Hand Of Fate:
Introduction:
Hand of Fate is an action role-playing video game developed and published by the Australian studio Defiant Development. It was released for various platforms including Linux, macOS, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The game entered early access on July 7, 2014, followed by the full release on February 17, 2015. Although a PlayStation Vita version was planned, it was eventually canceled due to development challenges.
Hand of Fate garnered positive reviews and led to a crowdfunded physical release. Its success paved the way for a sequel, Hand of Fate 2, which was released in November 2017. The game's unique blend of card-based mechanics and action-oriented gameplay has made it a standout title in the action RPG genre.
Continuation:
Hand of Fate was initially showcased at the 2013 Game Developers Conference and received a playable demo at PAX Australia in July of the same year. The development team, consisting of around fifteen members based in Brisbane, described the game as their debut major push into PC platforms following their previous ventures in mobile game development. The game was built using the Unity game engine, which was consistent with Defiant Development's previous projects.
The game's funding was partially facilitated through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, marking one of the early Australian projects to launch on Kickstarter. Launched in November 2013 and successfully concluded in December 2013, the campaign met its A$50,000 target. Beyond the financial success, the Kickstarter campaign allowed Defiant Development to establish a dedicated audience and receive valuable feedback from backers about pre-release builds. Concurrently, a Greenlight campaign was initiated to secure the game's release on Steam, which gained approval in January 2014.
Gameplay:
Following the crowdfunding campaign, an alpha build was made available to Kickstarter backers, followed by a beta version in February 2014. In July of the same year, Hand of Fate was launched on Steam Early Access for Windows, OS X, and Linux. The full version of the game was officially released on February 17, 2015, for Windows, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
The success of Hand of Fate marked a significant milestone for Defiant Development. Established in 2010 in Brisbane, Australia, the studio initially focused on mobile game development with titles like "Ski Safari" and "Rocket Bunnies." After the release of Hand of Fate and its sequel, the studio began working on another game titled "The World In My Attic." Unfortunately, Defiant Development announced its closure on July 23, 2019, citing challenges in adapting to changes within the industry. However, the studio retained a small team to provide support for the Hand of Fate titles.
Defiant Development collaborated with the board game development company Rule & Make to transform the video game into a deck-building board game called "Hand of Fate: Ordeals." This adaptation allowed up to four players to cooperatively engage in quests similar to the video game's mechanics. The board game's Kickstarter campaign in May 2017 surpassed its funding goal, amassing more than $360,000 in pledges.
Additionally, in July 2016, Defiant partnered with IndieBox to produce an exclusive physical release of Hand of Fate. This collector's edition included a themed USB drive with a DRM-free copy of the game, the official soundtrack, an instruction manual, a Steam key, and several custom-made collectibles, providing fans with a tangible and unique experience beyond digital gameplay.
Key Features of Hand of Fate:
- Card-Based Gameplay: The game involves navigating randomized dungeons created from customizable decks of cards.
- Narrative Interaction: The mysterious Dealer narrates and controls the player's actions, often requiring them to make choices to advance.
- Brawler-Style Combat: Combat transitions to a third-person brawler format during confrontations, requiring precise timing and tactics.
- Token Rewards: As players progress, they earn tokens that grant them new cards for customizing their decks in subsequent dungeon runs.
- Boss Battles and Unlockables: The player must defeat a series of bosses representing different suits, unlocking rewards and an Endless Mode as they progress.
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