Jack the Ripper & Sherlock Holmes Playing Cards by Anti-Faro & Room One (Kickstarter)https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/antifaro/jack-the-ripper-and-sherlock-holmes-playing-cardsCustom playing cards in the era of Victorian London, with a built-in puzzle to solvePrice: $14 (Stalemate or Skewer edition), $26 (Checkmate or Castling edition), $78 (Collector Set with all four decks and bonus items), $98 (Half Brick Set), $145 (Ultimate Set)
Current funding level: already funded
Kickstarter ends: Tuesday, April 1, 2025
This project combines fact with fiction, merging the real-world crimes of Jack the Ripper with the fictional master sleuth Sherlock Holmes. The artwork on the cards is geared to capture something of the eerie atmosphere of both world in 19th century London. I've always loved the Sherlock Holmes stories, and combines it with the mystery of Jack the Ripper is an excellent idea.
But what I especially love is the puzzle built into two of the decks from this project, where it's your job to figure out the murderer. Here's how it is described: "
Scattered throughout the deck are hidden clues, cryptic messages, and pieces of evidence. Your mission: analyze the hints, follow the trail, and identify the infamous outlaw before time runs out. Will you rise to the challenge and solve the mystery, or will Jack the Ripper vanish into the night once again? Unravel the secrets, crack the case, and claim your victory. Every shuffle, every deal, and every play brings you closer to the ultimate revelation. Can you uncover the killer before the next crime occurs?The Jack the Ripper & Sherlock Holmes Playing Cards come in two main editions, one with what the creator calls a "shadow vanishing tuck box", and the other with what the creator calls a "detective tuck box". Each of these has two decks, one in black and one in white.
● Checkmate Edition (black) and Castling Edition (white) - both with the shadow vanishing tuck box
● Stalemate Edition (black) and Skewer Edition (white) - both with the detective tuck box
Checkmate and Castling EditionsThe Checkmate and Castling editions are the more luxurious decks. Their tuck boxes have embossing and foil, and have a unique mechanism where a shadow of Jack the Ripper disappears when you open the front of the box. The cards in these decks use cold foil, and are finished with coloured edges.
Stalemate and Skewer EditionsThe Stalemate and Skewer Editions have a unique tuck box with a wax emblem. When it's unfolded to reveal the cards, it reveals a letter from Jack the Ripper. These cards have a more straight forward colour scheme that relies mostly on black and white.
ExtrasBox sets are also available for collectors, and especially noteworthy is the collector's box which contains one of each of the four decks, plus a set of clues for solving the puzzle, and a collector's coin.
To solve the puzzle, you'll need the clues found in both a black deck and a white deck, so you'll have to get a pair of decks: either the Checkmate and the Castling edition, or the Stalemate and Skewer editions.
The CreatorI've been very impressed with the output and quality of Room One Cards, and the decks I've seen so far have been fantastic. This is another splendid project that incorporates artistic creativity with an original theme, a luxurious look, innovation, quality, and a fun puzzle!
Anti-Faro Playing Cards is one of the sub-brands of Room One Cards, which is based in Asia and is the creator of three main brands: Room One Cards, Bloom Playing Cards, and Anti-Faro Playing Cards. With the help of Kickstarter they've already produced around a dozen different projects of custom playing cards, which have been well-received by the playing card community. Room One Cards has their own printer, and use three main stocks: 270gsm = Sleight Stock, 290gsm = Afflux Stock, and 300gsm = Elite Stock. I've seen and used decks with each of these three stocks, and the quality and handling has been impressive.
Jack the Ripper & Sherlock Holmes is the fourth project under the Anti-Faro label, and follows the success of three previous projects: Plague Doctor Playing Cards (2023), The Trial of Blackbeard Playing Cards (2024), and Stellar Dread Playing Cards (2024). I haven't seen these all personally, but I do own the Trial of Blackbeard deck, and love the puzzle that was built into that. So when I heard about yet another deck from the same creator with an in-built puzzle, I was immediately enthused.
Kickstarter link
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/antifaro/jack-the-ripper-and-sherlock-holmes-playing-cards
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