Between turns at the HANDS OVER barn table, captives draw and deploy black jaw-crested Influence Cards to manipulate contraption odds, shield their own hands, plant lethal ambushes, or force rivals into unwinnable actions. Use the interactive role comparator below to inspect all 6 Influence Card tactical roles and master between-turn timing.
First-person hand petting the tabletop orange cat beside four black jaw-crested Influence Cards
6 Roles
Influence Card Tactical Archetypes
2–4 Cards
Observed Hand Size Held at the Barn Table
Between Turns
Primary Card Deployment & Trap Window
6 Attributes
Timing, Effect, Target Scope & Bluff Tell
All 6 Influence Card Tactical Roles
SEC-01 · INTERACTIVE INFLUENCE CARD ROLE COMPARATOR
Click any tactical role button below to spotlight that role in the active inspection bench while keeping all 6 structured card role records visible below for side-by-side comparison.
Select a Tactical Card Role to Spotlight in the Inspection Bench:
Alters the underlying trigger probability of the central tabletop contraption before a tooth press or crank pull.
Observed Table Bluff Signal:Players often play an odds card and falsely claim the device is now safe—or fatal—to manipulate the next seat. · Risk & Aggro Profile:Low Self-Risk / High Strategic Control
Mechanical Table EffectKeeping 2–4 black jaw-crested Influence Cards visible on the table deters rivals from targeting your seat out of fear of counter-sabotage.
Target ScopePsychological Table Meta
Observed Table Bluff SignalFanning cards next to the device or using hand emotes (such as the middle-finger gesture) to bait mistakes.
When to Commit Influence Cards vs When to Hold a Bluff Hand
SEC-02 · BETWEEN-TURN TIMING WINDOWS & PRIORITY SEQUENCING
In HANDS OVER, Influence Cards are recognizable by their matte black card backs stamped with a white fanged jaw crest. Players hold 2 to 4 cards fanned at the edge of the blood-stained wooden table, directly within the line of sight of adjacent seats. Because rivals can see how many cards you are holding—and watch when you reach for your hand—card timing is inseparable from psychological deception.
Playing an Odds & Probability Manipulation card before a tooth press changes the underlying hazard state of the central device, but its true power lies in the verbal claim that follows. A captive can alter the device odds and loudly warn the next seat that the remaining teeth are lethal, or calmly claim the device has been reset to safe in order to bait a rival into a reckless press.
Conversely, Personal Turn Protection & Mitigation cards function as late-round insurance. When the Mechanical Jaws has only a handful of glowing white teeth left unpressed—or when the Hand-Crank Organ Grinder chain is wound to peak tension—committing a self-shield immediately before your own hand action downgrades or absorbs a fatal snap.
Feral Baby Doll throat ambush triggered beside the Mechanical Jaws after a rigged card play
How Covert Trap Rigging Unleashes the Feral Baby Doll Ambush
SEC-03 · RIGGING HIDDEN TRAPS & THE TABLETOP CAT DISTRACTION
One of the deadliest sequences in HANDS OVER combines Hidden Device Trap Rigging with casual between-turn table interactions. Walking into a rigged trap beside the Mechanical Jaws can unleash a blood-splattered bald baby doll that lunges directly at the active captive's throat while neighboring seats watch in shock.
To mask the tension of planting a trap card before passing turn priority, experienced players use environmental props on the table as behavioral camouflage. An interactive orange tabby cat walks across the wooden tabletop right beside the Mechanical Jaws and dealt Influence Cards. Reaching out to pet the orange tabby cat—or firing off a casual hand emote—immediately after sliding a card onto the table projects relaxed confidence, luring the next seat into triggering the rigged tooth without playing a defensive shield.
However, covert traps carry a sharp backfire risk: if another survivor responds with a Table Order & Chaos Disruption card that scrambles or reverses turn progression, the player who planted the hidden hazard can be forced right back into their own rigged contraption.
Barn Table Situation
Recommended Card Role
Tactical Rationale & Bluff Execution
Early Round (Many Unpressed Teeth / Low Crank Tension)
Unplayed Hand Bluff & Psychological Pressure (card-role-bluff-hold)
Conserve active cards while keeping 2–4 black jaw-crested card backs visible on the table to deter rivals from targeting your seat.
Mid-Round Passing Priority to an Aggressive Rival
Hidden Device Trap Rigging (card-role-secret-trap) or Direct Opponent Sabotage (card-role-rival-sabotage)
Plant a covert hazard or force extra actions on a rival who has been calling the shots, using the tabletop cat or calm table talk to mask the trap.
Late Round Forced Action with High Trigger Probability
Personal Turn Protection & Mitigation (card-role-self-shield) + Odds Manipulation (card-role-odds-shift)
Never press the final teeth or crank high tension bare-handed if you hold a defensive mitigation card; shield first to avoid a maimed-hand state.
Wounded One-Handed State Under Table Alliance Pressure
Table Order & Chaos Disruption (card-role-chaos-disruption)
Break coordinated targeting from two-handed survivors by scrambling turn order and resetting table assumptions mid-round.
Known Pre-Release Evidence Boundaries: ArtDock has confirmed the 6 functional Influence Card tactical roles above across Steam Store (App ID 4661070) and Demo (App ID 5224010) builds, while individual named card lists remain reserved for the November 13, 2026 Early Access release.
