Note to press: Hero’s Hand is playable with the developers at GDC 2025. To schedule an appointment to check out the game, please reply to this email.

Play Your Cards Right in Hero’s Hand, a New Poker-Based Roguelike RPG Adventure

Fight enemies inspired by D&D and other beloved fantasy worlds in this strategic deckbuilder, launching on PC & consoles in 2026

RALEIGH, N.C.— March 17, 2025 — Villain Games HQ is thrilled to unveil Hero’s Hand, a genre-bending roguelike RPG fueled by poker-inspired puzzle combat, coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam in 2026. Travel through beautiful hand-drawn environments, gather cards to build a poker hand, and take down enemies inspired by Dungeons & Dragons as you level up, collect items, and grow stronger with each run.

Reveal Trailer: YouTube
Press Kit: Download

“When we first scribbled ‘poker-based RPG’ on a whiteboard back in 2019, we never expected it to spark such hilarious chaos,” said Randy Greenback, Creative Director at Villain Games. “But once our prototype had the team howling over insane card combos, we knew Hero’s Hand had to become a reality. Getting to relaunch Villain with the passion we have for this game is definitely next level!”

When darkness takes over Cardunia, it’s up to you to solve its mysteries, confront the evil, and find a way to bring back peace to the world. Along the way, you’ll explore the lands, meet new friends, find ancient weapons, cast spells, use potions, and die in combat… a lot! With each run, you’ll grow stronger, master your skills and eventually tear through monsters to take on the Dark Wizard.

Poker Meets Dungeon-Crawling

Hero’s Hand challenges you to strategically move across each board, grabbing cards to form flushes, straights, or four-of-a-kind combos for massive damage. Whether you’re using overpowered Fortune Items, upgrading your loadout, or weaving together synergy from potions and spells, you’ll forge your own path through random encounters and ever-tougher enemies.

Key Features

• Roguelike Adventure & Narrative: Journey across eight uniquely themed worlds, battle your way through Death’s Tower, and grow stronger each time you fall. A layered story unfolds through comedic encounters and sub-boss showdowns.
• Poker-Based Combat: Build your poker hand on the fly by moving about the board to collect cards for devastating combos. Cleverly use spells, potions, and the wheel of Fortuna to amplify your poker hands and tip the odds in your favor.
• Endless Replayability: Explore procedurally generated maps, face unpredictable events, and discover secret portals teeming with new challenges. No two runs are ever the same.
• Menagerie of Mayhem: Brace yourself for an outrageous cast of Dungeons & Dragons-inspired baddies — from trollish brutes to flamboyant dragons. Each monstrous misfit boasts unique attacks and cunning board effects guaranteed to keep your hero on his toes.
• Fortune Favors the Overkill: Defeat enemies to earn XP, gold and items, and gather rare equipment to outfit your hero for bigger and bolder combos on subsequent runs.

Hero’s Hand is coming to PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam in 2026. Wishlist it today on Steam! For more information, follow along on X, Bluesky, TikTok,  Instagram, and Discord.

About Villain Games HQ

With roots dating back to the acclaimed iOS shooter Archetype, the team at Villain Games HQ has consistently aimed to surprise players with innovative mechanics and memorable art. Today, Dane Baker and crew are reawakening the Villain moniker and the ethos, to push the boundaries of ‘play’ on PC, console, mobile and VR. https://www.villainhq.com

Media Contact

Dan Ketterer
Sandbox Strategies for Villain Games
dan@sandboxstrat.com
www.sandboxstrat.com