5 OUT OF 5 HANDS!

Won’t even lie, this is my GOTY

This game is exceptionally charming, doesn't overstay its welcome, and changes up the gameplay frequently enough that I never found myself getting bored.
Every time I experienced a new mechanic or won a fight I found myself letting out a cheer. Each new card delighted me to the point that I couldn't help but smile.
I thought I was done with card games but Out of Hands has reinvigorated my love of the genre.

Such a great card game. Really cool ♥♥♥♥. AI stuff does exist but it does not bother me. I guess im built different. No one will be built as same as me because they are [Out of Hands] that build me.

interesting game, im a fan of its mixed media approach although im a bit irked on some of the assets used in this game. but regardless, i like the story of you, a man trying to overcome the grief of losing someone they actually really love . the way it was executed and presented feels so unique. i wish this game was actually longer than what it is right now but regardless, it is worth of a wait. I really like how a lot of the dialogue in this game sounds really poetic, its like re-experiencing disco elysium type of writing again.

ps. i love the stop motion look of the menu of the game, its so cute and interesting.

This is a masterpiece made with heart and soul.
Amazing fun gem.

Game is critically amazing.

Pro Tip/minor spoiler - Don't remove cursed cards from your deck until you know you've go 20 silver to get them back in it.

It’s hard to believe that one person was behind the high level of polish in both the visuals and the gameplay of this title. Even the claymation stop-motion was done by the same individual. Yang Zeyu proves himself to be a truly talented game developer. The intensely stylized aesthetic blends seamlessly with the gameplay experience. Once immersed in the story, players may even forget that this is a world made out of hands.

This game follows a card-RPG format similar to Inscryption. Its card design is both unique and humorous. Not only are the card images based on real-life photography, but the skills often directly reflect the visuals. For example, the ping pong paddle bounces damage to another target when damage overflows. These clever details are found throughout the game.

Cards can also be customized by the player, adding to the overall fun. In terms of randomness, there is a "Nightmare Level" system that rises as the player explores further. It curses commonly used cards with debuffs or removes them from your deck, adding a dynamic challenge to every run.

The most eye-catching part of Out of Hands is undoubtedly its art style. Just one look leaves a deep impression—a majestic and unsettling visual experience. In fact, the visuals could be considered the core of the game, with the gameplay playing a supporting role.

It’s fascinating to learn that this presentation style originated from a small competition prompt and the developer's lack of budget for a visual artist, leading to the decision to use photographed physical objects.

You’ll find elements pulled from Cthulhu mythos, the Old Testament, Junji Ito, and many literary and game references—such as Easter eggs referencing Inscryption and Slay the Spire.

Despite the chaotic mix of influences, it all blends naturally into a story about love and death. Not only does it avoid feeling disjointed, but everything feels surprisingly coherent. This is an impressive example of how cultural absorption and transformation can create something truly unique.

I especially appreciate the sense of humor found in the card design and how the game doesn’t artificially extend playtime. You aren’t forced to replay over and over just to unlock the full ending. The experience is respectful to the player’s time.

Bug reporting and fixes are also handled quickly, showing how much Yang Zeyu cares about the game.

Even though I thoroughly enjoyed the game, there are still a few minor flaws worth noting:

1. Music
I’m not an expert in music, so I usually judge by whether it feels distracting or annoying. Most of the soundtrack is enjoyable, and some boss tracks are creative. However, a few tracks are overly intense or noisy, which can be jarring during a game that requires deep thinking.

2. Difficulty Balance
The Nightmare Level system adds random negative effects to cards, like health loss or removal from the deck. While you can use matches to lower the level, ironically, keeping the Nightmare Level high actually makes the game easier. You earn more gold and cursed cards become stronger. This somewhat defeats the purpose of an otherwise clever mechanic.

3. Card Depth
I understand it’s unfair to expect perfect balance and depth from a solo-developed card game. However, variety is a big part of what card game fans look for. While there are a few interesting builds, the range of mechanics and strategies feels limited.

