BOOMSTICK CITYA free Gwent alternative that is still being updated
Updated August 2026
Yes, there is a free Gwent alternative that is still in active development: Boomstick City. It is a post-apocalyptic card game that opens in a browser with no install, gives you all four crews on day one, and gets new cards and balance from a team that is still shipping. Gwent did things its own way, three rounds, no mana, bleed and pass, an economy that respected your time, and art most games would kill for. Then CD Projekt stepped back, shipped the Gwentfinity update, and handed the balance to community votes. It still runs, but the studio stopped making it. If what you miss is a card game with a team still on it, start here.
The four crews, yours free from day one
Gwent was special. We will say it.
The round system, the no-mana design where every card came out of your hand, the way passing was a real decision, that was clever work and it had no real imitators. If you are reading this, you probably miss it.
CD Projekt did not kill it, they let go of it. Gwentfinity keeps the servers up and lets the community vote on balance, but there are no new cards and no new studio content. Boomstick City is aiming at the thing you actually lost: a card game with a team still building it.
Still in active development
This is the core of it. Boomstick City is live and getting worked on, new cards, balance, features. When you invest in learning a crew, you are learning a game that is still moving, not one in preservation mode.
It is a small operation, a solo build, so it is only fair to say it is not a giant studio. But the lights are on and the hands are on the wheel, which is more than a game in maintenance can offer.
Free to play, straight about the economy
Gwent's economy was famously fair, so here is ours, plainly. Boomstick City is free, and all four starter decks are yours at full strength from the first match. There is an economy, Gold for packs and optional cosmetics, and we are not going to hide it.
The rule is simple: none of it is the price of winning. Starter decks are complete and competitive, cosmetics are paint, and you can climb without spending. Fair is the whole idea.
A different shape, still quick
No three rounds here, but the same respect for your time. Boomstick City is one shared board and a race to 15 Territory Points, usually around eight turns. You spend Volts, ramping a point a turn, on Survivors, Gear, and Events.
Win fights and take ground. Clear the enemy board and their Stash opens for extra points. Run dry on cards and you bleed a point a turn, so passing forever is not a plan. It moves, and it ends when someone hits the target.
Four crews with real identity
Gwent's factions had character. So do these. Scrapwright grinds and recycles Gear off the dead. Powderkeg dies on purpose and takes you with it. Hearth builds wide and heals. Glow spreads Radiation and feeds on the rot.
Four free decks, four different plans. Learn them all before you spend a coin.
The lights are still on
Keep Gwent for a nostalgia round any time. It is a good game and it is still there.
When you want a card game with a pulse and a to-do list, this one is free and one click away.
| Boomstick City | Gwent | |
|---|---|---|
| To start playing | Open a browser tab | Download the client (PC or mobile) |
| Development | Active, still shipping | Community-run, no new studio cards |
| Getting decks | All four free, day one | Earn cards (generous economy) |
| A match | Around eight turns | Best of three rounds |
| Win condition | Race to 15 Territory on a shared board | Win two of three rounds on points |
| On your phone | Runs in the browser | App-store install |
Common questions
Is Boomstick City a good Gwent alternative?
If what you miss is a card game with an active team, yes. CD Projekt stopped making new Gwent content with the Gwentfinity update. Boomstick City is free, still in development, runs in a browser with no install, and gives you all four crews at full strength on day one.
Does it play like Gwent's rounds?
No, it is a different shape. Instead of best of three rounds, both crews fight over one shared board and race to 15 Territory Points, usually in around eight turns. It keeps Gwent's respect for your time without copying its structure.
Is it free like Gwent?
Yes. All four starter decks are free at full strength from the first match. There is an optional economy, Gold for packs and cosmetics, but the decks you climb with are free and nothing paid wins a match.
Do I need to download it?
No. Gwent is a client on PC and mobile. Boomstick City runs in any modern browser, desktop or phone. Open the page and you are in a match, nothing to install or update.
Is Boomstick City still being updated?
Yes. It is actively developed, with new cards, balance, and features still shipping. It is a small, solo build rather than a big studio, but it is a live game with hands on the wheel, not one in maintenance.
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A card game with a pulse
Free, still being built, all four crews yours from the first match. Open the page and race to 15.
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