Dead Finger Dice Revives The Witcher’s Dice Poker with a Grisly Roguelike Twist

Fans of The Witcher series will remember Gwent as the runaway hit minigame from CD Projekt’s acclaimed RPGs, but before Gwent, there was Dice Poker. Introduced in the first two Witcher titles, it was a simpler diversion compared to Gwent’s deeper deckbuilding, relying on dice rolls and poker hands rather than long-term strategy. Now, Dice Poker has been reimagined in the form of Dead Finger Dice, a new roguelike horror project that raises the stakes far beyond gold or pride. Here, the chips on the table are fingers, and losing too often means losing your life.

Developed by Rocket Adrift, Dead Finger Dice leans heavily into its macabre theme. The game places players aboard The Avarice, a luxury yacht run by demonic billionaires who delight in torment. These grotesque figures include vampires, Medusae, and other monstrous elites, each forcing you into a high-stakes game of Dice Poker. Players are given five dice and four rolls to form the strongest poker hand possible, while wagering their own digits against their supernatural opponents.

The system is brutal but inventive. Each round allows players to bet multiple fingers, with the aid of a finger-guillotine for swift and efficient sacrifices. The mechanic ensures that every decision carries immediate consequences. If you manage to relieve a demon of all its fingers, victory is yours. If you run out, however, your character’s journey ends permanently, forcing you to begin again from scratch.

If you're all about this weird cross of gambling simulator and occult theme, we recommend you check CloverPit, a horror game with a satanic slot machine in lo-fi visuals. Let’s go back to the board.

Between these harrowing matches, Dead Finger Dice incorporates roguelike progression. You can explore your cell aboard The Avarice, stashing useful items for later and crafting new dice enhanced with “demonically sealed” powers. Crafting uses grisly resources, most notably the fingers of defeated demons, which can be collected and repurposed into stronger dice. The game embraces this grotesque loop, blending survival horror elements with tabletop strategy in a way that feels both unsettling and engaging.

Visually, Dead Finger Dice adopts a stark 1-bit art style reminiscent of retro horror experiments. The dithered black-and-white presentation adds atmosphere, making the game feel both timeless and unnerving. It’s a deliberate choice that mirrors the unsettling narrative tone, grounding the gameplay’s surreal horror in a distinctive aesthetic.

What makes Dead Finger Dice particularly intriguing is its context within the current landscape of virtual tabletop roguelikes. Only weeks ago, Question, a studio founded by veterans of the BioShock series, announced The Killing Stone, another demon-themed project that places players at a cursed gaming table. Together, these titles suggest a small resurgence of narrative-driven roguelike experiments centered around games of chance, horror storytelling, and psychological pressure.

For players who once lamented the disappearance of Dice Poker when Gwent became The Witcher’s defining card game, Dead Finger Dice is a revival with a wicked twist. While it is unlikely CD Projekt will ever return to the older minigame in an official capacity, Rocket Adrift has offered a spiritual successor that leans into horror, roguelike structure, and grotesque spectacle.

There is currently no confirmed release date for Dead Finger Dice, but the project is already drawing attention for its creativity and grisly hook. For those who enjoyed Inscryption or similar games blending puzzles, card mechanics, and horror narrative, Dead Finger Dice looks poised to scratch the same itch. It pays homage to The Witcher’s forgotten minigame while transforming it into something altogether darker, a game where every roll of the dice carries the weight of a finger and, ultimately, survival itself.

Dead Finger Dice Demo is available to download on Steam right now.