Card-Based Action RPG Hand of Fate Getting Sequel

Action RPG and deck-building hybrid game Hand of Fate will be getting a sequel in 2017, the developer announced today. Brisbane-based studio Defiant Development released a short teaser trailer featuring the game’s magical card-dealing antagonist.

Hate of Fate involves a unique amalgamation of mechanics where the player builds a deck of cards consisting of class and equipment variables, which are then played against the game’s narrator and dungeon master who randomly deals out a path of encounter cards for you to strategically overcome. Activating combat encounters causes the game to shift to a third-person battle system, where fights take place in real-time in a style reminiscent of the Batman: Arkham series.

Hand of Fate 2 will expand upon the mechanics of the first game by introducing companions, who can support the player in combat and have their own storylines. New enemy and equipment types will also be incorporated, as well as more complex victory conditions.

The original Hand of Fate was partially funded through a Kickstarter campaign, achieving its target of $50,000 AUD, and was one of the first Australian projects to launch on the crowdfunding platform. Hand of Fate 2 has no crowdfunding campaign.

GameSpot reviewed the first Hand of Fate game positively. Despite some technical issues, Kevin VanOrd praised the game for its unique combination of mechanics and its ability to evoke the tabletop gaming experience. He said "The game absorbs you in three ways at once, by invoking both the loot-gathering vibe of an action RPG, the deck-fiddling fun of a CCG, and the "I'm feeling lucky this time!" aspirations of games of chance."

Defiant Development also revealed that the original Hand of Fate had been downloaded over 1.9 million times across PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

Hand of Fate 2 will launch for Windows, Mac and Linux in Q1 2017.