LiaoZhai Playing Cards by ARK

LiaoZhai Playing Cards by ARK is an art-driven collection inspired by Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, the legendary supernatural anthology written by Pu Songling. Drawing from centuries-old Eastern folklore, the project transforms classic tales of spirits, fox demons, and human desire into an immersive collector’s experience that combines storytelling, luxury craftsmanship, and theatrical presentation.

Continuing ARK’s exploration of Eastern fantasy aesthetics following its ShanHai series, the deck uses traditional Chinese splash-ink painting techniques to create an ethereal atmosphere filled with flowing brushwork, softened forms, and dreamlike transitions between the mortal and supernatural worlds.Every illustration is designed to feel as though it has emerged directly from an ancient scroll, blending haunting elegance with contemporary collectible design.

The centerpiece of the project is ARK’s highly elaborate packaging system. Housed within a snake-bone-inspired slipcase featuring embossing and gold foil accents, the tuck case unfolds into a rotating cross-shaped three-dimensional theatre inspired by pop-up carousel books. As the structure rotates, four iconic Liaozhai stories gradually reveal themselves as miniature stage scenes, allowing the deck to function as both a playable object and an interactive display piece. 

The card backs continue this narrative approach through animated panoramic artwork that shifts from elegant Suzhou-style gardens into eerie supernatural landscapes when fanned. Each suit is tied to one of four classic Liaozhai tales. 

The custom courts features Chinese narrative characters symbolising “Beginning,” “Progression,” and “Ending,” turning every suit into a miniature visual story arc. The Jokers further reinforce the deck’s central themes by representing the coexistence of the mortal and underworld realms through contrasting yin-and-yang imagery.

Multiple collector editions expand the experience further, including holographic gilded versions, monochrome manuscript-inspired editions, large-format artist boxsets, and an elaborate wooden collector’s display box that transforms into a rotating theatre stand for the fully unfolded tuck structure. Across every edition, ARK maintains its focus on premium materials, intricate engineering, and highly tactile production techniques.

Pledge starts at $30 on Kickstarter.

FRAGMENTS: Cubistic Playing Cards

FRAGMENTS: Cubistic Playing Cards by Omega Playing Cards are inspired by the revolutionary art of Cubism and the fragmented visual language of Pablo Picasso. Reimagining the traditional playing card through layered geometry, fractured perspectives, and architectural compositions, the project transforms familiar forms into an experimental study of depth, motion, and visual harmony. 

Every card embraces the Cubist philosophy of presenting multiple viewpoints simultaneously, creating a deck that feels both artistic and mechanically precise.

The collection is released in two distinct editions: Vibrant and Rusted. The Vibrant Edition explores Cubism through energetic electric teals, corals, and warm ambers, while the Rusted Edition adopts a darker industrial atmosphere with weathered iron, burnt amber, and carbonised charcoal tones. Both editions are available in standard and Kickstarter-exclusive numbered gilded versions.

The tuck boxes use a transfer-process printing technique layered over foiled stock, combining embossed surfaces with contrasting shiny and matte finishes to create shifting textures and dimensional depth. The fractured typography and geometric structures continue across every surface of the box, reinforcing the fragmented aesthetic central to the project.

The card backs feature mirrored geometric compositions built around an ocular focal point surrounded by shattered rays, angular planes, and interlocking structures. Inspired by Cubism’s exploration of the “Fourth Dimension,” the designs suggest the collapse of space and time into layered abstract forms. 

Court cards reinterpret traditional royalty as avant-garde psychological portraits. Kings, Queens, and Jacks are broken into angular, mechanised forms that reject classical anatomy in favour of fragmented structures and overlapping perspectives. The Vibrant Edition uses high-contrast colour palettes to guide the eye through these fractured compositions, while the Rusted Edition reimagines the courts as industrial relics shaped by corrosion and age.

The Aces continue the architectural experimentation by transforming the suit symbols into dense geometric frameworks filled with layered facets and abstract spatial patterns. Number cards extend the Cubist approach throughout the deck, integrating pips into shifting backgrounds that blur the distinction between foreground and structure. 

Printed by KSPCC, the deck combines luxury production techniques with experimental visual design. FRAGMENTS is both a fully functional playing card deck and a contemporary exploration of Cubist art, transforming the familiar structure of playing cards into a layered study of abstraction, geometry, texture, and motion.

Pledge starts at $17 on Kickstarter.

Bicycle Birthday Back (Passion Pink Edition) Playing Cards

Bicycle Birthday Back (Passion Pink Edition) Playing Cards is a festive, cupcake-themed deck designed by Chris Hage now seeking funds on Kickstarter. Serving as the second release in the Birthday Back series, the deck celebrates birthdays with playful artwork, and performance-friendly handling.

The deck features fully custom artwork built around cheerful cupcake and candle motifs, carried consistently across the card backs, courts, pips, and tuck. 

The courts showcase smiling, expressive characters each interacting with cupcakes in their own unique way, while the custom Ace of Spades cleverly disguises itself as a cupcake illustration. Metallic pink inks add a subtle shimmer throughout the design, especially on the card backs and tuck box, giving the deck a celebratory visual sparkle without overwhelming the artwork. 

Additional collector and magician-focused extras include gaff cards and a complimentary cupcake sticker packaged with each deck.

Printed by USPCC on classic black core stock with a traditional cut and air-cushion finish, the deck is designed to handle smoothly for gameplay, cardistry, and magic performances. Pledge starts at $12 on Kickstarter.

New Lions X Available NOW!

Black Lions X and White Lions X are premium playing card decks designed by David Blaine and his closest collaborators, combining luxury production with hidden magical details created for magicians, collectors, and cardists. 

Black Lions X features the Epic Black smooth-cover tuck accented with Silver Rainbow holographic foil applied inside and out, alongside sculpted embossing that creates a sharp, high-contrast finish with strong tactile depth. White Lions X takes a brighter approach with its Solar White tuck, combining Black and Silver Rainbow holographic foil with the same embossed detailing for a refined and elegant presentation.

Both decks include hidden reveals, subtle magic secrets, and layered visual details woven throughout the artwork by David Blaine and his collaborators, making them functional performance tools as well as collectible display pieces.

The Limited Edition Signed Lions X Set includes both Black Lions X and White Lions X, individually signed by David Blaine and housed inside a custom acrylic display case designed for presentation and display. 

Printed by United States Playing Card Company on premium stock, both decks are engineered for exceptional handling, durability, and precise performance. Available now on David Blaine Store. Orders are expected to begin shipping after May 28, 2026.