Kardify Magazine Issue 96 NOW on Patreon

We just released Kardify Magazine Issue 96 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-April to mid-May. 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:   

+ Swiss Franc Legal Tender: The latest addition to Kings Wild’s Legal Tender series. Continuing the tradition of blending cur- rency design with playing card craftsmanship. Find out more!

+ Room 52 x 52: From Lunzi & TCC, a hand- illustrated deck that trans- forms everyday doors into portals of imagination- a story behind each unique door!

+ Cyclopeans Cyconium: A unique deck by Stockholm17 forged in the depths of myth and leg- end featuring intricately designed card backs and face cards. 

+ Golden Eagle No.7 Vintage: Have a look at this beautifully crafted deck is inspired by A Haines Playing Card’s love of British Birds of Prey, combined with their love of classic decks of playing cards.

+ Laval Lamp:  Flaminko Playing Cards is back with a vibrant deck inspired by the hypnotic movement and bold colors of classic lava lamps.

+ Tanuki Yukaku: This rich and imaginative deck invites you into a mesmerising world of charm, illusion, and tradition, brought to life through the lens of a mischievous tanuki courtesan. Check it out!

+ Grid Series 6: The eighth deck in the GRID collection by Luke Wadey features a bold full-bleed neon orange back with white accents, custom faces, pips, and typography inspired by an isometric grid. Find out more!

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

Bicycle The Godfather Playing Cards

Step into the world of one of cinema’s greatest masterpieces with The Godfather Playing Cards by TCC Playing Card. Officially licensed and produced with the prestige this legendary film deserves, this deck is more than just a tribute- it's a collector’s piece crafted with elegance.

Inside, the deck draws direct inspiration from the Corleone family’s casino, blending subtle nods to the film’s themes of power, loyalty, and legacy. Every element is custom, from the suits to the back design pays homage to the cinematic world created by Francis Ford Coppola. Metallic inks enhance the artwork, giving each card a rich, reflective sheen worthy of the Corleone legacy.

Packaged in a lavishly embossed tuck box with foil detailing, this is a standout piece for collectors and fans alike. Whether displayed on a shelf or brought to the card table, The Godfather Playing Cards deliver sophistication as the film that inspired them.

This Bicycle-brand deck is printed by USPCC. Available from TCC Playing Card for $30.

Deck View: Gettin’ Spicy Playing Cards

Hot. Red. Vibrant.

Gettin’ Spicy Playing Cards is one of Organic Playing Cards’ biggest release, selling out in under 24 hours as part of the Spicy and Saucy set back in 2021.

The #hot deck features a bold two-way mirrored back with chili pepper and jalapeño motifs in vibrant red and green. Like  all OPC decks, the courts are lightly customized with fun recolors, perfect for magic, cardistry, or game night.

Printed by USPCC on crushed premium stock.

Check Out the Adorable Japan Daruma Bears Playing Cards

The Japan Daruma Bears Playing Cards blends Japanese tradition with playful charm, transforming the iconic Daruma dolls into adorable bear mascots that symbolize luck and blessings. Inspired by the success of the Onsen Neko Pocket project and fan requests for a full-sized deck, Hong Kong-based creators Bi and Gi crafted this vibrant collection to spread joy and positivity.

The standard "Omamori Wish" edition features a golden-foiled tuck box shaped like a traditional Omamori charm, wrapped with a lucky Mizuhiki knot and embossed with 3D Darubear characters. 

Inside, the cards sparkle with gold accents and showcase 12 unique Darubear mascots—pandas, polar bears, koalas, and more—each representing a different blessing. The number cards stack the bears Tsum-Tsum style, while the aces display ornate, temple-inspired designs.

For collectors, the "Omamori Red" edition elevates the experience with a red PU leather tuck, black-foiled Darubear debossing, and red sparkling gilded cards. Both decks feature a back design filled with hidden Darubears, inviting players to puzzle out all the golden and red figures.

A collector’s box set bundles both decks along with a limited-edition 3D Darubear figurine and a Lucky Pad. Inspired by the tradition of painting a Daruma’s eyes to make a wish, the set encourages players to celebrate luck, blessings, and connection with every shuffle.

