The Witcher Calculator: How Long to Experience the Full Franchise
Plan your full journey through the Continent. Enter your reading speed and daily free time to find out exactly how many days - and which date - it will take you to finish the Witcher books, play all three games, or both. Toggle the Netflix series and DLC expansions on or off, choose your play style, and pick your preferred book order. The result updates instantly as you type.
What is the Witcher Calculator?
The Witcher Calculator estimates how many hours and days it will take you to work through the entire Witcher franchise created by Andrzej Sapkowski. The franchise spans eight books (two short story collections and a five-novel saga plus one standalone), three major video games from CD Projekt Red, two story DLC expansions for The Witcher 3, and a three-season Netflix live-action series. Because reading speed, play style, and available time vary enormously between fans, this tool lets you plug in your own figures rather than relying on averages.
Which order should you experience the Witcher franchise?
The most commonly recommended "optimal" order is to play The Witcher 1 and The Witcher 2 first to meet the characters in the game universe, then read all the books to understand the deeper lore and original characters, and then cap the journey with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its expansions. That said, starting with The Last Wish short-story collection is also popular because it introduces Geralt, Yennefer, and the world exactly as Sapkowski imagined them - before any game or TV interpretation. Watching the Netflix series can slot in at any point since it largely retells events from the books.
How reading speed affects your total time
The eight Witcher books total approximately 3,124 pages across all English-language paperback editions. At an average adult fiction reading speed of about 30 pages per hour, that comes to roughly 104 hours of reading. Slow readers at around 20 pages per hour will need closer to 156 hours, while fast readers at 45 pages per hour can finish in about 70 hours. Daily consistency matters more than speed: an hour of reading each day at average speed finishes all eight books in around 104 days, while two hours per day halves that to roughly 52 days.
The Witcher games: main story versus completionist
The three games differ enormously in scope. The Witcher 1 is a focused story of around 35 hours at main-story pace, expanding to 90 hours for completionists. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings runs about 24 hours for the main story and 55 hours for a full run. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt dwarfs both: roughly 53 hours for the main story, 120 hours to include most side content, and 200 hours or more for a true 100-percent completion. Adding the two DLC expansions - Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine - can push the total past 250 hours at completionist pace. The DLC expansions are often rated as being as good as or better than the main game, so many players recommend including them.
Witcher franchise at a glance
| Item | Type | Main / Lower | Completionist / Upper |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Last Wish (288 pages) | Book | 6-10 hrs | 14+ hrs (slow reader) |
| Sword of Destiny (400 pages) | Book | 9-13 hrs | 20+ hrs (slow reader) |
| Blood of Elves (320 pages) | Book | 7-11 hrs | 16+ hrs |
| Time of Contempt (352 pages) | Book | 8-12 hrs | 18+ hrs |
| Baptism of Fire (352 pages) | Book | 8-12 hrs | 18+ hrs |
| The Tower of the Swallow (464 pages) | Book | 10-15 hrs | 23+ hrs |
| The Lady of the Lake (544 pages) | Book | 12-18 hrs | 27+ hrs |
| Season of Storms (404 pages) | Book | 9-13 hrs | 20+ hrs |
| The Witcher 1 | Game | ~35 hrs | ~90 hrs |
| The Witcher 2 | Game | ~24 hrs | ~55 hrs |
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Game | ~53 hrs | ~200 hrs |
| Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone (DLC) | DLC | ~10 hrs | ~20 hrs |
| Witcher 3: Blood and Wine (DLC) | DLC | ~25 hrs | ~50 hrs |
| Netflix Season 1 (8 eps) | TV | ~8.0 hrs | ~8.0 hrs |
| Netflix Season 2 (8 eps) | TV | ~7.7 hrs | ~7.7 hrs |
| Netflix Season 3 (8 eps) | TV | ~7.6 hrs | ~7.6 hrs |
Approximate hours for each item. Game hours use the main-story-only figure as the lower bound and completionist as the upper.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to read the books before playing the games?
No, but it enriches the experience significantly. The games assume you know who Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, and Ciri are. The games reference events from the books, and many emotional payoffs in The Witcher 3 land harder if you have read the source material. You can enjoy the games cold, but reading The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny first is a popular and efficient way to get the context without committing to all eight books upfront.
Is the Netflix series accurate to the books?
The Netflix series is broadly based on the two short story collections (The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny) and draws from the novels for later seasons. It takes significant creative liberties with character backstories and timelines. Most book fans recommend reading the source material to understand where the show diverges and why certain choices were made.
What is the recommended reading order for the Witcher books?
Publication order is the most common recommendation: The Last Wish, Sword of Destiny, Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow, The Lady of the Lake, and then Season of Storms as a standalone. Season of Storms is set chronologically before the saga but was written last and contains references to later events, so it reads best after the main five novels rather than at the start.
How long does it take to finish The Witcher 3 with DLC?
At main-story-only pace, The Witcher 3 base game takes around 53 hours. Adding Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine brings that to roughly 88 hours. Playing with most side quests (balanced) pushes the total to around 169 hours, and a completionist run with both expansions can exceed 270 hours. Blood and Wine is often cited as the better of the two DLC packs and essentially functions as a standalone epilogue to Geralt's story.
Can I skip The Witcher 1 and 2 and go straight to The Witcher 3?
Technically yes - The Witcher 3 includes a summary of past events and can be played without the prequels. However, the first two games build up supporting characters and political factions that The Witcher 3 references constantly. Playing them first makes the world feel richer and makes choices in The Witcher 3 carry more weight. The Witcher 2 in particular introduces key characters and storylines that pay off directly in The Witcher 3.
How accurate are the hour estimates for the games?
The estimates are derived from aggregated player data on HowLongToBeat.com and are median figures. Your personal total will vary depending on difficulty level, whether you read all dialogue, how much time you spend on optional Gwent card games, and how thoroughly you explore the open world. Completionist estimates especially vary widely because some players aim for every collectible and achievement while others stop short of those.