You just walked out of the tutorial area, White Orchard, and the map of Velen opens up. It’s overwhelming. Hundreds of yellow exclamation marks and "undiscovered locations" start screaming for your attention, and if you're like me, your first instinct is to clear every single icon before moving an inch. Don't do that. Honestly, the Witcher 3 quest order is one of the easiest things to mess up because the game gives you too much freedom for your own good. If you play it "wrong," you end up overleveled, bored, or—worst of all—accidentally failing massive story arcs because you decided to go herb-picking at the wrong time.
Geralt is a professional. Professionals prioritize. But between the political backstabbing in Novigrad and the monster-infested swamps of No Man’s Land, it’s easy to lose the thread of Ciri’s trail.
The Level 6 Rule and Why It Matters
The game has a hidden mechanic that most newcomers don't notice until it's too late: the XP fall-off. If you are six levels higher than a quest’s recommended level, the experience reward drops to almost nothing. You get maybe 1 or 2 XP. It’s basically the game's way of telling you that you're too strong for this fight and it's not going to reward you for bullying low-level drowners.
Because of this, your Witcher 3 quest order should almost always prioritize the lowest-level quests in your log first. This sounds counter-intuitive to people who want to rush the story. But if you ignore a level 10 side quest until you’re level 20, you’ve essentially deleted that quest’s value from your progression.
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Secondary quests often have "cutoff points." These are moments in the main story where, if you haven't finished certain side missions, they simply fail. Usually, this happens during the "Isle of Mists" mission. The game will literally give you a giant pop-up warning, but by then, you might have twenty hours of missed content sitting in your "Failed" tab.
Velen, Novigrad, or Skellige First?
Once you hit the mainland, the game points you toward Velen. Then Novigrad. Then the Skellige Isles. You can technically hop on a boat to Skellige the moment you have the coin, but you’ll get slaughtered. The intended path is Velen first, then Novigrad, then Skellige.
However, there is a nuance to the Witcher 3 quest order that involves "The Bits." Novigrad is a city. It's dense. It has a lot of talking. Velen is a muddy hellscape. Most players find themselves bouncing back and forth. You should finish the Bloody Baron’s main arc up until the "Family Matters" intermission, then consider heading to Novigrad to meet Triss. Why? Because Novigrad quests offer massive amounts of XP without much combat, which helps you gear up for the harder fights back in the swamp.
The Problem With Side Quests vs. Witcher Contracts
Witcher Contracts are the "monster of the week" episodes. They are great. They give you gold. But they rarely impact the ending of the game. Secondary Quests, on the other hand, are often "Main Quests in disguise."
Anything involving Keira Metz, Triss Merigold, Yennefer, or Dijkstra is mandatory if you want a "good" ending or a world that doesn't feel empty. If you see a quest involving a major character, do it immediately. These aren't just filler; they are the literal backbone of the narrative. If you skip "A Towerful of Mice" for Keira, you're missing out on a massive chunk of lore and a potential ally later on.
Handling the DLC: Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine
This is where people get really confused. Do you play them during the main story or after?
Legally, you can start Hearts of Stone whenever you want. But it’s designed for level 30+. If you try to fight the Toad Prince at level 15, you are going to have a bad time. My advice? Treat Hearts of Stone as a long side-story that happens right before the final battle of the main game. It fits narratively if you imagine Geralt taking a "detour" while waiting for his allies to gather.
Blood and Wine, however, is the true ending. It takes place three years after the main game’s events. It’s a retirement story. Doing it before you finish the main quest feels weird and breaks the pacing. Save Toussaint for the very end. It’s the dessert after a very long, very salty meal in the Northern Kingdoms.
The "Perfect" Progression Flow
Let’s get specific. If you want to see everything and stay at the right power level, follow this general flow:
- White Orchard: Do everything. It’s a tiny map. Just clear it.
- Velen (Part 1): Focus on the Bloody Baron and Keira Metz.
- Novigrad (Part 1): Find Triss and help her with the mages. This is a great time to do the "Junior" questline.
- Velen (Part 2): Go back and finish the "Return to Crookback Bog" mission. It’s much easier now.
- Skellige: Head here around level 18-20. Do the main quest until you find the "mask."
- Side Content Cleanup: Before you go to the "Isle of Mists," finish every quest involving a name you recognize.
- The Finale: Finish the main story.
- Hearts of Stone: Experience the best villain in gaming history.
- Blood and Wine: Ride off into the sunset.
Common Pitfalls and Quest Fails
There is a quest called "Gang of Novigrad." It is notoriously easy to fail. You get it from Cleaver. If you move too far into the "Get Junior" quest without talking to Cleaver’s dwarves, the quest just vanishes. It doesn't ruin your game, but it’s annoying for completionists.
Another one is "The Last Wish" with Yennefer. If you go to find Ciri before helping Yen with her djinn problem, you lock yourself out of her romance entirely. The game is brutal like that. It assumes that if you're busy saving the world, you don't have time for a date.
Basically, if a main character asks for a favor, say yes.
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Gear vs. Quests
Your Witcher 3 quest order is also dictated by Scavenger Hunts. These are the quests for Witcher School Gear (Griffin, Feline, Ursine, Wolven). Do not ignore these. A level 15 Feline sword is often better than a level 20 "relic" sword you found in a chest. Map out where the diagrams are and incorporate those trips into your travels. If you're in Skellige for the main story, grab the Ursine (Bear) armor diagrams while you're there. Don't make separate trips if you can help it; the loading screens between regions are the real final boss of this game.
The "In-Between" Moments
The best way to play isn't actually following a rigid list. It’s about "the path." If you’re riding from point A to point B for a main quest and you see a yellow "!" on the map, stop. Check the level. If it’s near yours, do it then and there. This makes the world feel alive rather than a checklist.
Just remember the level 6 rule. If you see your main quest is level 12 and you’re already level 11, but you have three side quests at level 9, stop the story. Do the side quests. You’ll get the XP, you’ll get the gold, and you won’t feel like you’re steamrolling the content later on.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
To keep your save file healthy and your Geralt powerful, follow these steps right now:
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- Check your Secondary Quests tab: Sort them by level. If anything is "Green" (within 5 levels of you), do it before your next "Gold" (Main) quest.
- Audit your "Failed" quests: If you’ve already failed something like "On Death's Bed," don't panic. It happens. But if you see a lot of red, you’re moving too fast through the story.
- Visit every Notice Board: Even if you don't plan on doing the contracts yet, picking up the notes turns "Undiscovered Locations" (?) into actual icons on your map, which helps you plan your route.
- Focus on the "Big Four": Keira, Roche, Triss, and Dijkstra. Their quests are the ones that change the political landscape of the ending.
- Hold off on the Isle of Mists: This is the point of no return for about 30% of the game's side content. When the game asks "Are you sure?", say no, save your game, and go finish your business in Novigrad.
The Witcher 3 isn't a race. It’s a slow burn. By managing your quest order correctly, you ensure that the combat stays challenging and the story beats hit with the maximum emotional weight.