---
key: mechanic/deck-building--family-hand
type: mechanic
id: deck-building--family-hand
lang: en
title: Hand management
summary: >-
  The cards in hand define available actions. The player sequences plays, keeps
  useful options or discards unwanted ones.
updatedAt: '2026-10-21'
status: active
url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/deck-building--family-hand/'
jsonUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/deck-building--family-hand.json
markdownUrl: >-
  https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/deck-building--family-hand.md
aliases:
  - Managing a card hand
tags:
  - Deck building
  - Card operations
sourceIds:
  - source-3719d6c00eb94e21
  - source-7f09c8a736762f4f
sources:
  - id: source-3719d6c00eb94e21
    title: Aeon's End · original rules
    url: 'https://media.lavkaigr.ru/uploads/9e-aeons-end-rulebook.pdf'
    verifiedAt: null
  - id: source-7f09c8a736762f4f
    title: Slay the Spire
    url: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/'
    verifiedAt: null
relations: []
placements:
  - catalogId: deck-building
    id: family-hand
    title: Deck building
    url: 'https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/deck-building/#family-hand'
    categoryIds:
      - section-2
supersededBy: []
attributes:
  preview:
    updatedAt: '2026-10-21'
    title: Managing a card hand
    description: >-
      The cards in hand define available actions. The player sequences plays,
      keeps useful options or discards unwanted ones.
    image:
      src: images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-battle.webp
      width: 1440
      height: 810
      game: Slay the Spire
      sourceUrl: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/'
      originalUrl: 'https://www.megacrit.com/images/ss8.jpg'
      credit: Mega Crit
      rights: © Mega Crit. All rights reserved.
      caption: Selecting actions from the hand
      alt: >-
        Slay the Spire: cards along the bottom and one selected card shown in
        front.
      markers:
        - x: 35
          'y': 87
          label: Cards offering different actions
        - x: 51
          'y': 71
          label: The selected card is enlarged for inspection
    tips:
      - Keep cards readable at different hand sizes.
      - Avoid making card selection a search for tiny click targets.
    examples:
      - title: Slay the Spire
        url: 'https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/'
endsAt: null
provenance: >-
  Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on
  2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are
  preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire
  classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and
  editorial review.
license: CC-BY-4.0
codeLicense: MIT
attribution: gamemechanics.pro contributors
catalogKey: catalog/deck-building
---
# Hand management

id: deck-building--family-hand
type: mechanic
key: mechanic/deck-building--family-hand
lang: en
status: active
url: https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/deck-building--family-hand/

The cards in hand define available actions. The player sequences plays, keeps useful options or discards unwanted ones.

## At a glance

![Slay the Spire: cards along the bottom and one selected card shown in front.](https://gamemechanics.pro/images/mechanics/slay-the-spire-battle.webp)

[Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) · © Mega Crit. All rights reserved.

1. Cards offering different actions
2. The selected card is enlarged for inspection

- Keep cards readable at different hand sizes.
- Avoid making card selection a search for tiny click targets.

- [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/)

## How it works

Which cards can be stored, replaced and used outside of normal tempo.

## Variants

### Variants and applications

<a id="family-hand-variants"></a>

- End-turn discard. Rule: The remaining cards are discarded, so the player chooses between playing now or waiting for the next cycle. <a id="variant-hand-01"></a>
- Persistent hand. Rule: Unused cards remain with the player between turns according to the basic rule. <a id="variant-hand-02"></a>
- Retain. Rule: Saving only applies to selected cards, limited quantities, or cards with a special property. <a id="variant-hand-03"></a>
- Hand cap. Rule: Excess cards cannot be drawn or must be discarded; increasing the draw does not always increase the available choice. <a id="variant-hand-04"></a>
- Hand-size modifier. Rule: Permanent or temporary effects change the number of cards available and the possible length of the combination. <a id="variant-hand-05"></a>
- Mulligan. Rule: At the beginning of a battle or game, the player replaces part of the original hand according to the given rules. <a id="variant-hand-06"></a>
- Innate / opening card. Rule: The chosen card goes into the starting hand or gets priority in the starting draw. <a id="variant-hand-07"></a>
- Hold scaling. Rule: A card becomes stronger or cheaper as long as it remains in hand. <a id="variant-hand-08"></a>
- Hand disruption. Rule: A temporary rule makes cards unavailable, hides them, changes their value, or prevents normal discards. <a id="variant-hand-09"></a>
- Wheel. Rule: The player discards, returns or eliminates the current hand and receives a new one. <a id="variant-hand-10"></a>

## Context and limits

Design taxonomy of basic rules and options, including card operations and external systems. The number of entries is not a generally accepted classification of independent mechanics.

## Connected materials


## Sources and provenance

Original editorial design catalog consolidated from project discussions on 2026-10-20. Complete discussion item lists and contextual limitations are preserved; linked primary sources support specific techniques, not the entire classification. English translation was prepared with machine assistance and editorial review.

- [Aeon's End · original rules](https://media.lavkaigr.ru/uploads/9e-aeons-end-rulebook.pdf) (id: source-3719d6c00eb94e21)
- [Slay the Spire](https://www.megacrit.com/press-kits/slay-the-spire/) (id: source-7f09c8a736762f4f)

CC-BY-4.0 · gamemechanics.pro contributors