Hand of Fate 2 adds Dealer companion and outlines 2018 expansion plans

One of deck-building RPG Hand of Fate 2's most memorable characters—the enigmatic, taunting dealer—is now available as a player companion thanks to a free update. You'll unlock the dealer once you've completed the game's final challenge, and he'll provide long-range support in the hack-and-slash combat segments alongside plenty of witty insults throughout your dungeon-crawling campaign.

He was a major part of the first game but, as Eric wrote in his review, was a little sidelined in the follow-up, so this is a good way to bring him back to centre stage. To find him, head to the new 'additional content' menu and hit 'claim'. The Dealer's Apprentice add-on also includes fresh Dealer-themed customisation options for your character, which are available to anyone starting a new game.

Alongside the update, developer Defiant Development outlined their plans to expand the game in 2018. The main addition will be a Endless Mode that will offer "fresh challenges and a ton of new unlockables", but there's a number of smaller additions in the works too, including a new enemy faction, more companion characters, and weapons.

Eric was impressed with the game when it released last month. Its combat isn't great, but it tells a good story and building the perfect deck is satisfying. If it sounds like your cup of tea, it's £21.41/$26.99 on Steam, which includes a 10% discount.

Samuel is a freelance journalist and editor who first wrote for PC Gamer nearly a decade ago. Since then he's had stints as a VR specialist, mouse reviewer, and previewer of promising indie games, and is now regularly writing about Fortnite. What he loves most is longer form, interview-led reporting, whether that's Ken Levine on the one phone call that saved his studio, Tim Schafer on a milkman joke that inspired Psychonauts' best level, or historians on what Anno 1800 gets wrong about colonialism. He's based in London.