Info about Moves Of The Diamond Hand:

Official game description:
Chapter 3 is out now: Welcome to Building 18
--------------------------------------------
The first major update since launch adds hours of new story and gameplay in a dilapidated, liminal apartment building full of the forgotten, plus the new **Moves system**, which turns dice duels into multi-round showdowns where every round breaks the rules. Existing saves carry over.
**Everyone wants a piece of Circus X. A clone of a century-old mayor is running for office. Someone called the Diamond Hand is playing every side. And you’re new in town, ready to take it all on.**
_Moves Of The Diamond Hand_ is a first-person narrative RPG **set in a surreal, jazz-drenched dystopian city, from Cosmo D, the developer of IGF Seumas McNally Grand Prize winner _Betrayal At Club Low_. Its dice-driven gameplay is deeper, the plot richer, and the scope grander than ever.**
A new day dawns in Off-Peak City. The legendary Circus X, an actual circus and artist crew of the highest caliber, is somehow back in town. And they’re ready to put on the show of a lifetime. You’ve arrived on the scene, ready to become a part of it and mint your destiny. But Circus X isn’t hiring, and there are plenty of people who want a piece of the Circus X magic (and money). To become part of this elite crew, you’ll need to figure out a way in. Sure, you have some leads, but you also have trouble.
This trouble arrives during the strangest mayoral election in the city’s history. One of the candidates isn’t even a real person, he’s the clone of a Mayor from a hundred years ago! The company that created him is betting on his success, but two rival candidates plan to stop him at all costs. To add to all this, someone called The Diamond Hand is playing all the sides against one another. No one knows who this Diamond Hand is or why they're causing trouble. But somehow you become enmeshed in this drama. Are you a potential collaborator, or a pawn in the Diamond Hand's game? Sure, you may be new to the neighborhood, but the Diamond Hand underestimates you. They all do.
Moves Of The Diamond Hand evokes the feel of a multi-session tabletop RPG experience. Your stats are all represented as dice. These dice offer opportunities for drama and strategy. Items are dice. Conditions are dice. Disguises are dice. These dice are all customizable in a myriad of different ways. Still, players have control over which dice to use, how to upgrade them and which ones they want to roll or keep close.
Chapter 3 introduces **Moves**: duels are now fought over multiple rounds, and each round comes with a rule-breaking twist. Roll between one and four, land a five or six, or beat your opponent by at least two. Choose four moves to bring into a duel, spend your health and nerve to use them, and plan around stacking conditions. Every round is still the dice drama you know, now with the pace and push-pull of turn-based combat.
The story unfolds over five chapters of dubby jazz noir mystery. And you, along with your dice, will determine how it all plays out, right up to the very end.
Three very different mayoral candidates offer stark points of view and personality. But their race for The Key to the City is as close as it gets. You will help determine the outcome of their contest. Your choices will shape your own destiny in the neighborhood, too. The game lets you decide who to side with, who to help and who to hinder.
This game’s setting immerses players in a surreal lived-in neighborhood. It's full of odd characters, each with their own agendas, perspectives, and secrets. Many of them have connections to previous Cosmo D games, but knowledge of those games is not required.
Cosmo D games put a premium on head-nodding music and thick atmosphere. This game continues to elevate the approach.
_Moves Of The Diamond Hand_ is releasing chapter by chapter in Early Access. Chapters 1 through 3 are playable now, with Chapters 4 and 5 to follow. Everyone who buys in Early Access gets every released chapter as soon as it’s ready, and you can opt into test branches to try new content ahead of schedule. Chapter 1 is available as a free demo.
We aim to keep the development process transparent and open to player feedback. All players will have access to a bug reporting and feedback menu in-game. Bug fixes, balance adjustments and quality-of-life improvements will be continuous. Your patience and trust in our process will help get this game finished on schedule and as good as it can be.

