Issue 105 of Kardify Magazine is now on Patreon!

 

Issue 105 of Kardify Magazine 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-January to mid-February. 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:   

+ Shuffled Stories Vol. 2: From Jack Brutus Penny, a thoughtfully designed playing card deck that celebrates the shared history between tarot and playing cards. Check it out!

+ Bicycle Baroque: Drawing inspiration from the Baroque period (1600–1750), this limited edition deck by Mark Stutzman channels the grandeur, drama, and ornamental excess commissioned by Europe’s most powerful monarchies. 

+ Crazy 8's 2026 Edition: The latest release by Jackson Robinson features a whimsical chalkboard-inspired art style, playful on the surface yet layered with meaning. Find out more!

+ Avatar: This Theory11 deck invites you into the bioluminescent world of Pandora, transforming James Cameron’s epic universe into a fully illustrated deck designed to be experienced in the hand. 

+ Bicycle Bluey: A vibrant deck featuring Bluey, Bingo, Bandit, and Chilli  designed to capture the spirit of the beloved animated TV series.

+ Kamiarizuki: Drawing from Japanese mythology, the latest deck from Bloom Playing Cards is inspired by Kami-Ari-Zuki, the sacred “Month With Gods”. Have a look!

+ Year of the Horse: TCC Fashion welcome the 2026 Lunar New Year with an elegant blend of symbolism, craftsmanship, and Eastern aesthetics. Designed as a celebration of new beginnings, this limited edition deck channels hope, momentum, and prosperity.

… and more! 52 pages of articles and deck images. Enjoy!

Liminal Playing Cards by Thirdway Industries

Liminal, a new playing card series that exists beyond the door, suspended in a world that is both hidden and ever-present. This new Thirdway Industries' release will feature two versions of the deck, with final names still to be revealed. The red box edition, adorned with the Two-Faced creature, will feature metallic gilded edges and will be available exclusively to Patreon supporters of Thirdway Industries. 

The foil is luminous, and richly detailed, giving the cards a striking presence in hand. Both versions of the deck will be housed in tuck boxes made with custom specialty paper, enhanced by hot foil stamping and 3D sculpted embossing. This time, the embossing was designed specifically around the architectural form of the box itself, making it an integral part of the design rather than a surface embellishment.

From a design perspective, Liminal represents an experiment in a slightly different direction than Gio's usual work. It leans into surrealism, built on symbolic forms such as Betrayers and Order, but with greater detail and a structure that feels more traditionally “standard” for a deck of playing cards. Much of the visual language draws inspiration from classic French card design, while remaining fully custom throughout. 

The lore of Liminal is intentionally incomplete. It is not meant to be fully explained, only suggested. This ambiguity is central to how Gio approaches storytelling through playing cards. The Liminal World exists beyond the threshold, metaphysical in nature and hidden in plain sight. Within it rule four Genii... Hatred, Insight, Gold, and Blood- figures that serve as kings, sometimes benevolent and sometimes cruel, their true nature never fully fixed.

Alongside them are four Sirens, the queens of this world, whose voices shape its rhythm and tone. They are known as Devout, Serene, Majestic, and Alluring, each singing a different kind of truth. Standing at the threshold are four Guardians: Wise, Bestial, Favored, and Silent. Whether they exist to prevent entry into the Liminal World or to stop something from escaping it remains unclear.

The Jokers take the form of four beings known as the Wanderers, described as gods made flesh... strange, powerful, and incomplete. Only one is revealed for now: the Two-Faced One, a clever and opportunistic figure who shifts with the wind and survives by constant change.

Liminal wee be printed by Kingstar using gold cold foil, a process chosen for its ability to cover large foil areas while preserving extreme precision and fine detail.

Labyrinth Playing Cards on Kickstarter

At first glance, Labyrinth appears restrained... clean lines, familiar structure, a simple deck of cards. It isn’t. Designed by Jackson Robinson of Kings Wild Project, Labyrinth is a puzzle-based playing card deck in which every court card is a fully solvable maze. 

The Kings, Queens, and Jacks are not illustrated in the traditional sense. Instead, they are hidden within the maze itself. Each court card begins as nothing more than an intricate labyrinth: no portraits, no faces, no obvious imagery. Only paths, turns, and dead ends. 

The card offers no visual clues as to what it contains. To reveal the court, the maze must be solved. When the correct path is traced from beginning to end, it resolves into the full form of the King, Queen, or Jack. The portrait is not printed on top of the design, it is formed by the solution. The puzzle and the image are one and the same.

Adding another layer to the concept, the maze solutions and the court figures they create are printed in invisible UV-reactive ink. Under normal lighting, the cards show only the maze structure, with no answers or hints. When exposed to ultraviolet light, the hidden path illuminates and the court figure emerges. What was previously concealed becomes instantly visible, reinforcing the deck’s central theme of discovery.

