Over 500% Funded! Forged Playing Cards

Forged Playing Cards, a deck about the fury of mighty Norse Vikings warriors, is a mindblowing collaboration between Chris Hage of Wonder Playing Cards with Jody Ecklund of Black Ink Branded. The deck is seeking funds and is currently over 500% funded on Kickstarter.

On the outside, the tuck box features a letterpressed print on premium matte paper with black ink, stunning gold foil, and carefully planned embossing. It features intricate artworks that capture the essence of Viking Culture: the Dane Axe, the serpent Jormungandr, and the Valknut symbols.

The card back features a two-way illustration of Viking lore and mythology: the axe coiled by the Midgardian serpent with the shields bearing the Valknut symbol. The deck features gold accents and embellishments to create the beauty of the cards.

All of the Aces feature enlarged custom-illustrated pip showcasing the rich elements of Norse mythology. The courts featured two-way illustrations of Viking warriors, both men and women. They are shown as mighty warriors wearing their armor and holding onto shields and blade weapons.

There are a total of four editions on offer during the Kickstarter campaign. The Standard Edition will have the cards feature gold metallic ink. The Cold Foil Edition features gold cold foiling for the golden accents. Gold Gilded Edition features the Cold Foil Edition with gold metallic foil gilded edge. The Blue Flame Edition features the Cold Foil Edition with a blue sapphire metallic foil gilded edge.

The deck will be printed by WJPC and pledge starts at $16 on Kickstarter.

Cirque Luciole, Vol 2 in the Circus Playing Cards Series

Circus is a travelling performance still favored by both adults and children. They always captivate the audiences with their acrobatic skills, grand performances, and epic illusions. Marianne Larsen designed and produced Circus Playing Cards, which won the 52 Plus Joker Diamond Award in 2021. Now, the next volume is ready for the world to enjoy, Cirque Luciole Playing Cards, the next volume to the Circus series.

Cirque Luciole is an imaginary and visionary ensemble of spectacular stage performers known as “The Fireflies”, from Paris in the early 1920’s. It is a group cast of mentalists, illusionists, magicians, and acrobats who are performing grand acts to bring marvels to your eyes.

The deck is available in two editions: Stella Nova and Luna Polaris. Each of the editions has a print run of 3000 decks and it comes with a custom numbered seal placed on the bottom of the box.

Stella Nova deck features tuck box in premium dark blue pearlescent stock adorned with elegant, embossed gold foil details. It features intricate artwork of stars and the moon within the metallic framework.

The box features UV elements: stars will glow under UV light. The back design of the cards mirrors the artwork featured on the box. The court cards presented for this edition are shown as two-way character illustrations.

Luna Polaris deck features a box in premium black pearlescent stock adorned with embossed gold elements. The front side features a poster of a performer holding the moon in his hand with his beautiful costume. The box features vibrant holographic foil elements, creating the sparkles for this very edition.

The back design of the cards features two-way illustrations of graphical illustrations of a woman performer holding the stars on her hands. The court cards presented for this edition are shown as full-length one-way character illustrations.

This volume comes with a booklet explaining the characters showcased in the deck. The project also comes with an exclusive custom-designed brick box for 6 and 12 decks. Printed by Noirs Playing Cards Co. with premium linen finish and pledge starts at $14 for a single deck on Kickstarter.

Cute Japanese-Themed Deck, Tales of Spuds Playing Cards

Cardist Hoang Nguyen popularly known as Spud felt the nostalgia from growing up in an Asian household – inspired by oriental Chinese and Japanese scroll paintings. In his modern twist on these scroll paintings, he collaborated with Edo Huang to produce this cute thematic deck- Tales of Spuds Playing Cards.

The back design features a one-way hand-drawn painting. It illustrates a sunset scenery of the forests and valley with a pond. The illustration is scattered with potato characters in Japanese costumes. On the corners are scrolls with the name of the deck. The back also features holographic foil applied to parts of the illustration, creating an eye-catching and lively look.

The face design features a cleaner modern look that reflects the back design. It is teeming with different types of Japanese patterns. Each pip for the Number Cards will have either a pattern or potato characters interacting with it.

The court cards are hand drawn in the same style as the back artwork – royals dressed in kimonos. The Ace of Spades features an enlarged pip showing a beautiful sunset with a small potato character riding onto the bird.

The tuck box embraces Japanese aesthetics. It is made with premium stock with foiling and embossing. The front and back side features different Japanese patterns adorned with golden metallic foil. It highlights the card back design on the back of the box.

The cards will be produced by Legends Playing Card Co. on Viper Finish and only 1000 decks will be produced. There will also be the Gilded Edition: only 100 decks made with cards gilded with golden holographic foil with sparkle pattern.

Pledge starts at $17 on Kickstarter.