Release date: Apr 13, 2026

Categories: RPG, Dice-based Gameplay, Immersive Sim, First-Person Exploration, Surreal Exploration, Choice-based Narrative, Push-your-luck


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $10.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The reviews consistently describe the available content as strong value, especially for a surreal point-and-click experience with substantial worldbuilding and visual/sound design. Comments that the first two chapters warrant the price tag and that the game is worth the price of admission support a standard premium indie base-game price rather than a budget or AAA price. The repeated value-for-money language points to a fair range of roughly $10 to $20 USD.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 14.0h
  - Story completion: 7.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The 14-hour report states the player experienced most available Early Access content, supporting a gameCompletion estimate of about 14 hours for the current build. The translated Italian report says one playthrough lasted 7 hours, supporting a storyCompletion estimate of about 7 hours through the available chapters. No evidence clearly reports a typical session length or post-story endgame duration, so those metrics are null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Reviews describe immediate enjoyment from dice-roll skill checks, progression, and side quests, with one noting the game improves further over time. Enjoyment is especially likely for players who like TTRPG, walking sim, or surreal games, and no evidence identifies a required unlock before fun begins.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: N/A
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: N/A
  - Unlock drivers: N/A
  - Conditions: Affinity for TTRPG, walking sim, or surreal games
- Player Archetypes:
  - Cosmo D Franchise Continuity Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: Following Cosmo D's evolving series and comparing each new entry to prior works.
    - Playstyle: Plays new Cosmo D releases with earlier titles in mind, noting mechanical, camera, and design improvements.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: fan of Cosmo D's other works
    - Reference games: Betrayal at Club Low; Off-Peak
  - Surreal Atmosphere Immersionist (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiencing surreal art direction, music, and uncanny worldbuilding.
    - Playstyle: Immerses in audiovisual atmosphere with headphones and a large screen while seeking weird, dreamlike settings.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: weirdcore
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Probability Systems Optimizer (buy)
    - Motivation: Optimizing odds and building success through probability-driven mechanics.
    - Playstyle: Calculates probabilities, manages risk, and tunes choices to maximize successful outcomes.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Immersive-Sim World Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Exploring dense, small-scale worlds packed with interactive detail and story.
    - Playstyle: Explores semi-open, detail-dense environments and story-driven RPG systems at a deliberate pace.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: Deus Ex


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Unique dice mechanics with depth (weight 0.35): The dice-rolling system is praised for its integration with story and world, and its high expandability with new effects.
- Rich and surreal world (weight 0.27): The game's world is described as intriguing, insanely interesting, and unlike anything else, with surreal and ethereal vibes.
- Massive content and progression (weight 0.27): The game offers quadruple the progression of Betrayal at Club Low and is packed with content even in early access.
- Innovative and quirky mechanics (weight 0.23): Players appreciate the large quantity of new and interesting mechanics that blend CRPG and immersive sim elements.
- Best and biggest by Cosmo D (weight 0.22): Reviewers consider it the best and largest game from the developer, building on previous titles.
- Excellent soundtrack and audio (weight 0.2): Players consistently praise the high quality of the soundtrack and overall audio design, calling it perfect and great.
- Great atmosphere and visuals (weight 0.2): The game's atmosphere is repeatedly called amazing and fun, complemented by delightful visuals and art direction.
- Polished early access experience (weight 0.17): Despite being in early access, players report no bugs and a rich, deep experience from the first release.
- Excellent dialogue writing (weight 0.1): Dialogue is described as excellent and amazing, adding to the immersive experience.
- Funny and unique experience (weight 0.09): The game is frequently described as fun and funny, with a unique charm that stands out.
- Generous value for price (weight 0.09): Reviewers feel the game offers lots of bang for your buck, with quality and quantity generous for the price.

Common complaints:
- Incomplete Content (weight 0.24): Several players note the game is unfinished, with only the first two chapters available and missing pieces of content. Side quests are also not fully fleshed out yet.
- UI and Visual Inconsistencies (weight 0.19): The UI feels lackluster compared to Betrayal at Club Low, with out-of-place icons for attributes, inventory, and quest book. Font sizes are inconsistent, and the HUD font appears ugly or unfinished.
- Unbalanced Dice Mechanics (weight 0.14): Reviewers report that dice rolls can feel unfair, with victories often requiring a 5 or 6 and no guaranteed strategy. The start of the game can feel unfair due to this reliance on luck.
- Rough Early Access State (weight 0.14): The game is described as rough around the edges, consistent with its Early Access status. Developer notes are incomplete and block off some spots in the next area.
- Slow and Limited Start (weight 0.13): The beginning sequence is slow, and the first chapter is very limited. Some players found the start daunting due to the layout, history, and mechanics.
- Easily Breakable Progression (weight 0.1): Players find it too easy to scale dice, with excessive upgrade points and infinite point exploits. One-time-use items and reusable disguises allow brute forcing without strategy.
- Overwhelming Second Chapter (weight 0.1): The second chapter introduces many new locations, dice mechanics, and mayoral candidates, making it hard to take everything in. Players also have too much stuff and cash from mid chapter 2.
- Lackluster Music Variety (weight 0.09): The music could be more varied like in other games, and the game misses the bombardment by art and music present in Off-Peak or Norwood Suite.
- Roadblocks Deter Progression (weight 0.05): One reviewer hit too many roadblocks to want to continue playing. This suggests that certain obstacles may be overly frustrating.
- Underutilized Sandwiches (weight 0.05): A player felt that sandwiches were not used to their best abilities, indicating a missed opportunity in gameplay.

