Vanir Playing Cards Bring Norse Mythology to Life

Vanir Playing Cards, designed and illustrated by Nicolai Aaroe, offer an abstract and artistic interpretation of Vanaheimr and the Vanir from Norse mythology. Rather than pursuing historical Viking authenticity, the project embraces fantasy, imagination, and the mystical power of Sejdr magic.

Inspired by Norse mythology, fantasy fiction, and the visual world of The Lord of the Rings, this playing card series explores the Vanir as a race connected to nature, magic, wisdom, and the hidden forces of the Earth.

The series features three distinct editions: Blót (Ritual), Sejdr (Magic), and Vanadis (Goddess). Each edition features a unique colour palette, tuck box, card back, Aces, and metallic edge gilding. Blót combines earthy brown with teal energy and gold gilding, Sejdr focuses on vibrant teal with matching teal gilding, while Vanadis uses a dark, nocturnal palette accented by copper and magical energy.

Fully custom, the 12 Vanir deities appear throughout the court cards, while the Aces offer additional storytelling elements, particularly in the Blót edition, where they depict Vanir ritual scenes.

The tuck boxes feature matte lamination, metallic foil, embossing, seals, and illustrated interiors, with the iconic Stag of Vanaheim appearing on the backs. The card backs depict flowing energy veins representing Sejdr magic, creating a chaotic yet symmetrical visual system unique to each edition.

For collectors, the project also includes a 32-page illustrated lore booklet exploring the mythology, characters, culture, and artistic interpretation behind the Vanir, alongside a 50mm antique-gold-plated metal coin featuring embossed tribal artwork.

Printed by WJPC on premium linen-finish stock, each edition is limited to a maximum of 1,200 copies. Pledge starts at $25 on Kickstarter.

Good Pals Unveils Logo V2 Playing Cards

The Card Inn's Good Pals returns to Kickstarter with Logo V2, introducing two new decks: the Purple Logo and Gold King Logo Playing Cards... alongside their limited gilded collector's editions.

The latest releases celebrate the brand's 10th Kickstarter campaign with premium foiling, custom artwork, and collectible finishes.

The Gold King edition showcases radiant gold foil throughout the card backs and face cards, highlighted by the most intricate Ace of Spades design Good Pals has created to date. Meanwhile, the Purple Logo edition pairs a purple matte tuck with gold foil detailing and striking purple foil card backs, complemented by custom purple-accented courts and pips.

Both decks feature fully custom artwork while maintaining a classic layout suitable for card games, magic, and cardistry. 

The gilded editions elevate the presentation further with unique patterned edges, including a wave-effect gilding for the Gold King deck and a crystallised purple gilding for the Purple Logo edition.

The Gold King Logo deck is limited to 375 copies, with a gilded edition restricted to just 125 decks. The Purple Logo deck is accompanied by a gilded variant limited to 150 copies. Every limited edition deck features an individually numbered seal for collectors.

Printed by WJPC, pledge start at $16 on Kickstarter.

On Kickstarter, Hand-Painted Playing Cards

Artist and illustrator Justin Hillgrove has launched a Kickstarter campaign featuring three hand-painted playing card decks: Winter Folklore, Haunted Hallows, and Random Encounters. Created entirely with traditional ink and watercolor techniques, the collection showcases nearly three years of work and celebrates Hillgrove's passion for both art and playing cards.

Originally intended as a digitally illustrated project, Random Encounters evolved into a fully hand-painted deck after Hillgrove rediscovered the joy of working with ink and watercolor. The creative momentum ultimately led to two additional themed decks, each featuring original artwork painted on 300gsm Strathmore multimedia paper using Micron Pigma pens, Winsor & Newton watercolors, and Princeton Select brushes.

Winter Folklore explores legendary winter figures from European folklore, including Krampus, Grýla, the Yule Cat, Père Fouettard, and the Yule Lads. The deck also includes a 24-page mini lore booklet that fits neatly inside the tuck box, providing background stories for the featured characters.

Inspired by the spooky charm of Halloween, Haunted Hallows is filled with whimsical yet eerie illustrations of haunted dolls, gargoyles, ghosts, skeletons, witches, and other supernatural characters. Hillgrove's signature playful art style gives the deck a lighthearted take on classic Halloween themes.

