The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition arrives on a tidal wave of critical and popular praise. This new edition bundles all of the game’s minor DLC and two major expansions together into a definitive version of one of the best role-playing games in recent memory. Though many longtime series fans are eager to jump back into Geralt of Rivia’s monster-stomping boots, this will be many players’ first Witcher experience, thanks to a wide and beloved release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. It’s a good time to jump in, too. Mechanically, this is the most polished experience in the series yet, and the game’s story doesn’t require you to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the previous entries to understand what’s going on.

However, for those unfamiliar with the rich and nuanced world that’s been fleshed out over the first two games — or the long-running series of fantasy novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski that they’re based on —  we’re here to help.

Much like watching HBO’s Game of Thrones, you can have a complete and satisfying experience without any background knowledge, but knowing a little more about this world and characters goes a long way. To help catch up any neophytes, or just refresh the memory of fans that haven’t thought much about Geralt in the last few years, here is our primer on all things Witcher.

In addition to Geralt, there will be a number of returning characters in Wild Hunt.

The Witcher (2007) follows the amnesiac Geralt in the kingdom of Temeria where he must navigate the growing tension between the human Order of Flaming Rose and the Scoia’tael elves. Over the course of the game Geralt is able to ally himself with either faction, or maintain neutrality, leading to different results at the end. Elder Geek put together this thorough summary of the game’s event, highlighting moments that will come to bear in The Witcher 3.

The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings (2011) picks up with Geralt in prison under suspicion of killing the king of Temeria. After a flashback prologue framed by his prison interrogation, the commander believes Geralt’s story and helps set him free so he can go prove his innocence. Over the course of the game, Geralt gradually remembers more about his past prior to losing his memories, including Yennefer and Ciri. Elder Geek again provides a pithy summary of the game’s events.

That more or less brings us up to the present. The series has an extensive wiki if you want to dive deeper into any elements of its lore. Are you excited to take up the Wild Hunt? Good hunting, witchers!