March is shaping up to be a strong month for new releases. Several titles are gearing up for launch, and one of them is Handmancers. 58BLADES is launching the first-person roguelite deckbuilder in Early Access in March.
The game features a basic idea. Every encounter is built on Rock, Paper, Scissors signs, but the game treats that counter loop like a combat engine. You pick a sign, read what the enemy is about to do, and try to set up punishes.
The deckbuilding sits on top of that loop, changing how each sign behaves, how it chains into follow-ups, and what kind of risk you take to secure a win.
A big part of the identity is the first-person viewpoint and the idea that your hand is your weapon. Cards are not just attacks. They modify gestures. You collect, upgrade, and combine them over a run to shape a build that solves specific problems the enemy roster throws at you. Some of those upgrades can stack multiple modifiers on a single card, pushing a basic sign choice into a loaded move with extra rules attached.
Heavy plays can cause cramps that limit your options until you recover. You can spend big to try to end a fight early, or keep your hand functional for the longer route, where enemies and bosses have more time to force mistakes.
Corruption is the other system the studio keeps putting front and center. It spreads across the map and offers power with consequences, twisting encounters as you push deeper. Corruption can even introduce a fourth element that breaks the normal three-sign logic, which turns “safe” counter play into something you have to re-evaluate on the fly.
For the Early Access build, the plan is to ship with multiple heroes and subclasses, boss fights, full progression systems, and a mode called Corruption Delving that lets you intentionally crank difficulty as you move forward. The deeper you delve, the higher the Corruption escalates, with the promise of a final boss for players willing to keep raising the stakes.
Customization is built around Gems and Artifacts, with Gems reshaping sign effects and Artifacts pushing synergies that can change how a run plays out.
Early Access is currently planned to run for around six months. During that period, the team is aiming to expand content with another playable character, new enemies and events, plus general improvements like UX work, effects, localization, and bug fixing.
A playtest trailer and a release date trailer are already up, and there is also a free Steam demo available for anyone who wants a feel for the counter-based flow before March 9, 2026.
