Hand of Fate

 PC
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 222 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 157 out of 222
  2. Mixed: 46 out of 222
  3. Negative: 19 out of 222
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  1. Hyperfailure
    Apr 29, 2023
    7
    A surprisingly engaging RPG with card elements, with an obtuse and not really fleshed out main story. That said, the mini-stories of playing the game make up for it with world-building. The two game modes of tabletop and combat both feel interesting.
  2. Voyou
    May 15, 2021
    1
    This extremely boring game can't even pick a genre, alternating text-based randomness and 3D button-mashing in ugly closets.
  3. clem666
    Nov 8, 2020
    6
    'Hand of Fate' offers one of the most original gameplay I've seen in a while. The story is attractive, the bestiary is varied, so are the equipments. There are some interesting mechanics like benedictions, curses and artifacts. I wouldn't call this game beautiful but it certainly has something attractive and pleasant to watch and play. The idea to constantly switch between a card game and'Hand of Fate' offers one of the most original gameplay I've seen in a while. The story is attractive, the bestiary is varied, so are the equipments. There are some interesting mechanics like benedictions, curses and artifacts. I wouldn't call this game beautiful but it certainly has something attractive and pleasant to watch and play. The idea to constantly switch between a card game and a RPG-style is brilliant and there are only few things to reproach it for.
    Firstly, I would say its repetitiveness: once you discovered the main cards, you will find it in every new game. This breaks the immersion because you eventually manage to learn how to avoid bad events and how to 'create' beneficial ones. You no longer bother to read the description of the cards or their staging. Extension and some special events do bring some novelty but still requiers a lot of resources and/or chance.
    I saw they put some effort in translation beacause now it's more decent than before (I used to play it in french). But only the text is translated, not the Dealer's voice. I guess it is good enough.
    The fight gameplay quickly becomes boring when you realize it's all about left-clicking again and again. Plus the camera angles are awful: when you have no shield, you can't counter distant attacks and when you don't see the enemy you just don't know when he attacks. So you lose a lot of health for game design...
    I have nothing against high difficulty in video games but this one has pissed me off several times for its cruelty. A few random cards can simply ruin your play by deleting all of your stamina, gold or health! This game feels so unbalanced. In the fight parts, you can be alone versus eight of nine enemies and still the game will put traps on the map, like it wasn't enough. In this game, you can die while dodging an opponent's stroke... This level of RNG is crazy and useless.
    Anyway, be prepared to die a lot and so to hear a lot of the Dealers' mocking ('Again, death is on your way', 'Have you learned ? Nothing').    … Expand
  4. Tomicsavo
    May 10, 2020
    9
    A real old school role-playing game. I really liked it except for the last 2-3 chapter.It was extremely fun, but the last tracks were already a bit frustrating in normal difficulty.
  5. ChoicestGames
    Feb 15, 2019
    7
    Hand of Fate works as well as you'd expect a hybrid of card games, roguelikes and action RPGs would; while roguelikes are often a challenge on their own, combining them with card games can sometimes mean a double whammy with respect to adverse random outcomes. This is especially apparent on the final level of the game which I've given up on ever trying to complete. However, the game doesHand of Fate works as well as you'd expect a hybrid of card games, roguelikes and action RPGs would; while roguelikes are often a challenge on their own, combining them with card games can sometimes mean a double whammy with respect to adverse random outcomes. This is especially apparent on the final level of the game which I've given up on ever trying to complete. However, the game does have its moments and with its splendid graphics, professional voice acting and a top-class soundtrack, there's a lot to recommend, provided you're ready for a challenge.… Expand
  6. Mobile
    Feb 15, 2018
    3
    ENG
    Game 1.5-2 hours, that's how much she keeps the attention and interest. After this time, what we are seeing, but nothing new, except that already had a couple of hours to see. The entire pyramid, just like in Mortal Kombat at the end of each your boss, and dozens of times the same meeting, dull jamming during battles, all with the same opponents. I do not know why with so many cards,    ENG
    Game 1.5-2 hours, that's how much she keeps the attention and interest. After this time, what we are seeing, but nothing new, except that already had a couple of hours to see. The entire pyramid, just like in Mortal Kombat at the end of each your boss, and dozens of times the same meeting, dull jamming during battles, all with the same opponents. I do not know why with so many cards, do not make them not repetitive, even if the table would be less, but how much it would be interesting to play it, despite the fact that such games are not so much. Maybe in the second part fixed, although I doubt, and desire to see me and that was enough.
    RU
    Игра 1.5-2 часа, именно столько она держит внимание и проявляет интерес. После данного времени, что же мы наблюдаем, да ничего нового, кроме того, что уже успели за пару часов увидеть. Вся пирамида, прям как в Mortal Kombat в конце каждой свой босс, и десятки раз одни и те же встречи, унылые закликивания во время битв, все с теми же противниками. Не знаю, почему при таком количестве карт, не сделать их не повторяющимися, пускай таблица была бы меньше, но ведь насколько было бы интересно в нее играть, при том что подобных игр не так уж и много. Может во второй части исправили, хотя я сомневаюсь, да и желания проверять нет, мне и этой хватило.    … Expand
  7. theirrelephants
    Jan 20, 2018
    8
    The unfortunate amount of glitches that occur once you get far enough in endless mode keep this from being a 10 out of 10.

