I want to start off by taking aim at a misconception. People tend to say Hand of Fate is a brawler, roguelike, and deckbuilder put together, but there's really not a deckbuilding function in the sense that people drawn to the word are going to want. Your encounters, gear, map layouts, etc. are represented by cards but it's more a way to reduce encounters to separate instances. It's an abstraction of systems you'd find in any roguelike. It's not Ascension or Dominion or anything like that.

And that's fine! Hand of Fate is no more diminished by not being a deckbuilder than an apple is diminished by not being an orange.

Hand of Fate gives a lot of bang for the buck with a reasonably deep brawling system -- a bit shallower than Arkham Asylum but deeper and more rewarding than most every game that's tried to recreate it since. Hack and slash, shield bash, counterattack, leap, roll, reflect attacks, and use powerful magic tied to cooldowns. Your experience in combat might change a lot based on the character you run, the gear they're carrying, and the blessings and curses that follow them into battle.

The overworld is drawn out by cards. Each room, each challenge, each store and story element finds its place on your dungeon-crawl from the dealer's hand shuffling out your cards. Your choices here determine whether you go to battle in gleaming armor with the favor of the gods on your shoulders or drag your starving, penniless, curse-tainted husk to its last stand.

Overall, there's plenty of content and loads of depth to ensure you get your money's worth, and a series of free expansions make Hand of Fate a good buy.

I want to start off by taking aim at a misconception. People tend to say Hand of Fate is a brawler, roguelike, and deckbuilder put together, but there's really not a deckbuilding function in the sense that people drawn to the word are going to want. Your encounters, gear, map layouts, etc. are represented by cards but it's more a way to reduce encounters to separate instances. It's an abstraction of systems you'd find in any roguelike. It's not Ascension or Dominion or anything like that. And that's fine! Hand of Fate is no more diminished by not being a deckbuilder than an apple is diminished by not being an orange. Hand of Fate gives a lot of bang for the buck with a reasonably deep brawling system -- a bit shallower than Arkham Asylum but deeper and more rewarding than most every game that's tried to recreate it since. Hack and slash, shield bash, counterattack, leap, roll, reflect attacks, and use powerful magic tied to cooldowns. Your experience in combat might change a lot based on the character you run, the gear they're carrying, and the blessings and curses that follow them into battle. The overworld is drawn out by cards. Each room, each challenge, each store and story element finds its place on your dungeon-crawl from the dealer's hand shuffling out your cards. Your choices here determine whether you go to battle in gleaming armor with the favor of the gods on your shoulders or drag your starving, penniless, curse-tainted husk to its last stand. Overall, there's plenty of content and loads of depth to ensure you get your money's worth, and a series of free expansions make Hand of Fate a good buy.