Kobold Playing Cards

This poker size card deck is high-quality and fully custom! Fifty-five (55) cards are included in the deck, which includes 2 jokers and an ID card. Vibrant card backs and face cards are hand-illustrated by myself in a graphic art style with a punchy, limited color palette of red, blue and yellow.

This project was created entirely with my human brain, hands, and heart: no AI, ever.

Kobolds classically live in dungeons and caves underground, so I really wanted to lean into the theming with the card designs! Each pip features a symbol related to the kobold: bugs (hearts), paws (clubs), rocks (diamonds) and mushrooms (spades) - or as I call it, mush. 

My goal for the number cards was to focus on readability at a quick glance and opted for a traditional pip layout for maximum ease of use. To maximize a pleasing aesthetic and practicality, I incorporated a subtle cave background with stalactites and stalagmites: perfect for rotational symmetry! The light beige looks great on the linen cardstock and makes the artwork pop.

Each kobold character represented on the face cards have been thoughtfully designed to embody their suit's theme.

With control over insect-kind, these kobolds are clever and brave. As proud keepers of the cave's creepiest crawlies, they represent the Bugs (Hearts) suit!

Deep in the caverns, a moist environment is carefully tended to by mushroom farmers who seek to create a bounteous and lush, peaceful village. They are attuned to nature and the way of the caves, and have dominion over the natural ecosystem as the Mush (Spades) suit.

The gem studded council of magic kobolds wreaks havoc everywhere they go! Chaos reigns with this group, who have found magical rocks that have given them mysterious powers indeed. Crafty and unscrupulous, the Rocks (Diamonds) suit kobolds are sure to cause a stir.

Last but not least, the stalwart martial fighters of the caves have lived within these dark recesses for generations. Led by a democratic council of three and with the mighty den mother protecting their young, no outsider kobold dares encroach upon the sprawling territory of the Paws (Clubs) suit clan!