The game still has some dice-rolls but these are only for some cards and only to enact their special power. A good example is armour, which is played as a “counter”. Some armour always slightly reduces damage, while others reduce more but only on a successful dice-roll of, say, 3+. It's a well-balanced system that feels right even when the dice-rolls are not in your favour.

Thus, equipment upgrades are agonising choices compared to the obvious DPS increases found in so many games. One weapon gives you two great attack cards and one lousy one, while another weapon offers three good attack cards. Which is better? You decide.

Battles follow an original formula: at the start of the round each character draws up to their hand limit. Then each side takes turns playing cards: attack cards to attack, movement cards to walk or run X squares, and counter cards (like armour) to cancel opponents' cards. When you have no cards left to play, or don't like your remaining cards, you pass. Once both sides pass, a new round begins. Characters keep up to two cards into the next round, with the remaining discarded. There's strategy in when to play and when to pass.

Adventures are played in self-contained modules, much like classic D&D modules. The campaign map provides increasingly diverse modules to choose, plus shops to buy cards and taverns to recruit/replace heroes.

A free-to-play game, Card Hunter is constantly in development, with new expansions and features (such as co-op) being added at regular intervals. Players can use real money to buy adventures, cosmetic changes, gold, loot chests and club membership – which offers an extra piece of loot in every chest for a period of days.

An anomaly in today's RPG scene, Card Hunter is a shining example of what a few seasoned AAA developers can do if they go indie. With a little help, they can turn a genre upside down.