Gameplay feedback:
- Dice-rolling core gameplay (weight 0.99): The game heavily features dice rolling as a central mechanic for resolving actions and skill checks. Players can use various modifiers like items, disguises, and consumables to influence rolls, and failure often grants XP and allows reattempts.
- First-person open world exploration (weight 0.37): Players explore a surreal, semi-open city from a first-person perspective, discovering secrets and interacting with the world. The environment is dense with content and features interconnected areas, shortcuts, and verticality.
- Skills and XP progression (weight 0.37): The game features a skill system with around seven categories that can be improved using XP. XP is earned from successful rolls, failing rolls, and quests, and can be spent to upgrade dice or abilities.
- High player choice and freedom (weight 0.35): The game offers extensive freedom in how to approach situations, with multiple quest lines, routes, and solutions. Player choices feel impactful, and failure is a viable path that leads to different outcomes.
- Unique dice crafting and items (weight 0.34): Players can craft or acquire special dice based on food (pizza, sandwiches) and drinks, as well as disguises, to gain advantages. These items add depth and humor to the dice system.
- Chapter-based non-linear progression (weight 0.31): The story is divided into chapters, with a non-linear structure that allows players to explore and tackle objectives in various orders. After the introduction, the city opens up for free exploration.
- CRPG and immersive sim blend (weight 0.29): The game combines CRPG elements like skill checks, dialogue, and character progression with immersive sim-style exploration, stealth, and multiple solutions. It is often described as a hybrid of these genres.
- Expanded from previous games (weight 0.25): The mechanics and world are an expansion and refinement of the developer's earlier games, such as Betrayal at Club Low and Off-Peak City, with new features and a larger scope.
- Surreal and humorous setting (weight 0.19): The game is set in a surreal, DnD-like world with absurd elements like pizza-based dice and talking pigeons. The tone is quirky and experimental.
- Economy and inventory system (weight 0.19): Players manage money, items, disguises, and quests through an inventory and economy system, including loans, theft, and fines.
- Rich dialogue and narrative (weight 0.17): The game is dialogue-heavy with original, eloquent writing, and a story full of mystery and intrigue. Player choices and dialogue options are central to the experience.
- Side quests and hub areas (weight 0.13): There are numerous side quests and large quest hub areas to discover, encouraging exploration and interaction with the world.
- Quirky status effects and modifiers (weight 0.13): Status conditions like drunk, frustrated, embarrassed, and smug affect gameplay, often as a result of failures or actions. These add a layer of humorous realism and strategic consideration.
- Stealth and theft mechanics (weight 0.13): Players can use rudimentary stealth to pickpocket, evade patrolling characters, and access restricted areas. These mechanics integrate with the immersive sim design.
- Novel skill check sequences (weight 0.1): The game features unique push-your-luck sequences for activities like musical busking and political oration, adding variety to the core dice mechanics.
- Gambling and risk-taking (weight 0.09): The game involves gambling-like mechanics where player choices feel like gambles, and resources can be expended to influence outcomes.
- Flexible dialogue and stat management (weight 0.09): The dialogue system allows players to back out and update stats mid-conversation, and exploration interaction timing is player-chosen.
- Tutorial and XP grinding (weight 0.09): There is a tutorial level that allows XP grinding, and players can farm XP in multiple ways throughout the chapters.
- Character appearance and gender freedom (weight 0.05): Players can customize their character's appearance and gender freely, contributing to personal expression.
- Early access with updates (weight 0.05): The game is currently in early access and will receive further updates and content additions.

Performance notes:
- Good performance on integrated graphics (weight 0.06): Players report the game runs well even on Intel Iris integrated graphics, indicating solid optimization for lower-end hardware.
- Steam Deck compatibility praised (weight 0.06): The game works well on Steam Deck, making it a good option for portable play.