    Great game for people who enjoy RNG/table top/rogue like games.

    Shouldn't take you more than 10 hours to complete unless you try to unlock everything like I was dumb enough to attempt.
  8. RagingPoet
    Dec 21, 2017
    8
    Hand of Fate is a lot of fun both in campaign and endless modes. Although it suffers a bit from hard reliance on randomness just like most 'roguelite' games.
  9. Mandulum
    Nov 22, 2017
    5
    Five Word Review: Decent if repetitive. Terrible finale.
    Favorite Thing: Cards with continuing stories.
    Least Favorite Thing: Combat is boring and repetitive. It's repetitively boring. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the final boss fight. The balancing on it is terrible. Its difficulty is significantly higher than any other fight in the game. Date Completed: 2017-11-11 Playtime: ~    Five Word Review: Decent if repetitive. Terrible finale.
    Favorite Thing: Cards with continuing stories.
    Least Favorite Thing: Combat is boring and repetitive. It's repetitively boring. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the final boss fight. The balancing on it is terrible. Its difficulty is significantly higher than any other fight in the game.

    Date Completed: 2017-11-11
    Playtime: ~ 12h
    Enjoyment: 5/10
    Recommendation: I was undecided for most of the game but the sheer unfairness of the final battle (yes, I finished it) has soured it for me. There's a thing called balance. If you want your game to be difficult make it difficult. Don't make 99% of it trivial and then dial it up to 11 for the final encounter. In short, I'm a 'no'.    … Expand
  10. Klewer
    Aug 5, 2017
    7
    Overall I enjoyed the game. Has a unique style as a card game mixed with a basic action RPG combat. Has a lot of potential, but for me some annoying designs made it frustrating at the end. I feel it poorly prepares you for a big spike in difficulty at the end. Still worth a look.
  11. Captain_Faramir
    Apr 3, 2017
    8
    8.3 - Really fun game, cool concepts never done before and lots of replay value with the endless mode. Environments are also pretty cool, and enemies vary and can be challenging depending on the situation.
  12. Broyax
    Jan 16, 2017
    0
    ça rappelle les vieux jeux de rôle, les très vieux, ceux qui n'étaient constitués que de textes, ça rappelle également le principe du jeu de plateau avec le "maître de jeu" qui distribue les cartes de votre destin d'aventurier : on pioche et on avance comme au Monopoly... sauf que le Monopoly est beaucoup moins soûlant en fait. En plus, on ne peut pas construire d'hôtel sur l'Avenue duça rappelle les vieux jeux de rôle, les très vieux, ceux qui n'étaient constitués que de textes, ça rappelle également le principe du jeu de plateau avec le "maître de jeu" qui distribue les cartes de votre destin d'aventurier : on pioche et on avance comme au Monopoly... sauf que le Monopoly est beaucoup moins soûlant en fait. En plus, on ne peut pas construire d'hôtel sur l'Avenue du Parc, celui qui rapporte une blinde et qui entraîne tes adversaires dans la dépression, la faillite et le suicide.

