Strange Tales From A Chinese Studio Playing Cards Bring Chinese Folklore to Life

Bloom Playing Cards has unveiled its latest project on Kickstarter, Strange Tales From A Chinese Studio Playing Cards, the third deck in Season 2 of Room One’s Collection System. Drawing inspiration from Pu Songling’s 18th-century classic, Liaozhai Zhiyi, this deck transforms ancient Chinese tales of love, and the supernatural into an intricate collection of illustrated cards.

The deck captures the haunting beauty of Pu Songling’s world, where fox spirits (huli jing), ghostly maidens, and spectral beings blur the boundaries between the mortal and spirit realms. Each card is steeped in atmosphere, with artwork inspired by classical Chinese ink painting and symbolism rooted in the original texts.

The collection is available in four editions: HUPO (Amber/Gold) Special & Standard Editions and GAOYU (Silver/Grey) Special & Standard Editions. The Special Editions feature dazzling cold foiling in gold or silver, while all editions carry unique design elements that set them apart.

Two distinct tuck box styles highlight the project’s craftsmanship. The Paper Fan Tuck Box unfolds like a traditional hand fan, revealing a gallery of characters from the Strange Tales, enriched with luxurious foil and embossing. The Scorched Tuck Box pays homage to classical thread-bound Chinese books, echoing the delicate manuscripts of Pu Songling’s time.

Inside, the Number Cards depict full-body portraits of spirits and scholars. When placed in sequence, they connect to form a mesmerizing mosaic mural of an otherworldly garden, a design also available as uncut sheets. The Court Cards expand the narrative with vivid depictions of supernatural beings, offering two-way illustrations that complement their appearances in the Number Cards.

The card backs carry one of the most striking design features of the deck: a “whirling gateway” motif, merging traditional Chinese lattice windows with the sacred wheel of change. When the cards are fanned or flipped, the artwork creates the illusion of a spinning karmic portal, evoking the passage between worlds. In the Special Editions, cold foiling enhances this effect, making the portal shimmer with ethereal light.

Printed by Room One Cards and pledge starts at $19 on Kickstarter.