Originally conceived and drawn over seven years ago, Labyrinth’s full vision was delayed due to the high cost and technical limitations of UV-reactive printing at the time. Recent advancements in printing technology have made the process far more accessible, allowing the concept to be realized as originally intended.

Labyrinth continues Jackson's tradition of detail-driven, concept-forward playing card design. Rather than relying on ornate illustration alone, the deck invites interaction. It rewards patience and attention, offering both a functional pack of cards and a layered puzzle experience within the courts.

Printed by KWPCC and pledge starts at $14 on Kickstarter.  

Bicycle Disney Beauty and the Beast Inspired Playing Cards

Step into the timeless magic of Disney’s classic tale with Bicycle Disney Beauty and the Beast Inspired Playing Cards. Housed in an elegant gold-foiled tuck box, this enchanting deck transforms family game nights into a moment of storybook wonder.

Inside, each court card has been custom-designed to bring beloved characters... Belle, the Beast, Mrs. Potts, and others, to life in stunning detail, while the card backs feature the iconic enchanted rose, adding a touch of fairy-tale charm to every game.

Printed by the USPCC on premium Bicycle cardstock with the signature Air-Cushion finish. Available now for $.12.99 on Cardtopia.

Deck View: Fiamma Rossa Playing Cards

Fiery. Tempting. Opulent.

Fiamma Rossa from Thirdway Industries explores the seductive pull of danger through rich materials and symbolic design. Created as a 2025 Q1 Patreon release, the deck features fully custom faces highlighted with gold cold foil, while the backs shimmer with layered red and gold hot foil. 

Black gilded edges frame the cards, amplifying the dramatic contrast and reinforcing its theme of forbidden allure. The tuck box mirrors the intensity, dressed in multiple layers of foil inside and out, finished with a numbered seal. 

Limited to 1,000 decks and printed by LPCC. Available now for $32 on Thirdway Industries.

Cryptids Playing Cards: Black Shuck & Mothman

Launching on Tuesday 17th February at 4pm UK time (11am EST/8am PST)- the latest campaign from A. Haines Playing Cards: Cryptids Playing Cards: Black Shuck & Mothman.

Combining a long-held love of fantastic creatures with their love of hand-drawn vintage playing cards, the new project from AHPC pays homage to two mythical monsters: from England, the phantom hound Black Shuck, and from the USA, the infamous Mothman, each character being honoured with their own deck of playing cards in a collectable two-deck set, using a colour palette of deep red and black set against aged paper. 

The legend of Black Shuck goes all the way back to the year 1577 when the beast was reported to appear as a terrible form at a village church during a large electrical storm. Reports of the ghostly dog endure up  until the current day, with some witnesses reporting Shuck to be as large as a horse and with burning red or orange eyes, he is often encountered by lone walkers out at night, deep in the countryside of rural Suffolk and Norfolk on the East coast of the UK. 

Mothman first appeared in a graveyard in West Virginia in 1966 and haunted the area around the town of Point Pleasant for a year until the collapse of the Silver Bridge, when he vanished just as abruptly as he had appeared. The legend of Mothman lived on however, and in recent times he has been sighted all across the Great Lakes areas, and is even known to frequent Chicago on a dark, rainy night.  

The courts are original and adapted from a one-way British design, hundreds of years old, here transformed into symmetrical two-way cards for optimum functionality. The entire project is hand-drawn and uses no stock elements or A.I. 

Both decks are housed in matte tuckboxes and printed on premium classic finish by Legends PCC - and available in standard and gilded editions, with Shuck's edges being a matte black and Mothman's being a smooth red. 

Have a look at the pre-launch Kickstarter page here! Early Bird deals will be available during the first 24 hrs of the campaign -  and there will even be one or two extras to look out for on launch day!

Now Available! Bicycle Baroque Playing Cards

Bicycle Baroque Playing Cards are a lavish tribute to an era when opulence was not optional... it was expected. Drawing inspiration from the Baroque period (1600–1750), this limited edition deck by Mark Stutzman channels the grandeur, drama, and ornamental excess commissioned by Europe’s most powerful monarchies. 

At the heart of the deck is a richly reimagined take on Bicycle’s classic Maiden Back. While the original is known for elegance and symmetry, the Baroque edition amplifies it with 17th-century flair. The back design is densely layered with floral motifs, mythical creatures, and angelic figures arranged in perfect symmetry. Metallic gold accents, lace-like borders, and an interior rope frame evoke the look of sculpted plaster ceilings and cathedral reliefs, giving the cards depth and a distinctly old-world presence.

