Why Palworld Should Consider Embracing ‘The Witcher 3’ Approach

Despite the initial buzz surrounding Palworld’s early access debut, some fans were worried about the game’s future updates. The indie developer behind it, Pocketpair, didn’t have the most reassuring history with post-launch support—just look at Craftopia, which lingered in early access for years without a full release. Skeptics feared Palworld might fade away despite Pocketpair’s promises of prolonged support.

Fortunately, most of these uncertainties have been laid to rest. Not only has Palworld maintained its momentum, but it’s also consistently rolling out major updates. Just recently, Pocketpair introduced Feybreak, a sizable new region, along with a slew of new Pals, weapons, and gameplay features. They’ve got a lot more planned for this year too, including co-op crossplay, a final boss, and an ending scenario. While this lineup is exciting, adding a Witcher 3-like minigame could elevate Palworld to new heights before it exits early access.

Now, to some, the idea of blending Palworld’s vibrant creature-collecting universe with elements from The Witcher 3 might seem far-fetched. Palworld is an open-world survival adventure, whereas The Witcher 3 is steeped in dark, narrative-driven fantasy. Yet, there’s one feature from the latter that could fit seamlessly into Palworld: Gwent.

For the uninitiated, Gwent is a card game that first appeared in The Witcher books and became a beloved minigame in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It pits two players against each other in strategic duels, commanding armies through card play, strategic combos, and tactical maneuvers. The duel ends when both exhaust their cards, and the player with the most cards on the board wins.

Although Gwent’s complexity might not suit everyone, it’s a hit with The Witcher community. Its popularity even led to three Witcher spin-offs. CD Projekt Red, the creators of The Witcher 3, released a standalone version of Gwent in 2018 available on most platforms (bar Nintendo Switch), followed by two singleplayer expansions, Thronebreaker and Rogue Mage.

Given Gwent’s success, Pocketpair would be smart to consider a card game for Palworld too. With Palworld’s creature-collecting nature paralleling the Pokemon Trading Card Game, such a feature would definitely suit its universe. Should it gain traction, Pocketpair could explore standalone spin-offs based on the card game, echoing Gwent’s journey, potentially creating both singleplayer and multiplayer expansions, and even diving into merchandise.

In Palworld, players navigate a world filled with mysterious creatures known as Pals. Whether taming them to fend off ruthless poachers or putting them to work on farms, the survival aspect adds depth and adventure. Facing a harsh environment with scarce resources and looming dangers, players must think strategically, even if it means making tough choices.

Pals lend themselves to exploration, allowing travel by land, sea, and air, while offering myriad gameplay possibilities in this open world, multiplayer survival game. And that’s where something like a card game could enrich the experience even further, adding another layer of engagement for players to enjoy.