HANDS/OVER
Checked November 3, 2026Wishlist ↗
Three players sit around the tooth trap, with a pale figure visible behind them.
GuidesPre-releaseEditorial analysis, clearly labeled

HANDS OVER guides: start with the table

A small, deliberate guide library for a game that has not launched yet.

Last verified: November 3, 2026Independent fan project · Not affiliated with ArtDock

Screenshot: ArtDock, via the official Steam page.

On this page +

HANDS OVER has a small public rule set and a large social surface. That makes a good guide library small and specific: explain the loop, explain the cards, explain the devices, and explain what the game still refuses to tell us.

This page is the index. Every guide below is written for a real question, not for a keyword. Pages are added when there is enough confirmed information to support them.

Start in this order

  1. Read the game overview. It explains the table loop, the co-op/competitive split and the failure states.
  2. Read the beginner’s guide. It covers the first session, card discipline and the mistakes that are easy to avoid.
  3. Try the demo. It is the only official way to test the social loop before launch.
  4. Check the release page and Early Access page if you are deciding whether to buy at launch.

What is here now

The current library covers:

  • The game’s premise and match loop.
  • The free demo and how to play it.
  • The confirmed influence-card functions.
  • The devices visible in official material.
  • Player count, online play and crossplay status.
  • PC requirements.
  • Release timing and Early Access plans.

What comes after launch

The following pages are planned only when the information exists:

  • Challenge-specific guides with official names and rules.
  • An influence-card database with real card text.
  • A progression and unlock guide.
  • Patch notes and balance history.
  • A crossplay and console-status page when ArtDock makes a statement.

If a page is not here, it is because the source material is not here yet. That is a feature, not a gap to fill with filler.

How to read the evidence labels

Every page carries one of three labels:

  • Official information, cross-checked: the claim appears in an official source and is consistent across sources.
  • Confirmed and unconfirmed details are separated: the page contains both, and marks the difference.
  • Editorial analysis, clearly labeled: the page contains advice or interpretation, not just facts.

The full methodology is on the editorial policy page, and the claim-by-claim ledger is on the sources page.

Reference trail

Sources for this page

Open the source ledger

These links support the factual claims on this page. The full claim-by-claim ledger lives on the sources page.

  1. 01
    HANDS OVER store page — Steam / ArtDock, May 27, 2026 · Store

    Release date, Early Access FAQ, mature content description, minimum requirements, supported languages, and store description.

  2. 02
    HANDS OVER Demo store page — Steam / ArtDock, Oct 15, 2026 · Store

    Demo availability, demo description, review snapshot, and demo system requirements.

  3. 03
    HANDS OVER Is Coming to Early Access — ArtDock / Steam, Sep 17, 2026 · Official

    Early Access announcement and the studio’s content-expansion intentions.

The full route

Pick your next page

First-person view of a green-lit table device with a red spiked ball, chains, and a hand reaching toward it.
Guides

HANDS OVER beginner’s guide: how to survive your first table

A pre-release playbook for the first five-player session — with every piece of advice labeled as analysis, not tested fact.

Read
A player holds a battered doll while a giant tooth trap sits open on the table.
Release & demo

HANDS OVER demo guide: what is included and how to play

A free five-player slice of the table, live since October 15, 2026 — and still the best way to test the social tension.

Read
A hand reaches across a wooden table toward illustrated cards, with a cat and other players nearby.
Mechanics

HANDS OVER influence cards: confirmed effects and open questions

The card layer turns a luck game into a table of bluffing, protection and sabotage. Here is what ArtDock has described — and what it has not.

Read
Four players hold knives pointed into a green-lit brass device at the center of a round table.
Mechanics

HANDS OVER challenges and devices: what we know

The tooth trap is confirmed. Other devices are visible in official screenshots, but their names and rules are still locked.

Read
Overhead view of five players seated around a round wooden table with a mechanical device in the center.
Mechanics

HANDS OVER multiplayer: player count, online play and crossplay

Five seats, online play, and a crossplay question ArtDock has not answered.

Read
Close-up of a blood-spattered stylized character in a dark barn holding a small glowing object.
Release & demo

HANDS OVER PC system requirements

The published minimum is modest. The recommended tier, storage size and Steam Deck status are still missing.

Read
Overhead view of five players seated around a round wooden table with a mechanical device in the center.
Release & demo

HANDS OVER release date: November 13, 2026

The current Steam date, the date it replaced, and the parts of the launch that still have no schedule.

Read
A large stylized man in a bloodstained apron holding a cleaver, with a smaller man behind him in a barn.
Release & demo

HANDS OVER Early Access: content, roadmap and 1.0 plans

A 6–12 month work-in-progress launch, with more challenges, cards, characters and customization planned.

Read
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