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Hand of Fate

Hand of Fate is unique, offering an addictive and incredibly entertaining experience that anyone can enjoy.
83%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
grinding, optimization
88% User Score Based on 9,166 reviews
Critic Score 79%Based on 25 reviews

Platforms

MOMac OSPCPCP4Playstation 4P5Playstation 5WinWindowsXOXbox OneXSXXbox Series X|SLinLinuxPlaPlayStationXboxXbox

About

Hand of Fate is an action RPG with deck-building mechanics, where you face off against the enigmatic Dealer in a game of life and death. Your choices and the cards you play determine your path through a series of challenging scenarios, while combat requires careful resource management and strategic attacks. With a unique blend of tabletop and roguelike elements, Hand of Fate offers a rich and immersive experience.

Hand of Fate screenshot
Hand of Fate screenshot
Hand of Fate screenshot
Hand of Fate screenshot
Hand of Fate screenshot
Hand of Fate screenshot
Hand of Fate screenshot
Hand of Fate screenshot
Hand of Fate screenshot
Hand of Fate screenshot
Hand of Fate screenshot
+6

88%
Audience ScoreBased on 9,191 reviews
story564 positive mentions
grinding130 negative mentions

  • Unique blend of card-based gameplay and action RPG mechanics.
  • Engaging storytelling with a charismatic narrator (the Dealer).
  • High replayability due to randomized encounters and deck-building elements.
  • Combat mechanics can feel clunky and repetitive.
  • Heavy reliance on RNG can lead to frustrating experiences, especially in later stages.
  • Final boss fight is considered unfair and overly difficult compared to earlier encounters.
  • story
    2,555 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story in "Hand of Fate" is primarily delivered through a unique card-based system, where players navigate a series of encounters that unfold a narrative filled with quests, challenges, and character backstories. While the overarching plot is somewhat vague, the individual storylines tied to each card provide engaging mini-adventures that encourage exploration and replayability. Players appreciate the atmospheric storytelling and the dealer's narration, though some find the overall narrative depth lacking and the reliance on RNG frustrating, particularly in later stages of the game.

    • “With its dark, fantasy setting and immersive storytelling, Hand of Fate offers a fresh, dynamic experience every playthrough.”
    • “The story mode for the game is very well designed, with the player choosing what items and encounters they will experience in each 'level' of the story, encouraging risk-taking in order to unlock more and therefore better cards.”
    • “The storytelling makes it. I love the way the stories play out across cards that you find, and that completing one card encounter gives you the next part of the story in a card that you may draw next time you play.”
    • “Another shortage is manifested in the plot designing.”
    • “While the story is well crafted and people can find lore and details in every corner, the stale and little variant dungeon layouts and variety in the runs tear away from it.”
    • “The variety is just very low and will get old long before this game is completed or all story cards are fulfilled.”
  • gameplay
    2,224 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Hand of Fate" is a unique blend of roguelike mechanics, deck-building, and action combat, offering a captivating experience that combines strategic card-based gameplay with real-time battles. While many players appreciate the innovative mechanics and engaging storytelling, criticisms often focus on the clunky combat system and reliance on RNG, which can lead to frustrating moments. Overall, the game is praised for its originality and replayability, though some find the combat repetitive and lacking depth.

    • “Hand of Fate delivers a captivating gaming experience that seamlessly blends strategic card-based gameplay with thrilling action-adventure elements.”
    • “Mastering the timing and tactics of combat adds an extra layer of depth to the gameplay, ensuring that every battle feels like a thrilling duel of wits and reflexes.”
    • “Its unique blend of card-based gameplay and action-packed combat makes for an experience that is as satisfying as it is unforgettable.”
    • “The combat mechanic is terrible, with no ability to change the camera angle while you have mobs chasing you around.”
    • “The gameplay in Hand of Fate relies heavily on chance mechanics (random draws, random encounters, random card picks, etc.).”
    • “I played this game for quite a while and although I liked the general concept of it, I find it extremely bad that every advance of your gameplay is determined by sheer luck and good fortune.”
  • graphics
    902 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Hand of Fate" receive mixed reviews, with many praising its unique art style and vibrant card illustrations that enhance the game's aesthetic appeal. While some players find the visuals charming and well-executed, particularly in the context of an indie title, others criticize the combat graphics as lacking polish and the overall performance as inconsistent, especially on lower-end systems. Overall, the game is noted for its engaging atmosphere and solid presentation, despite some technical shortcomings.

