A regular deck of custom playing cards ... and a creative cooperative poker-style game![/size]
Price: €15
Current funding level: already funded
Kickstarter ends: Thursday, June 5, 2025
The River Rats Playing Cards and Card Game project grabbed my immediate interest for two reasons. Firstly, I'm a huge fan of custom playing cards. And that's what this is: a regular deck of playing cards you can use for playing your favourite traditional card game. Except that all the artwork on the cards is completely customized, so it's a novel art piece that collectors will love, as well as being functional.
But I'm also a huge fan of modern games played with a regular deck of playing cards. In recent years some very good ones have emerged, such as Regicide, which is a brilliant and clever cooperative combat game. River Rats is also a cooperative game, but is inspired by Poker, so it has a very different feel. You and your fellow players are teaming up, trying to create hands that will beat the River Rats, which are represented in the game by the four Kings.
The Deck
The deck comes in an attractive tuck box, complete with foil accents for a luxury look, in your choice of red or blue. I love the colour choices they've made for this deck, and the combination of gold on red and of gold on blue both look terrific.
The card backs especially look lovely, with a symmetrical design that taps into the river rat theme.
The illustrations and graphic design has been done by Rixt Heerschop, who has done a fantastic job in evoking a whimsical and fun theme. The result has a vibrant and playful look, which is fun to enjoy simply as a custom deck of playing cards, or as part of the game. I read somewhere that the world of Samurai Jack was an inspiration for the theme and style of the artwork, but even though I'm entirely unfamiliar with that show, the card art stands on its own and can be appreciated independent of that.
The Kings picture the River Rats that we're competing against in the game; they are wealthy robotic rats and enemy figures.
The Aces represent the players, while the rest of the deck pictures "The Crew" that we'll use for gameplay to make the poker hands. Each different value pictures a common set of characters, who have a similar role on a river boat.
Furthermore, each suit also depicts a different animal, which is linked to the deck's theme (and the game). The Spades are Otters (always sneakily discarding something), the Diamonds are bugs (always trying to swap or trade), the Hearts are Crocodiles (taking a risk), and the Clubs are Birds (either working hard or adding something).
I especially love the fact that we have full customization that highlights the artwork, while clear indices ensures that the playing cards also remain functional.
The artwork really is gorgeous, and close attention to detail will reward the observant viewer. There are miniature suit pips that have been incorporated into the artwork of the cards in a semi-transformational style. Notice the buttons on the shirts of the characters pictured below, and the leaves of the vegetation in the bird's mouth. Also notice the borders, which cleverly incorporate the shape of half a pip corresponding to the suit of the card.
Besides these 52 cards, there are also two Jokers, two double-sided reference cards, and a rulebook. The deck is poker-sized and is being printed by WJPC on their 300gsm German stock. WJPC has been used by an increasing number of creators in recent years, their quality and performance is very impressive. This particular stock handles a lot like USPCC's crushed stock, which is a favourite for many.
Here's an overview of all the cards in the deck:
The Game
Along with the deck you get a rulebook for the card game, which is for 1 to 4 players. As a testament to the quality of the game, out of more than 40 entries in the 2024 Traditional Deck Game Design Contest, it placed in the Top 10 in both the "Best Solo Game" category and in the "Best Multiplayer Game" category.
Mathijs Jansen and Robin Stokkel are the game designers. They actively encourage people to try playing River Rats with a regular deck of cards. You can download the rulebook and player aids for free from the River Rats website, and that will give you all you need to play the game.
If you want to give it a try with a deck at home, I'd recommend printing the reference cards and reading the rules, and you'll be all set. On the Kickstarter page you'll also find links to several videos with play-throughs and reviews of the game, and that will also really help. The 5 minute video from Getting Games is a great place to learn the basics of how the game works, and I'd suggest watching that first.
I'm not going into detail in describing how the game works, but here's the official description: "In River Rats, you and your crew are forced into a high-stakes poker game by the rich, robotic River Rats. But this is not about gambling, it's about clever card play, limited communication and teamwork."
"Each suit is a unique faction: clubs = birds, diamonds = bugs, hearts = crocs, and spades = otters Each with its own smart ability to shift the odds. Outsmart the elite before they trap you in debt. Defeat both River Rats by ensuring each accumulates five Debt before you collectively gain five Debt."
Gameplay consists of four main steps:
1. Replenish your hand to three cards
2. Place a card in the Collective Hand to make strongest poker hand
3. Take a strategic action (
= discard, 
= add to the market, 
= increase the stakes, 
= swap)4. only when the Collective Hand has 5 cards: Showdown and assign debt
The two reference cards that are included in the deck provide all the key information needed when playing the game; they're double-sided, so what you see here represents two of the four sides.
So not only do we get a creative deck, but also the opportunity to have fun with a card game!
Extras
Besides the custom deck, there are also deluxe levels of support, which give you extras like a neoprene playmat, poker chips with a bag, signed uncut sheets, posters, and postcards.
As a collector of playing cards, I love the look of this custom deck even independent of the game. It has a whimsical and playful charm, and because the indices are clear, you can use it for other card games too. The fact that it has a brand new and clever cooperative poker-inspired card game built it makes it all the more attractive. Well done to the creators!
Kickstarter link
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stokkel/river-rats