Recommendations:
- Worth buying and price justified (weight 0.3): Reviewers frequently state the game is worth the money and encourage purchase. The price is considered fair for the content provided.
- High recommendation for series fans (weight 0.27): Many reviewers recommend the game to those who enjoyed previous titles in the series. It is seen as a worthy continuation that builds on established strengths.
- Suited for surreal narrative game fans (weight 0.23): The game appeals to players who enjoy immersive, mechanically integrated narratives and surreal experiences. It is recommended for fans of unique storytelling.
- Strong recommendation from many players (weight 0.23): Multiple reviewers give a confident recommendation, some calling it one of the best indie RPGs. It is highly praised for its quality.
- Fans of Cosmo D will enjoy (weight 0.23): Players familiar with Cosmo D's other games will find this one delivers as expected. It is recommended for those who appreciate the developer's style.
- Newcomers should play previous titles (weight 0.2): Reviewers advise new players to start with the original game or other titles first to better appreciate this one. Series veterans recommend playing older releases before this.
- Try the free demo first (weight 0.17): Several reviewers suggest trying the free demo if unsure about purchasing. The demo helps players decide if the game suits their taste.
- Support developer Cosmo D (weight 0.17): Some reviewers encourage buying the game to support Cosmo D, even if waiting for the full release. The developer's other works are also praised and recommended.
- Unique visual and sound design praised (weight 0.1): The game is recommended for its distinctive visual design, sound design, and worldbuilding. It stands out for its unique aesthetic.
- Worth it even if unfinished (weight 0.1): Some reviewers would recommend the game even if it was never finished, indicating strong appreciation for its current state. The unfinished nature does not detract from the experience.
- Early access content worth the price (weight 0.1): The two chapters available in early access are considered worth the price by several reviewers. The content justifies the cost even before full release.
- Recommended for point-and-click enthusiasts (weight 0.06): Players who enjoy point-and-click games with rich visual and audio elements will appreciate this title. It offers a compelling experience for genre fans.
- Recommended for Disco Elysium concepts fans (weight 0.06): Players who liked the concepts behind Disco Elysium and wished for something weirder will enjoy this game. It appeals to those seeking unconventional narrative experiences.
- Everyone should give it a shot (weight 0.06): A reviewer recommends that everyone try the game, noting a demo is available. The broad recommendation suggests wide appeal.
- Great for probability and betting fans (weight 0.05): The game is a good pick for those who like probabilities and strategic betting mechanics. It appeals to players who enjoy calculated risks.
- Headphones and large screen enhance atmosphere (weight 0.05): One reviewer highly recommends playing with headphones and on a large screen to fully appreciate the game's atmosphere. This setup enhances immersion.
- Highly recommend Moves of the Diamond Hand (weight 0.05): One reviewer specifically highly recommends Moves of the Diamond Hand. The game is singled out for praise.
- Recommended for TTRPG and walking sim fans (weight 0.05): The game is recommended for lovers of tabletop RPGs, walking simulators, and surreal games. It caters to niche interests within those genres.
- Free Off Peak suggested for vibes (weight 0.05): A reviewer suggests downloading Off Peak for free on Steam and playing at sunset to soak in the vibes before trying other Cosmo D games. It serves as a mood-setting introduction.
- Jump in right away recommended (weight 0.05): One reviewer recommends jumping into the game right away without hesitation. The immediate engagement is encouraged.

Other player notes:
- Early access state (weight 0.43): The game is currently in early access, with an unfinished build and more content planned. Many reviewers note that it is not yet complete.
- Compared to Betrayal at Club Low (weight 0.39): Reviewers frequently compare the game to Betrayal at Club Low, noting that it expands on its mechanics and worldbuilding. Some find it more linear but with improved features.
- Chapter-based release (weight 0.37): Content is released in chapters, with only the first two or three chapters available in early access. The full game is planned to have multiple chapters released over time.
- Full release planned (weight 0.22): A full version of the game is anticipated in the coming months, with more updates and content planned before final release.
- Part of Cosmo D catalog (weight 0.2): The game is recognized as part of Cosmo D's series of games, including Off-Peak, The Norwood Suite, and Betrayal at Club Low. It is considered an instant classic by some.
- Larger than previous games (weight 0.09): Compared to the developer's earlier titles, this game features more locations and features, making it significantly larger in scope.
- Demo available (weight 0.09): A demo is available for the game, allowing players to try it before purchasing.
- Aesthetic compared to previous games (weight 0.09): The game's aesthetics are compared to other Cosmo D games, with some describing it as three notches above them.
- Off-Peak free to play (weight 0.08): Off-Peak (2015), a related game, is free to play on Steam.