    Bref, cet ersatz de jeu devient vite répétitif et désuet, d'autant que les combats sont en temps réel et se résument à de pauvres "tape-tape-tape" sans aucun intérêt dans quelques décors bâclés et des graphismes 256 couleurs. Rien d'étonnant finalement puisque c'est le propre des jeux indés de recycler de vieux concepts dépassés pour les revendre "vite fait mal fait"... mais nous ne sommes pas dupes ! remballe tes cartes pourries et va voir ailleurs si j'y suis, misérable !    … Expand
  13. Hardycore
    May 15, 2016
    8
    Hand of fate is one of the most... interesting games I've played, and certainly most unique. I have never played anything that comes even close to this game. The best comparison is dungeons and dragons. You play on a board, where the entire board is made out of cards you can choose yourself. These cards are called 'encounters', and every encounter gives you multiple options to get pastHand of fate is one of the most... interesting games I've played, and certainly most unique. I have never played anything that comes even close to this game. The best comparison is dungeons and dragons. You play on a board, where the entire board is made out of cards you can choose yourself. These cards are called 'encounters', and every encounter gives you multiple options to get past them. Most of them, chance. For instance, whenever you land on the encounter 'a wife's fury' you run into an angry woman, whose husband is out, drinking. She asks you to confront him. You're being given the choice whether to do so, or let her deal with it. If you choose the latter, you can go on your way, but, you'll be given a curse.
    If you choose to confront him, you'll find out that her husband, is none other than one of the bosses in the game. Again, you'll be given two options. Either to threaten him, or to join his drinking game. Both of these options have a chance of succes, or failure. Whatever happens after that, you'll have to find out.

    Interesting enough, it's not just a boardgame. Whenever you encounter an enemy, you suddenly find yourself into an action-brawl area, where you have to fight them, similar to the batman series (attack/counter/stun buttons + special moves). Because of this, it never gets boring, and it doesn't all depend on luck.

    The game, however, has one huge issue. It is filled with bugs. Most of the bugs aren't all that noticable when you play the story mode, but in endless mode, the game mode you unlock after beating the story mode, is barely playable. The further you get, the harder it becomes to battle your way through not the game itself, but the bugs. As if the game itsn't challenging enough, it has to kill you in the cheapest way possible. Other bugs, however, are easily exploited and make the online scoreboard very unreliable.

    Almost any game I'd rate with a 4 or 5 out of 10. It is one thing to have those bug in alpha/beta, but this game has been going for quite some time and it's ridiculous it's still in it. However, this game is something special. Despite the bugs, it still makes me want to play, over, and over again. No matter how frustrated I become, because some cheap bug killed me, after an hour I want to play again. In bed, I can't help but think about the game, wanting to play.

    Overall, I rate this game 8 out of 10. I hope hand of fate 2 will be less of an bug fest, but for now, I'll enjoy being number 3 on the scoreboard without cheating.    … Expand
  14. jseph1234
    May 2, 2016
    9
    This is an AWESOME and intriguing game. Its very similar to magic but you are one on one against the Dealer of fate with a twist... You play out the enemy encounters like a regular RPG...Amazing!
  15. tsakiym
    Jan 27, 2016
    6
    very nice game for his price and for the expedition that u waiting for it. nothing special about the fights but i love it. nice combination of card-hack and slash action rpg
  16. RockStarGamers
    Jul 28, 2015
    7
    Hand of Fate has some minor issues, but it's a unique experience that ties in a few different game styles. Random generation gives it some legs, and it looks like they're putting a lot of work into the DLC too.
  17. xDaudex
    May 25, 2015
    7
    Pros:
    Creatively designed game
    Fun once you get used to the system
    Unlocking cards even if you die makes dying seem not so bad