Final Hours on Kickstarter, Ad Lucem Playing Cards

The Second Renaissance Decks: Ad Lucem by the team at Nova Lux Decks features exquisite hand-painted artwork by the talented artist Ritu Bhattacharya.

“Ad Lucem” translates to “to the light” or “to enlightenment,” making it the perfect name for this Renaissance-inspired deck. This era marked significant historical changes, from geopolitical shifts to religious reformations and scientific advancements, leading humanity out of the dark ages and into the age of reason and transformation.

These cards are not only artistically captivating but also rich in historical references, carefully selecting key figures and movements from the Renaissance period. They provide a fascinating journey through art, history, and culture while remaining fully playable for poker nights and more!

Each suit represents a crucial aspect of the Renaissance, allowing you to explore various facets of this remarkable period:

• Hearts: The Da Vinci-inspired hearts showcase the elegance and artistry of the era, echoing the master’s style.
• Diamonds: These cards pay homage to Michelangelo, capturing the poetic transformation of marble into art.
• Clubs: Featuring King Henry VIII, these cards symbolize the political changes that reshaped Europe.
• Spades: With Martin Luther at the helm, the spades represent the religious reformations and their impact.

The Jokers depict the theological turmoil of the era, from angels beckoning souls to torment in the afterlife.

Two decks are on offer, Sovereign and Erudite Editions. The Sovereign Edition boasts luxurious cold-foiled cards, beautifully representing the grandeur of the Renaissance. The tuck case’s design is inspired by the Sistine Chapel and features matte gold accents.

In contrast, the Erudite Edition is tailored for collectors who appreciate the artistry but seek increased playability. While it retains the artwork, it omits cold foiling, making it ideal for card tricks and poker nights.

Printed by WJPC and the pledge starts at $12 on Kickstarter.

Fantastica Playing Cards

Heart. Circus. Magician.

Fantastica Playing Cards by Chilean magician, Carolina Cabedo is a tribute to the Circus. Inside, the deck comes with custom court cards designed by Daniel Schnieder. The mirrored-back design is a heart created with the C’s of her first and last name Carolina Cabedo.

The Ace of Spades features a Circus tent, and from Carolina’s Red hat, you can almost see the rabbit. The Jokers are inspired by the kids that grow up in the circus, learning everything and doing every task needed from an early age.

Fantastica is printed by the USPCC on Premium Bee stock, traditionally cut, Air Cushion finish. Limited edition of 1,000. Available now on blackroses.cards for $14. 

Cardistry: Ben Edgar Playing Cards

Cardistry brand Anyone Worldwide has collaborated with Chicago-based industrial designer Benjamin Edgar. Together, they created a conceptual deck of cards fit for the art of flourishing, Anyone Ben Edgar Playing Cards.

The tuck box is a standard glossy classic stock featuring a black and white checkerboard pattern all over. On the sides of the box are the two names who created the deck: “Anyone” and “Ben Edgar”

The card back design features a borderless checkerboard pattern of red and white. It creates a great visual on card fanning. The pips are classic, yet it has a slight modification. The Ace of Spades features an enlarged pip with the sushi 6006 logo of Anyone on the center.

The courts are blocked out with either black or red based on their suits, only leaving their faces shown. In the center of the color-blocked courts, there is the ad information – making them subtle one-way courts.

What makes this deck interesting is the indices. Instead of four sets of Ace to King, all the cards are numbered in order from 1 to 52, with 1 being A (as in “Ace”).

Still available on anyoneworldwide for $18. Get the deck while stocks last!

Incubo Playing Cards by Thirdway Industries

For this brand new series, Giovanni Meroni of Thirdway Industries manifests the nature of monstrous nightmares onto decks of playing cards. Incubo Playing Cards are now seeking funds on Kickstarter.

There are two main editions on offer during the campaign: Mezzanotte and Divoramondo. Incubo Mezzanotte features tuck box made with Italian luxury black paper with 2 layers of matte foil and embossing. The artwork is done with yellow and white matte foil. The interior of the box has an artwork done in black metallic foil.

The card back design features a two-way graphic artwork of a bird cage keeping a raven with a key and the border is colored with vibrant yellow.

Meanwhile, Incubo Divoramondo features a tuck box made with premium “reef” paper with ultra-red foil and embossing. There is a beautiful and shiny bloody red foil on the box, with interior artwork done in black foil. The box comes with a custom-numbered seal.

The card back design features a two-way graphic artwork of glowing patterns in circular arrangements. It has a deep black background with hot foil stamping in red foil. The edges will be gilded with stunning red metallic foil.

The series features at least 32 distinct characters: 16 for each deck – 12 court cards and 4 jokers. The characters are illustrated as one-way full-length artworks.

