Moves of the Diamond Hand: A Weird Dice-RPG Adventure in Early Access
Cosmo D's "Moves of the Diamond Hand" is an early access dice-based RPG set in the bizarre Off-Peak City, where players roll dice for nearly every action. It blends absurd humor, deep mechanics, and a mysterious story that won't be complete until 2027.
Musician and game designer Cosmo D has released "Moves of the Diamond Hand" in Early Access on PC, macOS, and SteamOS, including Steam Deck. The game is a first-person RPG with a distinct visual style reminiscent of early 2000s immersive sims, featuring blocky environments and surreal character designs.
Players arrive in Off-Peak City, a neon-drenched metropolis controlled by sinister corporations and corrupt politicians. The goal is to join a secretive arts organization called Circus X, but the path is anything but straightforward. Players can choose from various paths, such as running for city council, crafting the perfect sandwich, or joining a band.
The core gameplay revolves around dice rolling. Seven stats – including standard ones like Physique and Observation, and quirky ones like Cooking and Music – each have an upgradeable die. Challenges require matching or beating a die roll. Additional sub-mechanics like cooking, music performance, disguise laundering, and cocktail mixing add more dice with special properties. Players can selectively re-roll dice like in Yahtzee, adding strategy. This system evolves from Cosmo D's previous game, "Betrayal at Club Low".
The story involves a local election between a scandal-ridden technocrat, a former boy-band star, and a cloned mayor. Everyone is scheming for control of a sentient Big Mouth Billy Bass, while the mysterious Diamond Hand pulls strings. The game tackles themes like corporate control over art and the nature of consciousness, but with a humorous and absurd tone.
Currently, only the first two of six chapters are available, with the next update expected in summer and full release in spring 2027. Despite its incompleteness, the game offers a dense, engaging experience filled with dry humor and inventive mechanics. Players earn experience points just by listening to characters' rambling stories, which serves as both a joke and a rewarding feature.
"Moves of the Diamond Hand" is a work in progress, but it already delivers a uniquely compelling experience that blends hard-boiled sci-fi with mundane activities like subway busking, library book hunting, and lettuce harvesting. It's a game that makes rolling dice feel meaningful and fun.