Emotions:
- Excitement (weight 0.14): Players are excited by the unique dice-rolling mechanics and immersive world, finding joy in discovering great dice combinations before skill checks. They also eagerly anticipate full release and future chapters, with many drawn in by YouTube gameplay and the game's large scope and many quest lines.
- Admiration (weight 0.14): Players admire the game's music, atmosphere, and storytelling, often describing it as a masterpiece and the developer's peak. The unique blend of walking sim and CRPG with jazzy style, subtle writing, and commitment to ongoing support are highly praised.
- Appreciation (weight 0.08): Players appreciate the effort to include gamepad support, whimsical writing, and unique encounters. They value the game's distinct style, freedom in exploration and dice mechanics, and the complex yet fun gameplay upgrades from past games.
- Anticipation (weight 0.06): Players are eagerly awaiting more content, including future chapters and updates to the early access build. The desire to see the game's development progress and experience additional content drives this anticipation.
- Frustration (weight 0.05): Frustration arises from dice balance issues, where rolls often require 5 or 6 with no guaranteed strategy, and some dice rolls feel unfair. Players also feel stuck due to roadblocks in the demo and incomplete developer notes blocking areas, plus UI inconsistencies.
- Love (weight 0.05): Players express love for the game's compelling stories, top-tier art, and brilliant dice and disguise system. The evolution of mechanics from Club Low and the developer's vision and characters are deeply cherished.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Enjoyment comes from the dice roll skill check and progression mechanics, as well as the give-and-take of optimizing rolls through skills, items, and disguises. The surreal world exploration, atmosphere, story, and characters are all insanely fun and rewarding.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.05): Satisfaction is felt when mechanics click after taking notes and grasping the systems, and as the game becomes more manageable with improved dice. The ability to fiddle with mechanics to an nth degree and the surreal blend of elements deliver on expectations.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.05): Enthusiasm is driven by the large amounts of content and immersive sim gameplay, along with new mechanics and an interesting world. The improved dice effects, deck-building-like dice system, artistic quality, and deeper level design all contribute.
- Engagement (weight 0.04): Players are engaged by the coherent surreal world and rewarding RPG progression, where choices have sway and the context matters. Being hooked on many side quest concepts and the story keeps them invested despite roadblocks.
- Delight (weight 0.02): Delight comes from the game's atmosphere and expanded scope compared to a previous title, as well as investing time in the absurd world created by Archie Pelago. Playing the game and seeing it evolve brings joy.
- Interest (weight 0.02): Interest is sparked by the untapped genre combination of walking sim and gambling, the surreal world, and great writing. There is enough going on to keep players intrigued.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Amusement arises from the game being wildly weird but fantastically coherent, and from quirky elements like the Mephisto pepper sandwich raising heart rate. The absurdity and coherence blend into humorous moments.
- Eagerness (weight 0.02): Eagerness is fueled by waiting for more content updates and the strong desire to continue playing the game. Players are keen to see what comes next.
- Daunting (weight 0.01): Daunting feelings stem from the open-world RPG requiring players to learn the layout, history, and mechanics. The complexity and scale can be intimidating initially.
- Overwhelmed (weight 0.01): Overwhelm occurs when the second chapter opens up many new locations, dice mechanics, and mayoral candidates. The sudden expansion of options and information can feel overwhelming.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Addiction is driven by the rich and flexible gameplay that keeps introducing new elements, keeping players hooked and wanting more. The constant evolution of mechanics sustains engagement.
- Surprise (weight 0.01): Surprise is caused by the unbelievable amount of content, especially compared to Club Low. The sheer volume and quality exceed expectations.
- Awe (weight 0.01): Awe is inspired by the amazing art direction and music, which create a stunning and memorable experience. The visual and auditory craftsmanship leaves players in wonder.
- Immersion (weight 0.01): Immersion is achieved by being dropped into the middle of an election plot and exploring freely, making players feel fully absorbed in the game's world. The open-ended exploration and narrative draw them in.}