4. UI Design
The game’s early UI lacks clarity. At the beginning, clicking during a lightning flash instantly starts the game, but options like save, bug report, or settings aren’t immediately visible. These are important and should be more accessible.

5. Story Pacing
Don’t worry—no spoilers here. The core idea of the story tries to explore is something I respect, but I feel the pacing could be improved. The central mystery is too easy to guess early on, making the midgame dialogue with NPCs lose their sense of mystery. If the mystery had been hidden longer, the final emotional payoff would have landed better.

This is a very worthwhile title, and I give it a 7/10.

Though not lengthy, the content is fresh and creative, with a distinct humor and art direction that gives it real personality. The price may seem high, but I believe it’s worth it to support an indie creator directly.

You can really feel the passion and effort Yang Zeyu poured into this game. To me, that’s the most important value in indie games: the freedom to create the project you truly want, express what’s in your heart, and pay homage to the works you love.

Every great indie title helps pave the way for others. And Yang Zeyu, with this project, has become one of those trailblazers.

So I chose to buy it at full price as a sign of support. But if you’re not particularly interested in game development, feel free to wait for a discount—it’s still absolutely worth picking up.

I hope Out of Hands succeeds and gives Yang Zeyu the opportunity to create even more amazing games.


難以想像作者僅憑一人之力，便完成了如此高完成度的美術與玩法，連黏土定格動畫也是由同一人製作。Yang Zeyu 證明了自己是一位優秀的遊戲創作者，極度個性化的美術風格與遊戲內容高度一致，當玩家投入劇情後，竟會忘記這是一個 萬手組成的世界。

本作採用類似《Inscryption》的卡牌 RPG 遊戲模式，卡牌設計獨特又帶有幽默感。不只卡面使用實物拍攝，連技能設計也與卡片圖像有聯繫。例如：乒乓球拍的技能就是在造成溢傷後，如同乒乓球般彈射向其他目標。這類巧思在遊戲中處處可見。

卡片還能讓玩家自訂設計，增添了不少樂趣。而在隨機性方面，本作有「噩夢等級」系統，會隨探索進度不斷升高，詛咒玩家常用卡片，使其附加負面效果，甚至從牌組中移除，為整體戰術增加變數。

Out of Hands 最吸睛的絕對是它的美術風格。只要看過一次，便難以忘懷這份神聖又壯觀的視覺衝擊。甚至可以說，美術才是本作的主體，遊戲性反而像是附屬。

難以想像這樣的表現形式，竟源自一場比賽的題目，再加上作者欠缺資金聘請美術設計師，才轉向實拍呈現。你可以在作品中看到作者融合了許多元素——克蘇魯神話、舊約聖經、伊藤潤二，以及許多文學與遊戲致敬，像是《Inscryption》和《Slay the Spire》的彩蛋關卡。

這些元素交織出了獨特詭譎的風格，但令人讚嘆的是，如此風格竟能自然地融入一段關於「愛與死亡」的劇情中，不但不突兀，甚至處處契合。這或許就是所謂「吸收與內化」的極致體現。

我特別喜歡作者在卡牌設計中展現出的幽默感，也很欣賞遊戲不會刻意拉長流程逼迫玩家重玩多次才能解鎖完整結局。整體設計非常人性化，對玩家友善。

此外，對 BUG 的反饋與處理速度也很快，這更能體現 Yang Zeyu 對自己作品的關心與熱情。

即使我非常喜歡這款遊戲，仍覺得有幾個小缺點，大致如下：

1. 音樂
我對音樂並不專業，判斷標準通常是會不會出戲或讓人煩躁。大部分配樂我都喜歡，某些 Boss 的戰鬥曲也很有創意。但有些曲目節奏過於激昂或吵雜，在需要思考的遊戲環境中會讓人分心。