Pledge starts at $21 on Kickstarter.

TPCC's 5th Anniversary Playing Cards

TPCC's 5th Anniversary Playing Cards is a tribute to five years of creativity and community. Carefully curated from hundreds of past designs, this limited-edition anthology deck captures the evolution of TPPC’s artistry, blending fan favorites with never-before-seen artwork. With only 350 decks produced (175 per edition), each comes with a numbered certificate of authenticity.

Every card in the 54-card deck showcases a unique design—drawing from the team's past projects like Endless Battle, Royal Warrior, Sacrifice, SON, and Botanical—while the backs feature up to 13 different patterns, making it a vibrant visual mosaic.

It’s a deck where every card tells its own story, yet together, they form a cohesive reflection of five years of innovation.

The Premium Edition boasts rainbow-gilded edges, dual tuck cases adorned with gold foil embossing, and comes housed in a luxurious collector’s box with elegant foil stamping and raised embossing. 

The Standard Edition, while lacking exterior embossing and gilded edges, retains the same intricate inner tuck design and varied card order—ensuring every deck remains one of a kind.

Each reward set includes exclusive collector’s gifts: numbered seal cards, prototype designs, cut decks, coins, stickers, and more—tokens of appreciation for the community. Pledge starts at $45 on Kickstarter.

Bicycle × Gundam: A Limited-Edition Collision of Classics and Mecha

Bicycle has teamed up with the legendary Mobile Suit Gundam franchise for a bold, limited-edition series of playing cards- blending over a century of card-making tradition with one of anime’s most iconic universes. The collaboration created exclusively for the Chinese market spans four unique decks, each celebrating a different era of Gundam’s rich saga.

RX-78 Gundam Deck – Relive the origins of the Universal Century with Amuro Ray and Char Aznable. Featuring the RX-78-2 Gundam and Zaku II, this deck fuses retro aesthetics with dynamic battle scenes.

Gundam SEED Deck – Showcasing Kira Yamato and the Freedom Gundam, vivid colors and bold patterns capture the energy and drama of Gundam SEED’s legendary conflicts.

Gundam 00 Deck – Reflecting the celestial beings’ mission to end war, this deck echoes the themes of awakening and revolution central to Gundam 00.

Gundam Unicorn Deck – Centered on Banagher Links and the Unicorn Gundam, this futuristic design radiates the series’ signature transformation sequences and cosmic battles.

Each deck features custom borders, mechanical motifs, and card backs that merge Bicycle’s classic design with Gundam’s unmistakable style. From iconic mobile suits to unforgettable battles, these decks offer fans a collectible way to hold a piece of mecha history in hand.

Available right now from your favorite Murphy’s Magic retailer for $18.

Flaminko Playing Cards is back with Lava Lamp Playing Cards!

After a long hiatus, Flaminko Playing Cards is back with Lava Lamp Playing Cards. Now on Kickstarter, this vibrant deck is a tribute to retro style and playful design, promising a one-of-a-kind addition to any collection.

Inspired by the hypnotic movement and bold colors of classic lava lamps, every aspect of this deck has been carefully crafted to capture the fluid charm of the iconic 60s staple. From the card faces to the pips, Flaminko has reimagined every element to match the flowing, dynamic aesthetic of the lava lamp theme. 

What makes this deck especially striking is the use of spot UV embossing—not just on the tuck box, but on every single card. This glossy, tactile finish enhances the vivid illustrations, making the artwork shimmer and shift under the light just like the glowing wax inside a real lamp.

The face cards showcase a variety of lava lamp bottle shapes, each with unique wax formations that evoke the endless, mesmerizing patterns of real lamps. Each suit features its own distinct bottle design, and no two face cards look the same. Even the Jokers stay true to the theme, featuring a pair of classic rocket-shaped lava lamps in two bold colorways. The Aces and pip designs have been completely customized as well, ensuring that the lava lamp influence flows throughout the entire deck.

The card backs display a symmetrical design framed by a clean white border, balancing groovy energy with crisp detailing. The tuck box, printed in full CMYK color, incorporates raised spot UV embossing to amplify the rich textures and vibrant palette. 

