Tails of Mischief 2 Turns Four Playing Card Decks into a Tabletop Adventure

Tails of Mischief 2 by Jack Brutus Penny takes playing cards beyond traditional deck design, combining four hand-illustrated decks into an interconnected artwork, puzzle and tabletop game.

Within, every card face features holo foiling integrated directly into the illustrations. 

The foil reveals hidden pips, numbers and symbols as the light catches the cards, creating a striking effect where the artwork appears to conceal the playing-card information.

The four decks also connect visually. For example, cards in Decks A and B form continuous compositions, while Decks C and D add additional scenes and pathways. When combined, the four decks create a larger tabletop landscape filled with mice, fields, farms and hidden details.

The collection also introduces three ways to play, inspired by Japanese sugoroku. The Journey focuses on racing along the path, The Adventure adds strategic route choices, while The Hidden Garden incorporates creatures hidden within the artwork as gameplay elements.

With its combination of illustration, holographic production, puzzles and gameplay, Tails of Mischief 2 offers a distinctive take on the modern playing-card deck... one designed to be collected, explored and played. Pledge starts at $21 on Kickstarter.

Tiger vs. Snake Vintage Playing Cards

Tiger vs. Snake Vintage Playing Cards bring a colorful dose of vintage-inspired artwork to the playing-card market, drawing on the look and character of classic matchbox packaging.

Hand-illustrated by Alex Haines, the deck uses a vibrant orange and green palette, with the central artwork depicting a dramatic battle between a tiger and a snake. 

The nostalgic presentation continues onto the luxury paper tuck box, giving the deck a distinctive retro character.

The cards feature a full-color, hand-illustrated one-way back design. The faces use bold artwork and four-corner indices, making the deck suitable for both right- and left-handed players.

Printed on 300gsm linen stock and available now on A.Haines Playing Cards for $20.

Final Hours on Kickstarter! Pantheon Playing Cards by TCC

TCC Playing Cards is bringing four ancient mythological traditions together in THE PANTHEON on Kickstarter, an ambitious playing-card series inspired by the gods, symbols and legends of Norse, Celtic, Greek and Egyptian mythology.

The project takes a classical visual approach, drawing on Palace Oil Painting, Neoclassical decoration and symmetrical compositions to give the decks a unified historical aesthetic. Each mythology retains its own colour palette, characters and symbolism while contributing to the larger Pantheon concept.

Inside, the four suits represent Norse, Celtic, Greek and Egyptian mythology, while the court cards feature figures from each tradition. The design is built around a deep crimson and gold palette, with ornate borders and mythological symbols woven throughout.

Also, TCC has also produced four individual editions dedicated to each mythology. The Norse, Celtic, Greek and Egyptian decks feature their own tuck-box artwork, court cards and themed details while sharing a consistent design language across the series.

For collectors, the Black Collection Deck offers a darker interpretation of the Pantheon design, shifting the artwork into a black-and-gold palette. It is available exclusively through the Gilded Collection, which is limited to 500 sets worldwide and includes six decks with gilded edges.

Available NOW on Kickstarter from $12.50.

Top 5 Coolest Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Cards

A design-focused look at five standout cards from the Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion! For my first Pokémon TCG feature, I wanted to focus on something that feels right at home here... great card design.

The Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration expansion is one of the most visually diverse collections in the game’s history, bringing together everything from brand-new rarities and pearlescent finishes to nostalgic reprints of some of the franchise’s most recognizable cards.

Rather than ranking these cards by playability or market value, I’m looking at them through a collector’s lens: artwork, composition, originality, finishes, and overall visual impact.

Here are my five personal favorites:

5. Meowth- 144/128

The first card features the familiar Kanto region with Meowth enjoying the ultimate catnap beneath a warm, sun-drenched sky. Desginer OKUBO takes a more urban approach, with another Illustration Rare depicting Meowth fully committed to its purr-fect slumber. Both cards use relaxed compositions and playful characterisation to make everyday moments feel wonderfully charming.

4. Sylveon ex- 153/128

Artist You Iribi delivers an effortlessly sleek take on Sylveon ex, with flowing ribbons framing the composition and subtle pastel shifts creating a soft, luminous palette. The linework and elegant colour balance give the card a polished, almost fashion-editorial feel.

3. Mew ex- 152/128

This Special Illustration Rare by Kuroimori is one of the collection’s standout chase cards. Mew rests peacefully in a lush, sun-dappled forest, with soft ambient lighting filtering through the foliage and delicate honeysuckle framing the scene. The natural palette and layered greenery give the artwork a beautifully serene, storybook quality.

2. Pikachu ex- 150/128

While the two Pikachu ex cards form a clever day-and-night pairing, the nighttime version by Kantaro edges it for me. Pikachu leads a lively celebration beneath a star-filled sky, surrounded by nighttime and Ghost-type companions including Gengar and Chandelure. The contrast between the glowing characters, deep nighttime palette and festive parade atmosphere gives the artwork a wonderfully cinematic quality. It’s also one of those instantly recognisable pieces that has come to define the visual identity of the 30th Celebration set... a particularly fitting choice for an anniversary collection.

1. Jirachi ex- 155/128

A stunning card! Legendary TCG illustrator Akira Egawa may have delivered a genuine masterpiece with this SIR. The artwork combines cosmic, star-filled lighting with delicate, ethereal brushwork to create an incredible sense of depth and scale. Jirachi feels almost suspended within a vast galactic landscape, giving the card an atmosphere and visual richness that goes far beyond the typical trading card.