    Cons:
    Game does not force you to learn mechanics till the difficulty increases at the end
    The first 75% of the game is too easy
    The difficulty spike at the end is ridiculous
  18. wewantwar
    Apr 21, 2015
    8
    Game has great replay value, 20 story "missions" with 20 unique bosses and as you progress further the game gets much more harder especially with a random cards/enemies/curses drawn from the deck, not mentioning the Endless mode in which you can indulge hours (before you ran out of food or just die after encounter with low hp) and play it over and over again.
  19. andarial6670
    Mar 27, 2015
    6
    This is a very unique game, and the concept of it is very good. I've heard a lot of praise about the dealer and his interactions with the player, but ultimately I am not impressed. The dialogue gets boring quickly, and all he ever does is berate the player. This combined with RNG elements that hinder you 80% of the time and benefit you the other 20% make this game more frustrating thanThis is a very unique game, and the concept of it is very good. I've heard a lot of praise about the dealer and his interactions with the player, but ultimately I am not impressed. The dialogue gets boring quickly, and all he ever does is berate the player. This combined with RNG elements that hinder you 80% of the time and benefit you the other 20% make this game more frustrating than enjoyable. The diversity in the cards is boring. There is literally only one card in this entire game that does not have any backlash. Every other card in the game tries to screw you over, and deck building thus becomes irrelevant to the overall experience. The "Arkham-style" combat is broken, redundant, sometimes ridiculously easy and other times ridiculously difficult. I almost finished the game when I realized that it was an okay game, but not so good that it was even worth finishing. If I wanted this much RNG in a game I'd go back to playing Diablo 3… Expand
  20. Munkey
    Mar 23, 2015
    8
    This game is one of the best I've played. Interesting combination of build your adventure game with an arkham style combat. The setting and the card based dungeon is great. It's a game for people who enjoyed the old adventure table top games or build your own adventure games. The base game is short like 6-7 hours but for a 10£ game it's value. You later unlock the endles mode which is fun.This game is one of the best I've played. Interesting combination of build your adventure game with an arkham style combat. The setting and the card based dungeon is great. It's a game for people who enjoyed the old adventure table top games or build your own adventure games. The base game is short like 6-7 hours but for a 10£ game it's value. You later unlock the endles mode which is fun.
    The game now needs some dlc or expansion. Just more content would be nice.
    Good game eight out of ten for me.    … Expand
  21. lakin777
    Mar 22, 2015
    9
    This is a mixure of rpg, card games and roguelikes, with a freeflow like combat. its a mixure thats suprisingly works wonders. the only downside is the low budget for animations which is the only thing preventing it form perfect 10/10.
    its also really cheap!
  22. deathweeper
    Mar 22, 2015
    6
    This game is very average, its a bit of a card game, a bit of an rpg and a bit of action. Well the cards are nice and its interesting to see what each new card does but the each gets boring fast. The RPG elements of the game where of within the first ten minutes and the bit of action part of the game is only that, a bit. Overall its kinda nice but I felt as if I had already dominated theThis game is very average, its a bit of a card game, a bit of an rpg and a bit of action. Well the cards are nice and its interesting to see what each new card does but the each gets boring fast. The RPG elements of the game where of within the first ten minutes and the bit of action part of the game is only that, a bit. Overall its kinda nice but I felt as if I had already dominated the next encounter without even seeing it. In other words it's easy and boring. However I do have to give it some respect because its not trying to be awesome and amazing, it's only trying decent and it doesn't pretend that its the greatest thing ever created. However I also condem it because it just doesn't have any ambition.… Expand
  23. Sooperspook
    Mar 19, 2015
    9
    Hand of Fate is like a, less satirical, two person game of Munchkin mixed with an action RPG elements thrown in. You play against an NPC in a game of cards but you are also the hero of a story controlled by those cards. The card decks that you, and the dealer, build control what equipment you end up with, what rewards you may win and what encounters you have. Some cards will give you aHand of Fate is like a, less satirical, two person game of Munchkin mixed with an action RPG elements thrown in. You play against an NPC in a game of cards but you are also the hero of a story controlled by those cards. The card decks that you, and the dealer, build control what equipment you end up with, what rewards you may win and what encounters you have. Some cards will give you a boon, others a curse.