As the decks prioritise “art” over playability, the faces of the cards only have one index located in the top left corner. A booklet is available as an optional add-on if you like to explore the lore of the characters.

All of the tuck boxes are crafted with Boschiero and Newton. The Mezzanotte edition will be printed with USPCC, limited to around 1600 decks, while the Kickstarter-exclusive Divoramondo edition will be printed by Legends Playing Cards, limited to around 975 decks.

Pledge starts from $18 for Incubo Mezzanotte OR $42 for Incubo Divoramondo on Kickstarter.

Kardify Magazine Issue 76 is now on Patreon

Kardify Magazine issue 76 is now on Patreon!  Patrons who pledged $3 or more will be able to download the latest issue from our Patreon page. This issue compiles selected articles published from mid-August to mid-September. Deck images, articles, and news to keep you informed and up-to-date with the latest playing card news, releases, and previews. If you love playing cards, you will love Kardify Magazine!

Also, don’t forget to check out our other cool reward tiers on Patreon! The tiers include monthly desktop and smartphone wallpapers, a mystery deck shipped to you every 4 months of ongoing contributions, social media shout-outs, and multiple sponsorship tiers! Check it out!

Funds received from the magazine will help us keep the site running and growing, and bring new quality content to you. Our aim is to support designers by backing crowdfunded projects and supporting magic and playing cards retailers with their new releases. If you want to support us, please head over to our Patreon page. If you have an idea for an article you would like us to pursue, do get in contact with us. We hope you enjoy the read. In this issue:   

+ Time to Play: A beautiful deck by Dutch Card House Co. that pays homage to a period when sophistication, mystery, and the pursuit of fortune reigned supreme. Find out more!

+ Strawberry Pi: The next deck in the vibrant Pi series by Kings Wild with a complimentary red and yellow color palette! Fully custom faces and strawberry patterned card back.

+ Onsen Neko: A deck about Japanese hot springs and cute cats by Hong Kong-based designer Mijiko successfully funded on Kickstarter.

+ 17th Kingdom Avant Garde: Stockholm17‘s latest release is a remarkable deck that defies convention with its captivating glass-hour shape. Check it out!

+ Bicycle Bored Ape Community: A vibrant deck in collaboration with Bored Ape Yacht Club community, designed in collaboration with 57 Bored Apes selected from the #1227CastingCall.

+ Yellow Submarine: Have a look at Theory11‘s special edition Yellow Submarine playing cards inspired by the 1968 Beatles animated film.

 + Bicycle Bandana: From PlayingCardDecks this exquisite deck blends age-old elegance and modern sophistication, capturing the essence of the cherished bandana.

+ Smoke & Mirrors The First Human: Continuing the abstract Smoke & Mirrors series, Dan & Dave and Dealersgrip have collaborated to release this eye-catching cardistry deck.

… and more! 48 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

On Kickstarter, Seafarers (Challenger Edition) Playing Cards

Joker and the Thief is back on Kickstarter with another luxurious version of the Seafarers! The Challenger Edition is a 100% custom luxury nautical-themed playing card deck designed by Gustavo Magalhaes.

This deck embraces classic American deck designs, aiming for timeless appeal. The red color is not just aesthetically pleasing; it has vital nautical significance, indicating the port side of a vessel and emergencies at sea.

The deck features custom Ace of Spades and court cards, hand-illustrated to tell unique stories. From octopus tentacles in hearts to vipers in clubs and skull motifs in diamonds, each suit has its theme. The Joker and the Thief, a signature motif, add intrigue.

One of the highlights of Joker and the Thief decks is the premium letterpress tuck case with embossing and custom seals. Seafarers: Challenger Edition also offers a Limited Edition Gilded deck, with red foil on the sides, limited to 150 decks, each uniquely numbered.

With 100% custom design, premium paper stock, excellent handling, and durability, this deck combines artistry and quality for card enthusiasts. Pledge starts at $18 on Kickstarter.

Jetsetter Lounge Edition (Jetway Silver) Playing Cards

Silver. Flight. Modern.

The Jetway Silver edition is part of the Jetsetter Lounge series by Jetsetter Playing Cards. Inside, the classic backs showcase a classy silver colorway with the Jetsetter Playing Cards spade logo within the pattern. Additionally, the spade logo on the back design has been replaced in a non-traditional way but still in a two-way vintage casino-style design.

The courts are re-colored to match the look and feel of the Lounge Edition deck with a vintage style of red, black, and gold. The custom Ace of Spades exhibits the Jetsetter Playing Cards spade logo in the Jet Black colorway.

The deck is printed by the Expert Playing Card Company. Available now from jetsetterplayingcards.com for $13.