    • “The graphics are vivid and the voice acting of the dealer is phenomenal.”
    • “The graphics and art of the game are amazing, and every game has a new story to tell.”
    • “The graphics are genuinely beautiful; with the exception of faces, this feels like a AAA quality game in terms of polish most of the time.”
    • “The graphics are really bad, and the story/lore tries to be deep and act like you're in kind of an afterlife, where winning makes you keep living, but it's not deep; there's no story hidden in this game.”
    • “The combat is a snoozefest and the graphics are subpar for a game released in 2015.”
    • “The graphics are wince-worthy.”
  • replayability
    582 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game "Hand of Fate" is widely praised for its high replayability, attributed to its randomized card mechanics, diverse encounters, and the inclusion of an endless mode. Players appreciate the unique experiences each session offers, with many noting that the game's deck-building aspect and various unlockable cards significantly enhance replay value. However, some reviews mention that the reliance on RNG can occasionally detract from the experience, leading to moments of frustration despite the overall enjoyment and variety provided.

    • “While Hand of Fate isn't without its flaws—the occasional repetition in card encounters and the learning curve of mastering combat—it more than makes up for them with its sheer depth and replayability.”
    • “The change in story from the cards being different for each playthrough makes this game have a lot of replayability and does a great job of making the card play a lot of fun with you being able to change what is in the deck and add new cards as you unlock more.”
    • “The randomized elements make each playthrough unique, increasing replayability and allowing for the thrill of both very lucky finds and very unlucky match-ups.”
    • “Thus despite stellar gameplay for skill-based ARPG combat, the gameplay still suffers heavily under a lack of replayability and an actual endless mode that is endless.”
    • “My main complaint for this game is the lack of replay value.”
    • “When you first start playing, it's all very charming and wonderful, but by the 400th time of hearing him say the same thing (there's no way to skip or mute his monologues), it gets really annoying and definitely takes away from the replay value.”
  • atmosphere
    521 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of "Hand of Fate" is widely praised for its immersive and engaging qualities, driven largely by the captivating voice acting of the dealer and the game's rich storytelling. Players appreciate the blend of atmospheric music, art style, and lore, which together create a unique and enchanting experience that enhances the gameplay. Despite some criticisms of the combat mechanics, the overall ambiance and thematic depth are considered standout features that draw players into the game's world.

    • “The atmosphere and storytelling is great and I think any gambling addict will have a ton of fun with this part of the game.”
    • “With a story that is enriching, an atmosphere that is downright untouchable, and great voice work by the dealer, it is a legendary game.”
    • “The atmosphere is great, the comments of the dealer work as a key element like in Bastion.”
    • “I feel that if you love this game it would only be due to the atmosphere as the gameplay itself is very dated.”
    • “What destroys this atmosphere is the gameplay.”
    • “While at the end of the day the gameplay is pretty fun and the combat is only just okay, the set dressing and pure atmosphere this game oozes make it well, well worth playing.”
  • music
    371 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience with a mix of engaging soundtracks that fit various gameplay moments. While many players appreciate the immersive and well-composed tracks, some note that the music can become repetitive over time. Overall, the soundtrack, combined with excellent voice acting, contributes significantly to the game's charm and ambiance, making it a standout feature for many players.

    • “The music slaps, the gameplay is great, and the deck-to-dungeon concept is amazing.”
    • “The atmosphere of the game, mainly created by the 'narrator' and the music is incredible.”
    • “The music is absolutely amazing and combined with the storytelling of the fate weaver, it makes the experience even more refreshing.”
    • “In contrast to what I mentioned earlier, the music is very repetitive.”
    • “Cons: there's barely any music, but what little there is, it's pretty good.”
    • “The music is forgettable.”
  • grinding
    130 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in combat and during boss battles. While some appreciate the depth and replayability offered by achievements and card unlocking, others feel that the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, especially as the game progresses. Overall, the experience can vary significantly based on individual play styles and preferences, with some players enjoying the challenge while others find it frustratingly monotonous.

    • “Combat can become very grindy once you figure out the attack patterns of the enemies and know how to defeat them flawlessly every time.”
    • “Game is interesting and enjoyable for about an hour or two but once you're past the first few bosses every run turns into a slow and tedious slog as each one adds more and more events that are basically just boring static debuffs that you don't get any opportunity to mitigate or avoid.”
    • “I sank over 41 hours into this game, and most of that was probably grinding for trying to unlock specific cards.”
  • optimization
    86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with many players noting significant performance issues, including frequent frame drops and sluggishness even on high-end hardware. While some aspects, like voice performance and certain gameplay mechanics, are praised, the overall visual optimization is considered poor, particularly in specific environments. Players hope for future updates to improve performance, especially for lower-end systems, as the game has potential but currently struggles with optimization challenges.

