Villain Games, a developer based in Raleigh, has revealed Hero’s Hand, a poker-driven roguelike RPG adventure game coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch, and PC (Steam) in 2026.
“When we first jotted down 'poker-based RPG' on a whiteboard in 2019, we never imagined it would lead to such hilarious chaos,” said Randy Greenback, creative director at Villain Games, in a press release. “But once the prototype had the team laughing at wild card combos, we knew Hero’s Hand had to happen. Relaunching Villain with such passion for this game is beyond exciting!”
Here’s a glimpse of the game, straight from its Steam page:
About the Game
We’ve fused poker, RPGs, and roguelites to create an unforgettable single-player experience. In Hero’s Hand, you step into the role of the Knight of Spades and build your reputation across the kingdom of Cardunia. As you journey through the land, you’ll face off against bizarre monsters, picking up cards along the way to form the strongest poker hands possible with what you’re dealt.
Each playthrough offers unique strategies, weapons, armor, and items, ensuring no two runs are the same. Battle increasingly difficult creatures as you work to stave off death and save the world!
Key Features
Hero’s Hand offers:
“When we first jotted down 'poker-based RPG' on a whiteboard in 2019, we never imagined it would lead to such hilarious chaos,” said Randy Greenback, creative director at Villain Games, in a press release. “But once the prototype had the team laughing at wild card combos, we knew Hero’s Hand had to happen. Relaunching Villain with such passion for this game is beyond exciting!”
Here’s a glimpse of the game, straight from its Steam page:
About the Game
We’ve fused poker, RPGs, and roguelites to create an unforgettable single-player experience. In Hero’s Hand, you step into the role of the Knight of Spades and build your reputation across the kingdom of Cardunia. As you journey through the land, you’ll face off against bizarre monsters, picking up cards along the way to form the strongest poker hands possible with what you’re dealt.
Each playthrough offers unique strategies, weapons, armor, and items, ensuring no two runs are the same. Battle increasingly difficult creatures as you work to stave off death and save the world!
Key Features
- Poker-Based Combat – Strategize with your cards to craft spirit weapons and defeat a variety of monsters, each wielding their own powers.
- Powerful Relics – Scour the Realm for powerful items known as relics that can significantly boost your character’s build. But be careful—obtaining a relic might come with more than just a price tag.
- RPG Leveling System – Every run counts. Level up your characters, unlock more inventory slots, earn starting gold, gain Fortune buffs, and upgrade your spirit weapons as you progress. The more you play, the more customization options open up.
- Explore Cardunia – Embark on choose-your-own-adventure-style quests, solve puzzles, and uncover rare items and fortunes you won’t find in stores. Be thorough if you want to fill out your “Carduniapedia.”
Hero’s Hand offers:
- Four distinct characters, each with unique abilities.
- A cross-run RPG leveling system to enhance progression.
- Over 180 Fortune buffs for added power.
- More than 60 Scrolls and Potions to aid in combat.
- 60+ unique combat encounters to test your strategy.
- 30+ lore-rich mystery spots to explore with an adventure-style format.
- Randomized runs to keep the gameplay fresh, with future updates adding more content.