The court cards are where the Baroque theme truly comes alive. Illustrated with ink and watercolor washes, they are fully custom and designed for two-way play. Rather than sticking to the standard four solid color palette, the courts embrace a broader, painterly range inspired by period art. 

Each suit represents a different European monarchy: England (including Scotland and Ireland), France, Denmark, and Spain... reflecting the power struggles, alliances, and rivalries that defined the era. Every court card is captioned, grounding the artwork in real historical figures and inviting deeper exploration of the symbolism behind each character.

The number cards depart from modern conventions in favor of a more archaic aesthetic. Roman numerals replace standard indices, and the elongated, rustic suit symbols are arranged in clusters that feel antique yet readable. This design choice reinforces the deck’s historical tone while maintaining functionality for gameplay.

The Ace of Spades features two mirrored knights locked in a tense sword clash beneath a crown, an image that perfectly captures the uncertainty of power and allegiance during the Baroque age. The “813-ISH” mark pays homage to Bicycle’s original Maiden Back (No. 813), nodding to tradition while embracing reinterpretation. 

The two Jokers are framed to match the courts and presented in a two-way design, one embodying joy, the other sorrow... mirroring the emotional extremes so often depicted in Baroque art.

The tuck box is a statement piece in its own right. Printed by the USPCC on uncoated stock and flooded with warm gold-toned ink, it’s accented with cream and powdery aqua hues. Select decorative elements are stamped in gold foil and subtly embossed, while an additional bronze foil highlights intricate line work. Inside the box, a repeating fleur-de-lis pattern in metallic gold awaits.

Available now on Mark Stutzman's online store for $14.99.

Now on Kickstarter, Mount Olympus Playing Cards

Mount Olympus Playing Cards is a fully custom, mythology-driven deck by Midnight Cards that brings the gods, monsters, and legends of ancient Greece to life through hand-drawn illustration and premium production. Designed by Randy Butterfield, this deck is a personal passion project that blends classical inspiration with modern card design.

Every character in the deck has been hand-drawn. The courts, aces, and jokers were all hand-sketched before being scanned and digitally painted, preserving the organic line work while adding rich color and depth. The result is a deck that feels both illustrative and timeless, echoing the look of ancient manuscripts and mythological art.

The card back design showcases Mount Olympus itself, illustrated in a symmetrical, head-to-head layout ideal for gameplay and magic. Greek border elements frame the artwork, forming a silhouette reminiscent of ancient shields and architectural motifs, reinforcing the deck’s classical identity.

On the face cards, each suit is unified by a subtle sky-toned background within a Greek border—blue for Hearts, orange for Spades, grey for Diamonds, and greenish-blue for Clubs. The court cards depict twelve Olympian figures, including gods such as Zeus, Poseidon, Apollo, and Hermes, alongside goddesses Hera, Artemis, Athena, and Aphrodite. 

The aces highlight iconic mythological creatures: Cyclops, Cerberus, Medusa, and the Colchian Dragon... while the jokers feature a vertical version of the Mount Olympus illustration, tying the entire deck together visually.

Kickstarter backers can choose between two tuck box editions, each housing the same card designs inside. The Standard Edition features Zeus on the front and Hades on the back, printed in full color with gold foil accents framing the artwork and text.

The Limited Edition, produced exclusively for Kickstarter and capped at 1,000 decks, elevates the presentation with premium white pearlescent paper, dark green and gold foil detailing, and gold gilded card edges, giving the deck a ceremonial, relic-like presence.

Printed by Legends Playing Card Co., Mount Olympus Playing Cards balances artistry and performance. Pledge starts at $16 on Kickstarter.

Year of the Horse Playing Cards by TCC Fashion

Year of the Horse Playing Cards by TCC Fashion welcome the 2026 with an elegant blend of symbolism, craftsmanship, and Eastern aesthetics. Designed as a celebration of new beginnings, this limited edition deck channels hope, momentum, and prosperity... values closely tied to both the Lunar New Year and the spirit of the horse.

The core of the design is the calla lily, a flower traditionally associated with swift success, devotion, purity, and eternity. Its meaning of “flowers blooming at once” runs throughout the deck, lending the artwork a sense of calm confidence and forward motion.

Paired with dynamic horse imagery, auspicious clouds, and flowing floral elements, the composition feels both graceful and powerful. The double-sided symmetrical card back maintains visual balance, while the Eastern-inspired Joker reinforces the cultural narrative.

The tuck and cards are finished with hot foil stamping and embossing, layered to catch and shift with the light. This restrained approach to luxury enhances depth without overwhelming the design, allowing details to emerge naturally as the deck is handled. 

Limited to 2,026 decks worldwide, each set is sealed with an exclusive hot-foil serial-numbered seal, making it a refined yet accessible collectible at $11.95. Available now on TCC Playing Card.