    • “The battle system in this game is really fun and the game runs smoothly.”
    • “I can also see how they optimized the use of the Unity 3D engine in this game.”
    • “Game looks and runs smoothly on the highest settings.”
    • “Even after all these years, it is not optimized.”
    • “The game itself is poorly optimized on the visual side, with frequent frame drops that shouldn't be happening.”
    • “Terrible optimization (as of now): some rooms and angles can make your framerate dip very significantly, but it doesn't offer a proper graphics options menu, only presets.”
  • humor
    80 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of clever quips, particularly from the card dealer, whose taunts and remarks add a layer of charm and wit to the gameplay. Players appreciate the mix of absurdity and dark humor, often finding themselves laughing at both the game's situations and the dealer's sarcastic commentary, even as they face frustrating challenges. Overall, the humor is described as casual and understated, providing a delightful contrast to the game's more serious elements.

    • “The flawless sound design and thick fantasy atmosphere, along with the dealer's clever, wise, and hilarious voice lines and taunts, are more than worth the full price of entry on their own.”
    • “The quests themselves are well written, and a few of them are laugh-out-loud funny.”
    • “Hand of Fate is an unapologetic, hilarious game.”
  • stability
    70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting frequent bugs, glitches, and occasional freezes that can disrupt gameplay. While some users noted solid performance and minimal issues, others expressed frustration over controller support and game-breaking glitches, particularly in the endgame. Overall, while the game shows potential and has been improved with patches, it still requires further fine-tuning to enhance stability.

    • “Runs great even on integrated graphics.”
    • “The aesthetic is absolutely beautiful and it runs great (60 fps) even on a 3 year old MacBook.”
    • “With the addition of being bug free, it's an absolute pleasure to dip in and out of.”
    • “Unfortunately, even after two years of its release, Hand of Fate is still mired by buggy framerate and an extremely difficult end game.”
    • “My major concern is that the game is very buggy in this state; I can seldom get a few rounds before the game crashes or freezes up.”
    • “First of all, the game is very buggy.”
  • emotional
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players describe the game as an emotional rollercoaster, evoking feelings of joy and heartbreak through its storytelling and character connections. Many express a deep emotional investment, with moments that can be both rewarding and painful, particularly when opportunities are missed. Overall, the game successfully fosters a strong emotional bond, making it memorable and impactful for players.

    • “This game was an emotional rollercoaster.”
    • “Something to emotionally invest me in and link me to the character.”
    • “It has been a long time since I felt an emotional connection to a game and let me explain why.”
    • “It can be physically and emotionally painful.”
    • “It can be physically and emotionally painful.”
  • monetization
    20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is praised for its lack of microtransactions, which is a refreshing change in the collectible card game genre. However, some users criticize the DLC as a cash grab, noting that it primarily adds new starting classes and items, and there are unskippable ads at the start. Overall, while the monetization strategy is generally well-received, concerns about the value of DLC and in-game advertising persist.

    • “They don't pelt us with microtransactions every 4 seconds and expect that to be fine.”
    • “I know that makes this sound like I'm setting up to talk about microtransactions, but this game is entirely free of them, which is quite refreshing.”
    • “And no, there's no microtransactions to buy cards.”
    • “The DLC is a bit of a cash grab though; it just adds some new starting classes and items they start with, but still a great game!”
    • “Unskippable ads on start.”
    • “In-game advertising for the DLC (extra characters, which are basically game modifiers), achievements which can only be done with the DLC.”
  • character development
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is praised for its depth and engaging card-based mechanics, offering a surprising amount of progression. Players appreciate the rich lore, fun gameplay, and well-designed characters, particularly noting the impressive graphics and the standout character of the dealer. Overall, the early access status does not detract from the quality and care evident in the game's character development.

    • “Despite being early access, a lot of time and love has been put into this game: the graphics and textures all look amazing, the character designs are fitting and great, and the dealer is such a good character.”
    • “Character development is card based.”
    • “Pros: good lore, fun gameplay, interesting character designs, interesting encounters, a surprising amount of progression, and a ton of depth.”
    • “Character development is card-based.”

Buy Hand of Fate

7h Median play time
9h Average play time
11h Main story
65h Completionist
3-15h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 56 analyzed playthroughs

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This game contains adult content