Random Encounters is designed as both a functional poker deck and a tabletop RPG companion. Every card features unique artwork, including the numbered cards, with each suit representing creatures from a different fantasy environment. 

Spades feature forest dwellers, Diamonds explore underground horrors, Clubs inhabit swamps and marshes, while Hearts showcase creatures from deserts and arid landscapes. The Aces depict travelling merchants, and the Jokers feature two powerful Archons, making the deck equally appealing to collectors and tabletop gamers.

All three decks are printed by WJPC on casino-quality black core stock with a linen finish and include 54 poker-sized playing cards. The Kickstarter campaign offers each deck individually for $13, or all three decks together for $36. A premium collector tier is also available, bundling all three decks with a complete set of twelve hard enamel pins.

Royales Rivieras Playing Cards Capture the Glamour of the French Riviera

Royales Rivieras is the latest luxury playing card collection from Kings & Crooks, expanding the vintage casino-inspired Royales series with a new theme celebrating the elegance of the French Riviera and Monte Carlo.

Designed by Lee McKenzie, the collection draws inspiration from sun-soaked Mediterranean coastlines, classic Riviera style, and the timeless glamour of Monte Carlo casinos. The series launches with three distinct editions, each representing a different moment of a Riviera day.

The Azur Classic Edition features turquoise-inspired artwork with metallic gold inks, while the Rosé Classic Edition reflects warm late-afternoon hues accented by gold detailing. Completing the trio is the Dusk Players Limited Edition, a casino-inspired deck featuring a full-bleed back design, enhanced indexes, metallic gold accents, and an individually numbered collector's seal.

All editions include fully custom artwork and premium tuck boxes finished with gold foil, deep embossing, soft-touch matte lamination, interior foil detailing, and custom seals. The Dusk Players edition adds a wraparound numbered seal, emphasizing its limited-edition status.

Printed by WJPC on their imported, thinner (300gsm) black core stock with the butter varnish cardistry finish. Pledge starts at $16 on Kickstarter.

On Kickstarter, Kingdom of EDEN Playing Cards

 

Now funding on Kickstarter, Kingdom of EDEN is a new fine art playing card series featuring fully custom artwork, original storytelling, and a range of premium collector-focused accessories. Created by The Other Self Studio, the project blends traditional pencil illustration with modern graphic design to build a unique fantasy world centered around the rise and corruption of the fictional Kingdom of Eden.

The narrative follows King Fidibus, whose kingdom is transformed after taking the advice of a mysterious worm hidden inside an apple. As prosperity grows, so do the worms, eventually evolving into serpents and triggering political intrigue, power struggles, and the decline of the kingdom. This story is woven throughout the deck designs, court cards, and accompanying booklet.

The series is available in three editions: Obedience (sandstone), Temptation (black), and Dominion (red), each featuring its own color scheme, back design, and customized Ace artwork. 

The card backs visually depict a king's fingers gradually transforming into worms while reaching for an apple, reflecting the deck's central theme of temptation and corruption.

During the campaign, collectors can also obtain a premium hardbox set containing all three editions, a 50mm brushed-gold Dodonot Coin, and a printed companion booklet that expands on the lore and backstories of the kingdom's characters.

Printed by Printed by WJPC with premium stock and finish. Pledge starts at $25 on Kickstarter.

El Reino Playing Cards on Kickstarter

El Reino Playing Cards is a fully hand-illustrated custom deck set within a dark medieval kingdom where royalty has fallen under the influence of a mysterious “gold fever.” Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Jokers are depicted with bloodshot eyes, reptilian tongues, and unsettling expressions, creating a distinctive fantasy world that blends gothic storytelling with traditional playing card design.

Created as a passion project that evolved from a simple collaborative Queen of Hearts illustration, El Reino was designed to be both a functional deck and a collectible art piece. 

Every card features original artwork, while the court cards introduce a unique twist: they are intentionally asymmetrical, revealing subtle changes in expressions, gestures, and hidden details when rotated, giving each character two distinct versions of itself.

The deck is kept secure in a dark-themed tuck box printed on premium 300gsm cardstock with a soft-touch matte finish, matching the atmosphere of the deck. e richly illustrated characters beyond the deck itself.

