Kickstarter Cards with Carter is our daily column about playing card Kickstarter campaigns. Remember, Kickstarter pledges are not pre-orders and results are not guaranteed.
Regular readers of GeniiOnline will have no doubt noticed the recent influx of articles about Kicktarter campaigns infesting every corner of the site. I take full responsibility for those articles. It was me, Grey Carter. I will cover every deck out there. I cannot be stopped. I cannot be reasoned with. I can only be contained.
In this inaugural edition of Kickstarter Cards, I’ll be covering decks that have just started their Kickstarter journey as well as a few that are mere hours from success or failure. Let us begin.
Pix is a playing card ode to the 80’s (represented here by a NES cartridge, a laser grid and the logo from Stranger Things). The deck is completely custom, with “8-bit” pips, royals and aces. The campaign is looking for €2,800, with different, and arguably better, color variants hidden behind various stretch goals.
Essential Fabrica (printed by USPCC)
Remember the opening credits of HOUSE M.D? Well, Essential Fabrica is basically that in playing card form. With custom pips, royals and aces based on anatomical drawings and card backs featuring a mirrored diagram of a skull, this deck is beautiful and morbid. If you want to double down on the morbid aspect, there’s a black variant called TRAUMA that unlocks at €7,000. At the time of writing, the campaign is €170 short of its €6,000 goal and only one single-deck pledge tier remains (€10 plus the same again in shipping). After that’s gone you’ll need to buy the decks in packs of three or four.
Tennis is a deck that seems too minimalist for its own good. The sleek, minimalist card backs are great, as are the custom aces and jokers, but the fronts are almost entirely Bicycle standard, albeit with a tweaked color palette. The campaign is well short of its US$8,000 goal and has just three days to go.
Silver Sackbut Playing Cards V2 (printed by USPCC)
The Silver Sackbut is more dignified than its name lets on. Inspired by the complimentary decks handed out in the Silver Slipper Casino in Las Vegas, the Sackbut is an understated deck with a vintage style that comes in host of tasteful colors. The deck features two custom jokers and a custom ace of spades. The campaign has already blown past its $2,548 goal with seven days left to go.
Human Evolution has just 24 hours to go on its Kickstarter campaign and needs another $1,500. This entirely custom deck will go the way of the neanderthal if its luck doesn’t change. It features custom artwork depicting a different stage of man’s evolution on each of the royals and has human figures that animate you flick through the cards. The campaign is looking for just $2,500 and the cheapest pledge that includes a deck is $18 plus $10 for shipping outside of the United States.
Some of us are still waiting for our Gjallarhorn drop (that’s a good reference and you should feel bad if you don’t get it). I’ve saved the best for last with this one. Gjallarhorn is an absolutely gorgeous, viking-themed deck that features custom courts, gold or silver printed card backs and one of the fanciest tuck boxes I’ve seen, with gold or silver foil and embossing. The Kickstarter campaign was asking for $1,200 and has reached $26,977 thus far, with 676 backers and 7 days yet to go. $18 plus shipping will net you a basic deck, but there’s a ton of fancy variations unlocked by the stretch goals. See you in Valhalla.
And there we have it, the first, and likely longest, installment of Kickstarter Cards. This column will be running any day there’s a new deck on Kickstarter. If you’re planning to Kickstart your own deck, drop us a line and we’ll feature it here.