Hands of Fate, from Audio Samurai Games, grew out of author Jim Wilson's dissatisfaction with level-based games, in which character capabilities get grossly inflated and do not reflect his state, even without his 'hit points' or equivalent becoming unrealistically high.

In Hands of Fate, the main mechanic is based on the play of cards from each player's hand, which determine how in control his character is, their composure and ability to remain in the fight. Damage, as health remains conceptual, is simulated by the removal of cards from the player's hand. Skills become important as they determine how many cards may be played, with the player selecting any number of cards from their hand to use to build their action, meeting the remainder with cards drawn from a random pool.

Page last updated: 26 June 2013