As a fun aside, Flaminko highlights that lava lamps aren’t just nostalgic décor—they even play a role in modern tech. Internet security company Cloudflare uses a wall of lava lamps to generate randomness for encryption keys, proving that these mesmerizing objects continue to shape both art and technology.

With its blend of retro flair, innovative printing techniques, and custom artwork, the Lava Lamp Playing Cards is poised to be a standout addition to any deck enthusiast’s collection. Pledge starts at $18 on Kickstarter.

Deck View: Cardvo Genesis Playing Cards

Debut. Sleek. Striking.

Released in 2021, the Cardvo Genesis playing cards, the debut deck from Singapore-based Cardvo, features a sleek red, white, and black design with a minimalistic mirrored-back logo and a bold red border for extra pop.

The face cards include two-tone pips for easy pip differentiation and modernized courts with refreshed colors and borderless artwork. The custom tuck features striking deep red foil Cardvo logo design. 

A free hard sleeve (for sealed decks) and a soft card guard (for opened decks) were included with each deck. Printed in Taiwan on crushed stock with a Legendary finish.

How to Play Old Maid

Old Maid is a simple and entertaining card game that can be played by two or more players. The objective of the game is to avoid being the player left holding the "Old Maid" card at the end. It is a great game for young children and families.

Setup

A standard 52-card deck is used, but one Queen is removed to create a single unmatchable "Old Maid" card.

The deck is shuffled, and all cards are dealt evenly among players.

Players check their hands and immediately discard any matching pairs (two cards of the same rank, regardless of suit).

The game begins with the player to the left of the dealer.

Gameplay

1. Taking a Card – On their turn, a player draws one card from the hand of the player to their right, without seeing it first.

2. Making Pairs – If the drawn card matches one already in the player's hand, they discard pair and remove it from the game.

3. Passing Turns – The turn moves to the next player, who then draws a card from the player on their right.

4. Avoiding the Old Maid – Since there is one unpaired card (the Old Maid), players must avoid being left with it when all other pairs have been removed.

5. Ending the Game – The game continues until all pairs have been discarded and only one card remains. The player holding the Old Maid loses the game.

Conclusion

Old Maid is a fun and fast-paced game that helps young players develop memory and matching skills. It is easy to learn and requires no complicated rules, making it a great choice for casual play with friends and family.

The Black Edition Fulton Street MTA (1972 Vignelli Map) Playing Cards

Designed by Brad Fulton and officially licensed by the MTA, the Fulton Street Playing Cards are a love letter to New York, to design, and to the kinetic energy of movement through the city. 

Like the OG White Edition, the Black Edition Fulton Street MTA Playing Cards are a striking tribute to one of the most iconic pieces of graphic design in transit history—the 1972 MTA Subway Map designed by Massimo Vignelli. Released to mark the 50th anniversary of this legendary diagram, these limited edition cards capture the essence of New York City's vibrant transit culture through an elegant and modern lens.

Presented in black to amplify the vivid, retro-inspired colors of the original map, this deck is both a functional set of playing cards and a design collectible. Every element of the deck has been thoughtfully crafted—from the custom back design that showcases cropped segments of Vignelli’s clean, curving lines, to the fully customized court cards and pips that echo the timeless aesthetic of the MTA’s signage system.

Printed by the United States Playing Card Company on premium stock, the cards ensure a high-quality feel and exceptional handling. The tuck box itself is a piece of craftsmanship, letterpress embossed in San Diego for a tactile, vintage finish that complements the deck’s overall theme.

Whether you’re a fan of playing cards, graphic design, or subway lore, this deck brings history, function, and artistry together in one unforgettable package. Available for $18 on Fulton's Playing Cards.

Echo Playing Cards by TCC Fashion: A Journey Through Memory and Light

TCC Fashion returns with Echo Playing Cards, a visually striking deck that blurs the line between memory and reality.  Echo is available in two editions: the Standard Edition and a radiant Gilded Edition.

Utilizing innovative lenticular printing technology, Echo creates the illusion of a time-space corridor right on the cards. As you tilt the deck in the light, a hidden figure gradually emerges — an elder appearing behind the silhouette of a seemingly solitary girl. What starts as a hazy memory sharpens into clarity, echoing the feeling of distant recollections coming back to life.

