What would you say if the words 'Collectible card game', 'Batman-style combat' and 'Choose your own adventure' popped up on a screen? Well, for those of you who've stayed (and are suitably excited), welcome to Hand of Fate; a really neat little indie title that sees you sitting down to do battle against a mystical ancient antagonist, amassing deck of powerful cards to take him down. Comprised of weapons, items, choices to be made and more, the really great stuff comes when you encounter an enemy card, as suddenly the screen fades to black, your character springs up out of their paper-based frame, before your armour and item cards warp into view and slot themselves into place, Iron Man-style. It's an incredibly subtle effect, but something Magic: The Gathering fans have been yearning for in that franchises' respective instalments for years. From there on in it's a case of beating these randomly-generated card concoctions, the ending of a run will net you one boss card you can claim forever. Collect the lot and you've beaten the game; there's no story to worry about or get involved in, instead this no-nonsense setup with a wandering sage challenging any and all to a game of life or death makes for a refreshing and rewarding adventure that really deserves more praise.
