Last week, League of Legends shadow-dropped The Demon's Hand, an in-universe twist on poker-roguelike phenomenon Balatro. Interwoven with a few touches of narrative that build on the tentative threads spun out from Arcane season 2, The Demon's Hand is a very good homage. But it's also indicative of the broader problem that Riot faces as its flagship game continues to age out of its heyday.
If you've played Balatro, The Demon's Hand will be instantly familiar. A standard deck of cards is adapted very slightly ('Command' cards replace Face cards; Sun, Moon, and Stars replace traditional suits), but different hands still add up in an attempt to beat various high scores. Riot's effort adds a more combative approach, turning 'blinds' into HP and allowing your opponents to hit back, blending Balatro's score attack gameplay with Slay the Spire's turn-based approach.