First Look at ASCEND XIX Playing Cards

Unique Playing Cards and designer Tony Aranda collaborate on ASCEND XIX playing cards. Tony Aranda, originally from Buenos Aires, now based in Madrid, is an Industrial Design and Product Development student, showcasing early promise in his creative journey.

ASCEND XIX draws inspiration from the 19th century, a time characterized by various artistic movements like Art Nouveau and Impressionism. It also incorporates elements from the steampunk subgenre, which derives from that era.

Tony’s design approach merges these styles into a meticulously crafted, fully customized deck of playing cards, encompassing everything from the pips to the tuck box. The deck is rich in references that resonate with both the magic and card-playing communities.

The back design of ASCEND XIX encapsulates the elegance and enigma of the 19th century, drawing inspiration from the captivating architecture and intricate details of that era. The deep black background, chosen specifically to evoke the allure of the 19th century, conjures images of top hats, ballroom gowns, cobblestone streets, and gaslit alleys. 

Also, golden patterns adorn the back of each card, paying homage to 19th-century architecture. Delicate filigree and graceful flourishes weave together to create a tapestry of timeless elegance.

The face cards of ASCEND transport you to the 19th century, featuring portraits of distinguished personalities from that era, including elegant ladies and refined gentlemen. These face cards aren’t just symbols of a card game; they are windows into the lives and stories of individuals who defined this epoch. 

The deck is packaged in a tuck case adorned with high-detail foil techniques and is crafted with matte paper that includes inner printing, enhancing its visual appeal.

Ascend XIX launches tomorrow (15th of September 12:00 ET) on Kickstarter.

Spider-Man: Iron Spider Armor Playing Cards

The unique Spider-Man: Iron Spider Armor Playing Cards is the latest addition to Card Mafia‘s Spider-Man series officially licensed by Disney.

Inspired by Spider-Man’s Iron Spider suit, it features red and gold circuit boards and is activated by mechanical powers, which are beautifully captured in this incredible-looking deck.

The cards are made with finely tailored red and gold hot foils, which add to the overall aesthetic appeal of the deck.

The deck features an innovative tuck case design that captures the essence of Spider-Man’s Iron Spider suit. The LED lights change color from red to gold, activating the suit’s “mechanical powers”!

Printed by the Taiwan Playing Card Company with their Legendary Finish. Officially licensed by Disney with the Anti-counterfeit Hologram Label. Spider-Man: Iron Spider Armor playing cards are available now on cardmafia.com for $45.

On Kickstarter, Onsen Neko Playing Cards

Hong Kong-based designer Mijiko‘s passion for playing cards sparked when her very first playing cards project, MEDCHA Playing Cards – a deck about tea and meditation, was a success. Then, it is followed by Sushi Cats Playing Cards – a deck about sushi and cute cats. Now, she comes back with another exciting and adorable project, Onsen Neko Playing Cards, a decksabout Japanese hot springs and cute cats.

The Onsen Neko tuck box features a vibrant red and gold foiled box, inspired by favorite animation film “Spirited Away”. The front side features a grand Japanese red building with the title of the deck. The back side features a group of cute cats enjoying their baths. The box has an interior artwork of UKIYOE wave pattern done in gold foil.

Inside, the cards comes with a stunning red foil on the two-way card backs featuring illustration of a grey cat enjoying its hot spring bath. The kanji Japanese character is located in the center, creating a subtle one-way back. Also, the cards will be gilded with red metallic foil with a ripple water texture – to represent the rippling waters of the onsen.

The court cards feature very cute cat deities of Japan – in Japanese folklore, cats have protective powers and symbolise good fortune. These cat’s illustrations looked familiar as it is based on Shinto Neko Playing Cards by Charmie Dreams – Herman contributed to the design of the courts for the deck. All of the faces feature stunning gold metallic foil.

The Aces feature each of the cats enjoying a nice hot bath in a wooden bathtub with colorful waters. The suits are divided into four different colors – they represent the different colors of Japanese onsen waters: Spades is green – Hearts is red – Clubs is blue – Diamonds is yellow.

The number cards feature groups of cats enjoying their onsen. They showcase 10 popular Onsen locations in Japan as well as providing several tips for a great Onsen experience. A group of number cards feature different colors based on different colored onsen waters.

The Jokers feature the Bathing Duck, which is a popular toy for a bathing buddy – one represents Day, which is signalled by the red sun, and the other one represents Night, which is signalled by the lit lantern.

The deck may come with a special collector’s box made of wood – fashioned to look like the Yuoke bucket found in Onsens. The half brick box is fashioned to be wrapped with traditional Japanese wrapping cloth – Furoshiki: the bamboo-art printing paper box containing 6 decks will be wrapped with a tailor-made full pattern-printed cloth.

Printed by WJPC and pledge starts from $19 on Kickstarter.