The Gilded Edition elevates the design further. Set against deep, rich purple card edges, shimmering star-like fragments scatter across the deck in a dazzling pattern — glowing like constellations against a night sky.

Both editions offer an experience that’s as tactile as it is visual, making Echo a standout addition for collectors and cardists alike. Priced at $11.95 from TCC Playing Cards.

Room 52×52 Playing Cards

Now on Kickstarter! Room 52×52 Playing Cards by Lunzi & TCC is a hand-illustrated deck that transforms everyday doors into portals of imagination. Featuring 54 uniquely designed "doors," each card invites you to envision the world behind it- an unknown room, a story untold, a mystery waiting to unfold.

This latest release in Lunzi's Smooth Writing series returns to the iconic motif that started it all: the door. With a vintage, playful art style created using traditional dip pens, Lunzi brings personal flair and timeless charm to each illustration. 

Inside, the card backs mirror the box design- weathered, detailed doors marked by bright police tape, symbolizing secrets and stories behind closed spaces. From the nostalgic reference to The Shining on the Joker card to the haunting phrase “It’s not a Door but a Room” on the Ace of Spades, this deck is both art and narrative. 

The quad pips and refined typography add a fresh aesthetic to gameplay, while the entire experience becomes a journey of curiosity and wonder.

Sold in mystery box packaging, each deck is randomly selected from 54 possible designs—plus a hidden Line Art Collection Deck that unifies all the backs into a minimalist masterpiece. 

Limited to ONLY 52 per design, every deck is individually numbered, offering collectors a rare and imaginative experience that celebrates curiosity, creativity, and the magic behind every door. 

Pledge starts at $10 on Kickstarter

Deck View: ULTRA (Green Edition) Playing Cards

Bold. Modern. Mesmerizing.

Ultra Green Edition is a vibrant cardistry deck by Gemini Decks. Designed by Toomas Pintson, this edition features an electrifying green and purple colorway that demands attention whether you're performing flourishes or just fanning out the cards for display.

The Ultra Green edition showcases Pintson’s signature abstract “Ultra” artwork on both the card backs and the tuck box. The mirrored, twin-tip back design creates mesmerizing fans and spreads, making this a favorite for cardists.

Face cards feature a glowing aesthetic—literally—with the indices and pips accented by a subtle “Outer Glow” effect that enhances the futuristic vibe. The Ace of Spades and jokers are fully custom, while the court cards are recolored in an eye-catching teal and yellow palette. Fans of Gemini Decks will also notice nods to the Superfly Spitfire deck hidden in the courts’ clothing details.

Printed on crushed premium stock by the United States Playing Card Company.

Kings Wild Project Unveils Swiss Franc Legal Tender Playing Cards

Kings Wild Project has just released the latest addition to its celebrated Legal Tender series: The Swiss Franc on Kickstarter. Continuing the tradition of blending world currency design with premium playing card craftsmanship, this deck pays tribute to the bold colors, geometric precision, and artistic flair of Switzerland’s iconic banknotes.

First launched in 2013 with Federal 52, the Legal Tender series has grown to celebrate currencies from the U.S., China, Britain, and now Switzerland. The Swiss Franc deck stands out with its vertical orientation, vivid gradients, and references to themes like time, light, and communication — all signatures of the original banknotes.

For this edition, designer Jackson Robinson draws deep inspiration from the textures, motifs, and symbolic themes of real Swiss currency. Rather than simply replicating elements, Jackson reinterprets them through his signature engraving-style illustrations.

The result is a deck that captures both the innovation and cultural richness of Swiss design, with every card featuring custom art and foiled accents. The deck is available in three editions:

• Standard Edition – Foiled accents on every card, housed in an embossed tuck case
• Gilded Edition – Metallic gilded edges, individually numbered and sealed
• Legacy Edition – Presented in an elegant walnut display box, numbered and sealed to match previous Legacy decks in the series

Whether you’re a loyal Kings Wild collector or simply a fan of currency-inspired design, this latest release promises to be a standout piece in any collection. Pledge starts at $15 on Kickstarter.