Playing Card TTRPG

A genre agnostic pick-up-and-play TTRPG using a standard deck of playing cards, made for Nordic Game Jam 2020.

• Role: Designer (solo)

• Context: Nordic Game Jam project

• Timeframe: 5 hours

• Status: Nordic Game Jam 2020 submission

What I delivered

• Designed the core resolution mechanic, with a focus on an abstract representation of human capability using cards.

• Designed playable classes based on suits and face cards, giving distinct roles without traditional character sheets.

• Created narrative abstractions for suits as an alternative to granular stats - enough structure to guide play while staying genre-flexible.

• Wrote a succinct rules document intended to be learned quickly by new players (minimal setup, fast start).

What to Notice in Document

• Fast onboarding: Players can start with a deck of cards and a short rules read, without system prep.

• Meaningful choices with simple components: Decisions emerge from what you hold, when you commit cards, and cooperative actions with other players.

• Genre flexibility without losing structure: The suit abstractions provide guidance while leaving room for interpretation.

Context

• Player Goal: Have an idea for a story to play with friends, but no interest in learning a complex RPG system; start quickly and keep the rules light while still supporting meaningful decisions.

• Core Loop: Set the scene → draw cards → attempt actions by playing cards against the storyteller’s challenges → resolve outcomes and consequences → continue the story.

• What makes it distinct: It’s designed around accessibility and interpretation: any table can play with a deck of cards, and the suit-based narrative abstractions let the system support many genres without rewriting rules.

Design goals

• Pick-up-and-play: An RPG you can start in minutes using an accessible medium (a standard deck).

• Use the deck meaningfully: Leverage suits, ranks, face cards, and hand management to create real gameplay decisions (not just randomization).

• Support distinct roles: Create recognizable classes/archetypes without heavy character sheets or long progression rules.

• Support any story: Create rules that encourage and support any genre of storytelling.

Constraints

• Hard time limit (~5 hours): built alongside exam work, so scope had to be minimal and rules had to do a lot with very little.

• Component constraint: the system had to work with regular playing cards (no custom deck, no special accessories), which forced elegant abstractions.