Printed by WJPC on premium 330gsm German Black Core stock with a Butter Glossy finish and comes standard with gilded edges across the entire edition. Pledge starts at $17 on Kickstarter. Also, additional oversized art prints based on the court cards are also available during the campaign.

Fimbul Playing Cards by Design Imperator

Fimbul Playing Cards is a Norse mythology-inspired collection created by the Scandinavian team at Design Imperator. Produced in two luxurious editions: Bifrost and Naglfar, the Kickstarter project combines hand-illustrated Viking artwork, rainbow holographic finishes, embossed bronze-foiled tuck boxes, and mythological storytelling into a richly detailed collector’s release.

The Bifrost Edition represents the legendary rainbow bridge connecting Midgard and Asgard. Its tuck case features bronze foil, deep embossing, and shimmering rainbow accents inspired by the northern lights, while the rainbow gilded edges and holographic card backs reinforce the celestial theme. 

The custom courts portray Viking warriors in their mortal forms through fully illustrated two-way designs, paired with Norse-inspired pips and cinematic battle imagery throughout the deck. The Naglfar Edition explores the darker side of Ragnarok, depicting the mythical ship of nails that carries the undead army into the final battle. The tuck box features bronze foil detailing alongside glowing blue flame motifs surrounding the gates of Hel. 

Its holographic rainbow gilding creates a fiery metallic effect across the edges, while the custom courts reimagine the Vikings as undead warriors marching across the battlefield of Vigridr. The collection also includes the Helvegr display box designed to house both decks together, continuing the project’s emphasis on premium presentation and Norse-inspired craftsmanship.

Both editions are printed by WJPC on premium stock with fully custom artwork, numbered seals, embossed tuck boxes, rainbow gloss card backs, and limited print runs capped at 1,500 decks per edition. Pledge starts at $25 on Kickstarter.

Deck View: No.7 (Alpine Honey Edition) Playing Cards

Warm. Vibrant. Festive.

No.7 (Alpine Honey Edition) Playing Cards by Montenzi Design brings a warm, festive twist to the winter-themed series. This edition stands out with a rich palette of fiery orange and yellow, balanced by subtle green tones... evoking the glow of a cozy living room during the holiday season. 

The back design reflects this warmth through layered, flowing elements that create a sense of movement and depth. The courts continue the signature No.7 style, featuring recognizable characters dressed in seasonal hues. Soft gradients and ribbon-like forms to give the artwork a subtle three-dimensional feel while maintaining a clean, mirrored design for playability.

Printed by WJPC on premium stock with a cardistry finish, the Alpine Honey edition blends visual warmth with smooth handling. No.7 are now available for $21 from Montenzi store.

Echoes in the Palace (Standard Edition) Playing Cards

Stockholm17's latest release, Echoes in the Palace (Standard Edition) playing cards is a narrative-driven poker deck where each suit unfolds a dramatic story of power, intrigue, and consequence. 

Inspired by Renaissance triptychs, the Jack, Queen, and King of every suit form a connected tableau, presenting scenes that feel like fragments of a silent courtly drama.

Designed for both gameplay and divination, the deck explores themes of deception, ambition, desire, and judgment. The custom courts adopt a tarot-like layout, giving each card added symbolic weight and encouraging deeper interpretation beyond traditional play.

Four distinct Jokers embody the forces of fate: Madness, Fortune, Misfortune, and Disguise... further enriching the narrative and offering an additional layer of meaning within the deck’s unfolding story.

A shared palace backdrop runs throughout the entire deck, unifying each card within the same world of shifting power and hidden secrets. Finished with gold foil on the back design. 

Printed by WJPC and available from Stockholm17 for $15.

Blood & Brine Playing Cards, Final Week on Kickstarter

Now on Kickstarter, Blood & Brine Playing Cards plunges into a world where the tides run red with the blood of fallen sailors and the sea never forgets a debt. Illustrated by Jody Eklund, this dark nautical release tells the story of a legendary pirate crew who dared to steal enchanted gold from the sirens. Their reward was not riches, but a curse. Condemned for their greed, they now sail as half-men, half-shadow- suspended between life and death, forever bound to the ocean’s grasp.