Shuffled Stories Vol. 2: Arcane Playing Cards

Shuffled Stories Vol. 2: Arcane playing cards by Jack Brutus Penny is a thoughtfully designed playing card deck that draws visual inspiration from Tarot while remaining fully suited for shuffling, dealing, and traditional card play. Rather than functioning as a tarot deck, Arcane celebrates the shared history between tarot and playing cards, blending symbolic artwork with a structure that feels familiar in the hand.

Playing cards first arrived in Europe in the late 1300s, traveling from Asia through the Islamic world before evolving into the four-suited decks we recognize today. Tarot emerged later, in 15th-century northern Italy, as an expanded form of playing cards created for a game that introduced illustrated trump cards. Arcane is rooted in this overlap, reimagining tarot-inspired symbolism through the language of standard playing cards, honoring their long journey across cultures and centuries.

The deck features fully custom courts and pips, designed to function clearly for gameplay while carrying deeper visual meaning. The court cards are two-way, with mirrored compositions that subtly explore themes of light and shadow, duality, and balance—adding character without disrupting usability. Each suit maintains strong readability, making the deck suitable for card games, magic, and cardistry.

What sets Arcane apart is its narrative pip design. Rather than simple suit symbols, the pips are integrated into symbolic scenes, allowing each number card to suggest a story or interpretation. These layered visuals add depth for those who enjoy reflective or fortune-style readings, while still preserving the structure and clarity required of a playing card deck.

Shuffled Stories Vol. 2: Arcane will be released in two editions: Standard Edition, featuring the complete Arcane design with premium printing and finished. 

Signature Edition, which elevates the deck with experimental antique gold foiling and a hand-painted style gold gilding, continuing techniques first explored in Volume 1.

The Shuffled Stories Vol. 2: Arcane Playing Cards is scheduled to launch on Wednesday 11th 10pm Japan Standard Time on Kickstarter. 

Deck View: Bicycle Disney Mickey Mouse Inspired Black and Gold Playing Cards

Nostalgic. Elegant. Iconic.

Bicycle Disney Mickey Mouse Inspired Black and Gold Playing Cards reinterpret a timeless Disney icon through a refined, decorative lens.  The mirrored card backs are finished with Metalluxe gold foil, creating a luminous surface that highlights Mickey Mouse’s silhouette, subtly woven throughout the deck. Fully custom court cards feature classic Disney-style illustrations of Mickey, Minnie, and familiar characters, thoughtfully integrated into a traditional playing card layout.

The tuck box mirrors the deck’s visual language, finished with rich gold foil and sculpted embossing that gives it a premium, collectible presence. Printed by USPCC with their Air-Cushion finish, the deck balances visual sophistication with familiar handling, making it equally suited for play and display.

Available now for $11.99 on Cardtopia.

Crazy8s (2026 Edition) Playing Cards

Crazy8s Playing Cards mark the beginning of a deeply personal and thoughtfully crafted series by Jackson Robinson. Originally designed over 11 years ago, Crazy8s is the first release in a collection of 12 limited decks, with one launching at the end of each month throughout 2026.

The deck features a whimsical chalkboard-inspired art style, playful on the surface yet layered with meaning. Every illustration carries a hand-drawn warmth that feels intimate and expressive, perfectly suited to a project rooted in emotion and reflection.

At its core, Crazy8s is a tribute. The deck is dedicated to the creator’s daughter, Hannah, whose memory is honored through a dedication card and a message printed inside the tuck case. 

Created during a time of profound grief, the deck became a way to process loss through art, transforming pain into something gentle, heartfelt, and beautiful. 

Printed by KWPCC and available now on Kings Wild Project for $18.

Theory11's Avatar Playing Cards

Theory11's Avatar Playing Cards invite you into the bioluminescent world of Pandora, transforming James Cameron’s epic universe into a fully illustrated deck designed to be experienced in the hand. Every card is richly detailed, blending fantasy and realism through vibrant color and Na’vi iconography that echo the forests, oceans, and glowing horizons of the films.

Inside, familiar characters like Jake Sully, Neytiri, Kiri, Lo’ak, Spider, Tonowari, and Ronal appear alongside iconic creatures and environments, creating a cohesive visual journey across the entire deck. Like all Theory11's licensed decks, subtle film references, and hidden easter eggs are waiting to be discovered. 

The tuck box sets the tone with pearlescent blue and silver foils and deep embossing, capturing the otherworldly textures of Pandora before the deck is even opened. 

Designed to balance play and display, Avatar Playing Cards offer smooth handling for game night while rewarding collectors with layered artwork, subtle film references, and hidden easter eggs waiting to be discovered. 

Available for $12.95 on theory11.