    To play it is really quite simple. You build an equipment deck and an encounter deck, modified by the dealer. You draw a hand from the equipment deck and the dealer draws from the encounter deck. Your hand shows you what gear you are using, while the dealers hand shapes and populates the ‘dungeon’ the hero traverses. Sometimes encounters involve interaction with NPCs, some where you have to make a choice and at other times you may end up in combat. Combat is where the game changes from a CCG to an action game. Throughout the game there will be instances requiring you to draw a card which may give you a reward, a power boost or a debuff of some kind.

    You have two resources to manage through the game. The first is Food, which is used whenever the hero moves to a new card, to recover Health and used in some encounters. The second is Gold, which is used to buy Food, equipment and also in some encounters. Don’t run out of Food or you will starve to death. An ignoble way for a hero to snuff it.

    On the pro side of things, this game has a tremendous amount of replay value. Since each ‘dungeon’ is randomly built each time you play, there is little chance you will get the same experience twice. In addition, being able to choose, most, of the cards that go into the encounter deck means you can influence the dungeon to the type of game you feel like having. RNG and the dealers additions to the deck ensure you cannot predict exactly what you’ll get however.
    The game allows for strategic thinking as well. Loading your equipment deck with cards suited for the kind of encounter deck you’re facing puts you in a better position to win. But again, RNG can (and does) mix things up.

    There are some cons to the game. A bad draw can result in your character suffering huge debuffs, turning easy encounters into true trials. This is even worse if the bad draw is early on, forcing you to play through the rest of that game with a handicap. On the flip side, some encounters, even Bosses, can be made trivial.
    Combat can become a bit dull after a while as you always have the same actions through the game. Some variety in combat style would be welcome here.

    Overall however, this game is great. The play is imaginative, the aesthetic is great to look at, the music suits it very well and the dealer is just the right mix of sardonic and smug that makes you want to beat him at his own game.    … Expand
  24. Arqane
    Mar 14, 2015
    9
    A very good game. I can't quite give it a 10, but it's already a very well done game that can be built upon with sequels. It combines ARPG with deck-building, and adds in a rogue-like element. They were smart to make the different genres of the game fairly simple, as it is the first time these genres have really been mixed this way. And this game is definitely more than the sum of itsA very good game. I can't quite give it a 10, but it's already a very well done game that can be built upon with sequels. It combines ARPG with deck-building, and adds in a rogue-like element. They were smart to make the different genres of the game fairly simple, as it is the first time these genres have really been mixed this way. And this game is definitely more than the sum of its parts.

    The Pros:
    -All parts of the game are well built, if not absolutely perfect. You won't get the feeling that they just threw in one part of the game for filler.
    -Good voice acting.
    -A fairly good progression of power.

    The Cons:
    -A little bit too random. This is something you can counteract by knowing each card well and building your deck accordingly, but this is probably the #1 complaint in this game.
    -The endgame doesn't scale very well, so the replayability goes down a good bit. There's not much of a reason to repeat the story. There is an endless dungeon, but it's fairly easy to get extremely powerful quickly, and then hit a wall later.

    I'd say this is a well made, simple to play game, but with depth you will enjoy. It's one that I've recommended to my friends, and I don't recommend many games.    … Expand
  25. Indissentient
    Mar 12, 2015
    6
    It is a well-made game with a good premise, but I personally got bored before I could finish it. I'd say there's too much RNG and too little choice in the card aspect of the game.
    Interface could also be better. Many actions take way longer than they actually should, with no option to skip pointless one out of 4 card choices and animations.
    It's a game worth trying, but I wouldn't    It is a well-made game with a good premise, but I personally got bored before I could finish it. I'd say there's too much RNG and too little choice in the card aspect of the game.
    Interface could also be better. Many actions take way longer than they actually should, with no option to skip pointless one out of 4 card choices and animations.
    It's a game worth trying, but I wouldn't recommend you to buy it blindly.    … Expand
  26. Tarn33
    Mar 7, 2015
    10
    One of the best games I have played in a long time. Hell, one of the best games I've ever played. I was instantly hooked and knew I had to play it after only watching a couple minutes of someone else. The unique blend of card, dungeon crawl, and action rpg are just fantastic. It is so rare to have a game be so punishing yet so rewarding and fun at the same time. Laughing all the whileOne of the best games I have played in a long time. Hell, one of the best games I've ever played. I was instantly hooked and knew I had to play it after only watching a couple minutes of someone else. The unique blend of card, dungeon crawl, and action rpg are just fantastic. It is so rare to have a game be so punishing yet so rewarding and fun at the same time. Laughing all the while filled with rage at how you got screwed over is a beautiful thing. It makes every step towards victory all the more sweet!… Expand
  27. MadJaples
    Feb 28, 2015
    8
    A surprisingly good effort from what seems to me to be a less popular dev co.

