Out of Hands Card RPG Grapples With Loss And Grief
Available on PC from April 22, 2025, Out of Hands is an emotionally charged card RPG that delivers a powerful narrative about loss, memory, and the search for identity after a tragedy. This is acclaimed game producer Zeyu Yang’s first solo development project under the Game River studio’s umbrella.
At its core, Out of Hands is a roguelite card-based combat game with elements that border something that could only be described as coming from the mind of filmmaker David Lynch. Unlike traditional deckbuilders, the cards in the game are manifestations of emotions, tools for survival, and fragments of a broken mind.
“The game features a complete storyline, carefully crafted side quests, and map exploration. While enjoying the strategic thrill of card-based battles, players will also experience the RPG progression of growing stronger by overcoming enemies,” the studio said in a press release. “Your exploration progress and narrative choices will shape the game’s ultimate ending.”
The Mechanics of Memory And Pain
Players must use cards with pens, scissors, and even rulers to fight off physical embodiments of inner demons such as Remorse, Panic, and Loneliness. Each turn is a mental compromise, a step deeper into a landscape shaped by loss.
It’s also possible to upgrade parts of the protagonist’s face, which itself is made of grasping, expressive hands. These upgrades unlock new strategies and symbolize the way grief distorts identity. The more the face changes, the more surreal it gets.
Out of Hands consists of four specific nightmares to explore. Each realm is meant to challenge the protagonist’s once-familiar memories, and confront bizarre entities born from negative emotions.
Unsettling Art Direction
The most striking feature about the game is its unsettling art direction. Out of Hands uses real video footage and photo collages to construct characters, cards, and environments. Images of human hands stitched into expressions, scenes, and bizarre characters reminiscent of a serial killer’s scrapbook sets the stage.
Its raw, fragile, yet somehow intimate atmosphere, blends dream logic with psychological realism. It’s not always clear if the world is real or imagined; A reflection of the protagonist’s unstable emotional state.
As the game progresses, the truth behind the emotional turmoil is revealed to stem from the loss of a loved one. A powerful message that sets Out of Hands apart from other games in the same genre.
An Award-Winner Long Before Its Release
Born from the XD Indie Camp in 2021, Out of Hands has earned praise for its creative direction and originality. It won Best Game and Best Creative Direction at the event and has continued to attract attention for its unusual blend of horror, storytelling, and deckbuilding.
Upon its release, it joins a small but growing list of games like Gris, Celeste, To the Moon, and What Remains of Edith Finch that tackle mental health and grief through interactive storytelling.