Hand of Fate brings a tabletop card game to life. Every run begins with a deck you’ve assembled yourself, filled with encounters, equipment, monsters, and mysteries, before the Dealer starts laying those cards across the table to build the world ahead. One draw might reward you with a powerful new weapon, the next could leave you fighting for your life, but every decision gradually shapes the journey towards the Ace of Skulls.
It’s an unusual combination of roguelike, deckbuilder, and action RPG that still feels distinctive years after its release. Exploration unfolds through cards, yet the moment combat begins those same cards spring to life as fully realised 3D environments where you’ll battle enemies in real time before returning to the table to reveal what fate has planned next. Every completed quest unlocks new cards, allowing you to customise future adventures as you hunt down the Jack, Queen, and King of each suit.
What Makes It Different?
- Build your own adventure by choosing which unlocked cards enter your deck
- Explore dungeons created from cards dealt across the table
- Watch cards transform into fully realised 3D environments when combat begins
- Combine roguelike progression, deckbuilding, and real-time action RPG combat
- Unlock hundreds of encounters, weapons, armour, artefacts, equipment, and mysteries
- Discover gear that can dramatically change the direction of a run
- Defeat the Jack, Queen, and King of each suit before facing the Ace of Skulls
Every Adventure Begins With the Deck
Most roguelikes randomize the journey for you, whereas Hand of Fate asks you to influence it first.
Each successful expedition expands your collection with new encounters, equipment, and events, all of which can be added to future decks before another run begins. You’re never guaranteed to see every card you’ve included, but every addition changes the pool of possibilities waiting beneath the Dealer’s hand. Over time, the adventure becomes just as much about growing your collection as surviving the quests themselves.
The Table Never Stays Still for Long
The rhythm of Hand of Fate constantly shifts between quiet decision-making and sudden action. One moment you’re revealing another encounter, weighing up a choice or hoping the next card contains something useful. The next, the tabletop disappears as weapons, monsters, and equipment materialise around you, turning a single card draw into a full action RPG battle.
That transition never really loses its appeal because it ties both halves of the game together so naturally. The equipment you’ve found, the encounters you’ve survived, and the route you’ve taken all feed directly into the fights that follow.
Every New Card Creates Another Story
The more cards you unlock, the more unpredictable future adventures become. New weapons appear, unfamiliar encounters enter the deck, and different combinations gradually emerge as your collection grows.
That’s what gives Hand of Fate its longevity. Rather than simply chasing stronger statistics or bigger numbers, you’re steadily expanding the kinds of stories the deck is capable of telling each time the Dealer invites you to play another hand.
How Long Does a Run Take?
A typical run in Hand of Fate lasts around 20 to 40 minutes, although larger dungeons, additional exploration, and longer combat encounters can extend that further.
Completing the full Story Mode generally takes around 12 to 15 hours, while unlocking every achievement can take 60 hours or more.
Controller Support
Hand of Fate offers full controller support for Xbox controllers. Official support for other controller types isn’t specified.
Good If You Like…
If you enjoy Ring of Pain, Roguebook, Tainted Grail: Conquest, or Across the Obelisk you’ll likely appreciate Hand of Fate’s distinctive combination of deckbuilding, unpredictable adventures, and runs where every new card expands the stories waiting to be told.
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