    This is a well crafted, generally aesthetically pleasing game that has obviously had some exceptionally artistic talent behind it. I find the cross of card game/3rd person scrapper to be a pretty decent mix and all told, playing the game is actually a pleasant experience that is both engaging in content and    A surprisingly good effort from what seems to me to be a less popular dev co.

    This is a well crafted, generally aesthetically pleasing game that has obviously had some exceptionally artistic talent behind it.

    I find the cross of card game/3rd person scrapper to be a pretty decent mix and all told, playing the game is actually a pleasant experience that is both engaging in content and can be as rewarding as it is punishing. Expect the gameplay to get instantly harder beyond the second round if you win, because from that point on it does get difficult if you happen to be unlucky. Doesn't mean to say you shouldn't get it! That's part of the challenge of the game and for once it does a game justice to play things out as such!

    Even if your main style of preferred game is FPS or racing or some such, this is a good game for those wanting to try something different.    … Expand
  28. HonestBill
    Feb 26, 2015
    9
    Coming from a huge Diablo fan, this game is fantastic! The game play is very well balanced and very polished, you have to remember that this game revolves around risk and luck. It's not 100% reliant on either of the two, you set the risk/reward ratio when you set your deck up. You shape your adventure. For example: if you want a higher chance to find a Frost Blade Sword add 3 Frost BladeComing from a huge Diablo fan, this game is fantastic! The game play is very well balanced and very polished, you have to remember that this game revolves around risk and luck. It's not 100% reliant on either of the two, you set the risk/reward ratio when you set your deck up. You shape your adventure. For example: if you want a higher chance to find a Frost Blade Sword add 3 Frost Blade cards into your deck.

    Graphics: 10/10
    - Very well done considering this was made with the Unity Engine!
    - Framerates are better than the console versions

    Gameplay: 10/10
    - Original and Unique

    Story: 9/10
    - The dealer is your best friend and worst enemy, you never really know.

    Price: $20USD - Very fairly priced - this game almost feels like a AAA game.

    This game is already amazingly fun to play and I would have no issue paying 5-10 dollars for a decently sized expansion DLC.

    To all you Diablo fans and dungeon hunters - this game is a must! The card game aspect may seem boring but you will forget you're playing a card game.    … Expand
  29. Serenityinaz12
    Feb 25, 2015
    8
    I only heard about this game a few days ago, but decided to give it a shot. Holy crap is it fun and addicting. Very original and well done. I highly recommend this game.
  30. Dokkodo
    Feb 25, 2015
    6
    It is an interesting combination of a lot of elements, unfortunately the combat is just so boring and repetitive that it really takes away from the rest of the game. If they polished out the combat and made it more than dodge attack dodge attack dodge attack...then it would be a thoroughly good game.
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Awards & Rankings

88
#88 Best PC Game of 2014
56
#56 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. RPGamer
    Sep 19, 2016
    80
    Hand of Fate is a rollicking good time that can be completed in under 20 hours.
    Read full review
  2. Game Rant
    May 18, 2015
    90
    Defiant Development’s Hand of Fate game is not without flaws, but the sheer innovation dwarfs them easily.
    Read full review
  3. CD-Action
    Apr 30, 2015
    55
    I kept wondering whether the developer first came up with a brawler and then added the whole card game dressing to avoid expanding the arcade component or was it the other way around. Whatever the case may be the game is unique, I’ll give it that, but it doesn’t mean it’s good. [05/2015, p.66]
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