2. 遊戲難度 遊戲中有個「噩夢等級」系統，會導致卡牌被詛咒，使用時會扣血，或從牌組中移除。雖然可以用火柴降低噩夢等級，但事實上保留噩夢等級反而更容易通關——因為會獲得更多金幣，詛咒卡牌也會同時變強。這讓這個原本有潛力的系統變得有些可惜。

3. 卡牌深度
我能理解幾乎一人完成的作品難以兼顧平衡與深度。但卡牌玩法的多樣性對卡牌玩家來說是重要樂趣之一，而本作的玩法雖有創意，但總量和變化仍顯不足。

4. UI 設計 遊戲開頭的 UI 指引不夠清晰。閃電落下時可以立刻直接點擊進入遊戲，但其他功能（如存檔、BUG 回報、設定）此時仍未顯示，而這些又是相當重要的功能。

5. 劇情節奏
我不會劇透，放心。劇情想探討的主題沒問題，我的意見主要在節奏安排上。我認為遊戲的核心懸念太早就被玩家猜到，導致中段 NPC 的故弄玄虛顯得無效，削弱了結尾的情感衝擊。如果核心懸念能隱藏得久一點，整體節奏會更好。

這是一款值得推薦的好作品，我給它 7/10。

雖然流程不算長，但內容新奇有趣，搭配作者獨特的幽默感與美術風格，整體體驗非常獨特。雖然價格偏高，但我認為原價入手可以當作對創作者的支持。

畢竟你能在遊戲中感受到 Yang Zeyu 傾注的熱情與心血。這也是我認為獨立遊戲最重要的價值：自由地創造出自己想完成的作品，真誠地表達自己想傳達的內容，並也能向喜歡的作品致敬。

正是這些優秀的創作者與作品，為未來的獨立遊戲鋪路。而如今的 Yang Zeyu，也成為了鋪路者之一。

所以我選擇原價購買表達支持。但如果你對遊戲產業沒有特別興趣，也可以等特價時再入手，我仍認為這款作品絕對值得一試。

我也期待《Out of Hands》的成功，能讓 Yang Zeyu 帶來更多精彩的作品。

The game gives you a lot of freedom when it comes to making your deck, and choosing the sub abilities you can use with it(your mirror and hands). The progression is steady, and you can feel you deck getting stronger as you progress. I'd say there's only two artifcats(the items you use in battle) that I'd say are outright broken, but you don't get em till late game anyway.
The items are so broken the deer boss fight outright nerfs the hell outta the two items and I don't think it does that with anything else in the game lol. But it is a cheap way to make the fight harder, and you don't get your energy back so...

The story is solid. I feel like it gets the job done well enough that you don't totally disassociate with the the narrative, but not good enough that it's a big reason you care to progress further. I feel like they spent too much time re-iterating the same stuff of "Oh you pushed her away!" "You're repeating the cycle" "It's all pointless." Not super annoying, but it was a little tired.

1. That Roots and Box fight is WAYYY too hard. Even when I replayed it, I found it challenging to complete. I suggest reducing the amount of times the Roots move the Box, or reduce the hp by 3-5 of all the Roots.
2. Maybe give some hints on how to get some of the secrets after getting all the endings/artifacts/faces. I had no idea on a few like the morbius strip achievement, or getting the eyes from an optional boss fight in the mystery route.
3. For the Awful Dream achievement, please change the wording to,"...reduce your heart's max hp to 1." opposed to "by 1." It's a bit confusing and isn't accurate to what you have to do.
4.Please remove the AI. The game looks so good and the AI is like 1% of the actual game art/animation. I hate for you to lose sales because of a very avoidable choice.

The game itself is very fun, almost addicting to keep progressing your deck and seeing the other battles. The story is solid, but I found most of my fun through the gameplay. I enjoyed 100%ing the game, and look forward to future projects by this developer.

Very abstract and bizarre. Excellent foreshadowing of the twist. Have only done one ending so far, and it was maybe a little abrupt? But I'm curious to see the other endings, and the gameplay, art design and music are all great, so will 100% be replaying.