The Old Deck, Card by Card

The Old Deck is the site's default deck and the one that has taken the most work to create. Its design aims to capture the look of Spanish cards from the early 20th century, with flat inks, muted reds, worn paper and edges that look as though they have passed through many hands.

What is the problem with aged cards?

Making a card look old is easy. Achieving it without losing clarity is not so much. During a game, you look at it sideways, on a small screen, and only for an instant; if stains obscure the contrast of the suit, the illustration ceases to be useful for playing.

That's why wear is concentrated on the edges and background, away from the suit and the number. Each card was also reviewed in a small size to ensure that both elements remained distinguishable.

Why do the four suits present four different problems?

Oros (Golds) are the most forgiving: golden circles that withstand any background. Copas (Cups) require care with contrast, because their hollow interior blends with the paper. Espadas (Swords) cross over each other, and from the seven upwards, they form a tangle that needs to be organised to be counted at a glance.

Bastos (Clubs, literally 'Batons') were the last and most laborious: trunks with leaves, ribbons, and, on the As (Ace), the site's name integrated into the card itself, as old decks used to do with the manufacturer's mark.

How do printed numbering and reduced variants affect the game?

Historical decks had the number in the corners or cuts of the suits, and we kept that. In addition, each card exists in three sizes: the full card for the displays and viewers, and two reduced versions for hands and tricks, which is where the real game is played.

This triple version allows a game on a mobile phone to load quickly without sacrificing detail when you zoom in on a card.

Where can you see it?

The Old Deck is available to all players and can be viewed in full, from the As (Ace) to the Rey (King) of all four suits, in the decks section. Alongside it are the Simple, designed for maximum readability, and the fantasy, western, galactic, and Halloween decks.