Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 82 | 25 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 84 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 84% | 78 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 72 | 8 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 73% | 69 | 4 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 12 reviews sampled · 11 total reviews in window · weighted 6.2 up / 2.4 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (87)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 80
“Hand of Fate 2 merges tried and true conventions and creates a unique experience. While the individual components lean on the simpler side of things, as a whole the game is greater than the sum of its parts. It's a game that's best played in small chunks, making it a very good entry to the Switch library!”
read full review ↗ - 80
“A great way to spend your evening while listening to fascinating stories, participating in their creation and trying to finish all levels with best results.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Almost impossible to categorise yet utterly compelling as a result, Hand of Fate 2 brings a new and unique RPG experience to Nintendo Switch. There's just so much to enjoy here; the rewarding premise of its deck-building, the endless depth of its questing, the simple pleasure of its combat. It's taken a little while to make the transition to Switch, but the wait has been worth it; this is a mobile port that's practically indistinguishable from the version you can play elsewhere. Do yourself a favour and get this fantasy romp in your digital library right now.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“The sense of accomplishment is real when it happens, but it’s impossible to ignore the feeling that victory wasn’t entirely due to gaming prowess.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“This game was a delight to play, and if you’re looking for something decidedly new and unique to play, you will definitely want to give Hand of Fate 2 a try. You won’t be disappointed.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“In pretty well every way Hand of Fate 2 has run with everything that made the original work and has made it better. The scenarios all test you in unique ways, the number of unique event cards has greatly expanded which allows for far more versatility as the game progresses, and the trials in both combat and gambling have diversified greatly. The result is a very challenging and thus satisfying package that blends a degree of chance, skill in building and effectively using your deck, and becoming proficient in the game’s combat. It’s a combination that is really without an equal on the console and is highly recommended if you’re looking for a sustained challenge on the Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The original Hand of Fate had a Vita port planned, which sadly never came to fruition. Hand of Fate 2 on Nintendo Switch shows just how good that port could have been. It's so absurdly addictive and utterly unique. It improves on the original in every way and is a truly unique experience. It takes elements of so many different types of games and mashes them together; a process that usually results in a metaphorical goopy mess, but here it's somehow turned into gold.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Your fate is decided by a scattering of cards across a table; dice rolls mean death or fortune and your next step could warp you to an insurmountable brawl. Hand Of Fate's mix of strategic planning, random chance, and meaty combat is both rewarding and addictive. Fighting lacks complexity and doesn't quite stand up to the eventual repetition, but this game within a game is still well worth your time overall.”
read full review ↗ - 87
“Hand of Fate 2 is a clearly superior version of the first game, including remarkable improvements in some aspects (roguelike elements, deck building) and small to some others (combat), but it's a totally well-made game that can keep you busy for hours.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“The original Hand of Fate was a game I had heard a lot about, but never got around to. The Switch is encouraging me to go back and pick up a lot of these titles, and this is one worth grabbing a hold of. Just be sure to watch the cards and choose your battles wisely, and you'll have a tale that will live on through the ages.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Hand of Fate 2 improves upon nearly every aspect of the original, providing diverse new challenges that help build the world around the Game of Life and Death. The new scenarios, the success checks that come with them, the companions, and new encounters and gear cards all add hundreds of unique touches to the game that make every card flip an experience.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Hand of Fate 2 is a well done sequel. It adds a lot more to the game while keeping things both familiar and fresh at the same time.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
3DNews
Nintendo Life
RPGamer
Gamer Escape
Nindie Spotlight
Cubed3
Push Square
NintendoWorldReport
GameWatcher
ZTGD…and 75 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Patch notes 1.9.3Jan 11, 2019
- Patch Notes 1.9.2Dec 19, 2018
- Hand of Fate 2: Face of War free update out now!Nov 19, 2018
- Patch notes 1.7.4Nov 9, 2018
- Patch notes 1.6.3Sep 22, 2018
- Patch notes 1.6.2Sep 14, 2018
- Patch notes 1.6.1Sep 13, 2018
- Hand of Fate 2 Modding Contest Starting September 17!Sep 11, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Combat Reforged!Sep 6, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 1.6.0Sep 6, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Steel yourself! Combat is getting an update in Hand of Fate 2!Aug 31, 2018significant · resets scoring window
- Patch notes 1.5.6Aug 9, 2018
- Patch notes 1.5.5Jul 17, 2018
- Patch notes 1.5.4Jul 5, 2018
- Patch notes 1.5.0-1.5.3Jun 26, 2018
- Patch notes 1.4.4 & 1.4.5May 25, 2018
- Patch notes 1.4.3May 24, 2018
- Patch notes 1.4.2May 15, 2018
- Patch notes 1.4.1May 14, 2018
- Patch notes 1.4.0May 9, 2018
- Patch notes 1.3.7Apr 30, 2018
- Patch notes 1.3.6Apr 20, 2018
- Patch notes 1.3.5Apr 18, 2018
- Patch Notes 1.3.4Apr 17, 2018
- Patch notes 1.3.3Apr 11, 2018
- Patch notes 1.3.2Apr 10, 2018
- Patch notes 1.3.2Apr 10, 2018
- Patch notes 1.2.8Feb 28, 2018
- Patch notes 1.2.8Feb 28, 2018
- Patch notes 1.2.7Feb 22, 2018
- Patch notes 1.2.7Feb 22, 2018
- Patch notes 1.2.6Feb 16, 2018
- Patch notes 1.2.6Feb 16, 2018
- Patch notes 1.2.5Feb 14, 2018
- Patch notes 1.2.5Feb 14, 2018
- Patch Notes 1.2.4Feb 13, 2018
- Patch Notes 1.2.4Feb 13, 2018
- Patch notes 1.2.3Feb 9, 2018
- Patch notes 1.2.3Feb 9, 2018
…and 34 earlier patch announcements.