At the heart of the series is The Widow’s Wake, a custom deck steeped in maritime folklore and gothic atmosphere. Every element of the deck reflects its narrative foundation, from the hand-illustrated courts to the ornate finishes that feel like treasure hauled from the ocean floor. This is not simply a pirate-themed deck... it’s a fully realized world rendered in ink, foil, and texture.

The project expands the Blood & Brine universe through multiple editions tailored to collectors and card enthusiasts:

The Widow’s Wake Classic Edition features 100% custom and hand-drawn. The courts depict cursed pirates, sirens, and figures from the Blood & Brine saga, while the pips and indices are carefully styled to match the deck’s dark maritime tone. The cards are housed in a deep blue tuck case accented with rich embossing and foil, designed to evoke a relic guarded by the sea itself.

The Widow’s Wake Limited Edition elevates the presentation with cold-foil detailing on both sides of every card, allowing the artwork to shimmer like moonlight on open water. The tuck case is heavily embossed and foiled, transforming it into a display-worthy artifact. A custom-designed seal completes the package, underscoring its exclusivity and collector appeal.

At the top of the line sits the Widow’s Wake Gold Gilded Edition, the most luxurious offering in the cursed fleet. Each deck features gold-gilded edges that flash like freshly plundered coin during fans and spreads. Inside are 56 fully custom, hand-illustrated cards showcasing the saga’s most iconic characters. The tuck box is richly finished with foil and deep embossing, sealed with a custom stamp that marks it as a true collector’s piece. This edition is positioned as the rarest treasure of the release.

The back design centers on a corrupted compass rose that never points home, surrounded by coiled sea serpents and ornate filigree inspired by antique nautical charts. Deep blues, blood-dark accents, and gold detailing give the symmetrical, fully reversible design the feel of a relic dredged from the depths — elegant in motion, yet quietly menacing.

Every card in Widow’s Wake is custom illustrated, from the courts to the smallest pip details. Nothing is standard or borrowed; each flourish is designed to feel like part of a larger legend. The deck is printed on durable, traditional playing card stock with a smooth air-cushion–style finish, offering a familiar snap and flexibility suited for shuffling, flourishing, gameplay, and long-term handling.

Printed by WJPC, pledge starts at $17 on Kickstarter.

Mosaic Mantis Playing Cards, Final Week on Kickstarter

Nature meets geometry in Mosaic Mantis Playing Cards, a vibrant, fully custom deck that celebrates the intricate beauty of real mantis species through hand-drawn mosaic art. Created by Improv Playing Cards in collaboration with KTrickstery (Instagram @KTrickstery), this release is designed with both cardists and collectors firmly in mind.

Every element of the deck has been customized—from the card backs and faces to the suits, pips, courts, Jokers, and tuck box. True to Improv’s artistic philosophy, all artwork is entirely hand-drawn, with a firm commitment to never using AI in the creative process.

The concept originated with artist Eva of Improv Playing Cards, who sought to reinterpret the organic complexity of mantises through structured polygonal forms. The “mosaic” treatment distills each insect’s distinctive silhouette and anatomy into bold geometric fragments, brought to life with joyful, high-contrast color palettes. The result is a deck that feels both natural and modern—precise yet expressive.

Each suit highlights a different real-world species. Hearts feature the elegant Orchid Mantis (Hymenopus coronatus), Diamonds showcase the striking Conehead Mantis (Empusa pennata), Spades are inspired by the Carolina Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina), and Clubs present the Green Praying Mantis (Sphodromantis gastrica). The Jokers continue the thematic exploration, tying the biological inspiration together in the same mosaic-driven visual language.

The card backs are engineered with cardistry in mind, including differing right and left fan patterns that create dynamic visuals during spreads and flourishes. Combined with the vibrant geometric artwork, fans burst into layered, kaleidoscopic displays that emphasize motion and symmetry.

As part of the Kickstarter campaign, Improv is celebrating community support with an exclusive giveaway: two demo decks of Mosaic Mantis—signed by artist Eva—will be awarded once the project is funded. Each deck ordered counts as an entry, making early support even more rewarding.

The initial print run is with WJPC on their premium card stock. However, a stretch goal aims to upgrade production to USPCC, widely regarded for its world-class handling and finish.

Pledge starts at $13 now on Kickstarter.