Little Witcher. The former is set in an alternate Japan-inspired universe; read it after the books. The latter is a children’s comic which loosely references events up to Blood of Elves. The spoilers are minor, so it can also serve as an introduction for little humans before they read the books or play the games.

Two magazines have also published Witcher-related comics. Produkt issue 25 has an original story and the aforementioned Nowa Fantastyka features an adaptation of the story The Voice of Reason story. Neither has been translated into English.

There are enough comic series and one-offs to warrant a separate article. Indeed, The Comic Book Treasury has already published one. I shall defer to it for the details.

The Witcher video games

The video games begin where the books leave off. Play the main series in release order: The Witcher 1 through 3, followed by Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine The Witcher 3 expansions.

The two spin-offs, Thronebreaker and Gwent, build on the Gwent minigame from The Witcher 3, so I recommend playing them after you’ve tried that minigame.

There are also three games designed for mobile or casual play. Play Crimson Trail alongside The Witcher 1, as the two were released contemporaneously. Roach Race and Reigns: The Witcher reference the main series; play them after finishing Blood and Wine.

The World of the Witcher

Alongside the games, CDPR published The World of the Witcher book. It covers the setting and events through The Witcher 2. Read it after the second game in preparation for the third. There are also two Gwent art books, but I’ve omitted them from the flowchart because they consist mainly of artwork from the games.

Game bonus content

The games come with bonus comics that tell original stories. Kiddo and Reasons of State can be read at any point after the books; Matters of Conscience should be read after The Witcher 2; and Killing Monsters immediately before The Witcher 3. This bonus content is omitted from the flowchart.

TV adaptations

There are two TV adaptations. The Polish series The Hexer adapts some of the short stories; watch it after Sword of Destiny.

The Netflix adaptation comprises the main series, the prequel miniseries and three films. The main series adapts the seven main books; watch it after The Lady of the Lake. The two animated films, Nightmare of the Wolf and Sirens of the Deep, can be watched any time after the books. Although Blood Origin comes first chronologically, I recommend starting with the main series, which has been better received. The Rats is a film about characters introduced at the end of season 3 of the main series; watch it before or alongside season 4.

Tabletop games

There are two pen-and-paper RPG systems. Wiedźmin: Gra wyobraźni, published in 2001, features imagery from The Hexer series; play it after watching the show. To my knowledge, it has not been translated into English. The Witcher TRPG, published by R. Talsorian Games, references the video games and takes place around the events of The Witcher 2 and 3; play it after finishing both games.

There are three board games: The Witcher: Adventure Game (also released as a video game), Old World and Path of Destiny. All three contain minor references to the video games, so they’re best enjoyed after you’re familiar with the main series.

Live shows

There are three live shows: a musical, a rock opera and a concert. The Wiedźmin musical is staged in Gdynia, and Дорога без возврата is a rock opera by the Russian group Esse.¹ Watch them after reading the books, if you get the chance. The Witcher in Concert features music from the games, so it’s best experienced after playing them.

My subjective take

Which parts of the franchise you explore is a matter of taste. My take on the main parts may help you decide what’s worth your time.

Books

The books are critically acclaimed and well worth reading. They fall into three broad groups: the short stories, the saga and the prequels/sequels. Readers disagree on whether the short stories or the saga are better, but disliking one doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy the other.

The non-canon works — Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna, Opowieści ze świata Wiedźmina, Szpony i kły and short stories in Nowa Fantastyka — work well as standalone reads and are easy to recommend to fantasy fans… provided you can read Polish, as none of them has been officially translated into English.

Comics

The comics are fine, though I’m not a fan of the format. If you enjoy comics, you’ll probably like these; otherwise, they may not be worth your time. They adapt stories from the books and games or tell original stories that don’t affect the games’ plots.

Games

Like the books, The Witcher games are critically acclaimed and a must-play for anyone who enjoys RPGs. It’s best to play the games in order, but their plots aren’t tightly intertwined, so you can safely skip ahead if necessary. Platform availability varies, gameplay differs considerably between entries, and the older games may feel dated. Starting with The Witcher 3 is perfectly fine (and has been the introduction to the franchise for many fans).

As for the two spin-offs, Gwent is a competitive multiplayer card game, with Rogue Mage as its single-player expansion. Thronebreaker is a separate single-player RPG built around card battles. Don’t feel bound by the order recommended above: playing thees games before you’ve tried the Gwent minigame won’t spoil much. Thronebreaker should still come after the books, though, since its story runs concurrently with the saga.

Polish TV adaptation

The Hexer is the original Polish TV series. Some episodes adapt the books reasonably well, but the show’s original material is often a downgrade. The series may also feel dated. I recommend it only to committed fans of the franchise.

The Netflix adaptation

Depending on which corner of the Witcher fandom you’re in, mentioning the Netflix adaptation may get stones hurled your way. The criticism is understandable: season 1 is a passable adaptation, season 2 is terrible, and the later seasons are average at best. Still, it has its fans. It’s best to treat the adaptation as separate from the books’ story, despite the shared character names.

In contrast, I enjoyed both animated films, and Sirens of the Deep is a decent adaptation to boot. Both stand on their own, so you can watch them without the main series.

Tabletop games and live shows

As I don’t play tabletop games frequently — and have never had a chance to try the Witcher pen-and-paper RPGs — I can't offer a firsthand opinion on them. Similarly, I have not seen the musical or rock opera. As for the concert, considering its price, I cannot with good conscience recommend it to anyone who isn’t already a hardcore fan.

Acknowledgments & Updates

Big thanks to people commenting below and on Reddit (in particular Łukasz, The Dancing Goose and a bloke demanding Reboot [of] Rayman 2) who pointed out a few omissions. This article has been updated to include previously missed entries. I also intend to keep it up-to-date as new works (or new information) arrive.