Our Standard Edition Playing Cards Are Back in Stock!

These are more than just a deck of playing cards—they're the product that launched Trickster Company in 2014 after a tremendously successful Kickstarter campaign. With this restock, we'd love to take a walk down memory lane and share the story of how our family business began with those who are new to Trickster Company.

After graduating from college, Rico Worl returned home to Haa Aaní to be closer to family and began working as an art director in Juneau. As he looked at the tourism market in Southeast Alaska, he noticed something was missing. Authentic Indigenous art and gifts were difficult to find, and there were very few contemporary products that Indigenous people could proudly use to represent their culture in everyday life.

Rico envisioned a world where Northwest Coast formline art wasn't limited to galleries or museums. He wanted people—especially young people—to see their culture reflected in the everyday objects they used, from basketballs and skateboards to apparel and home goods. His goal was to create products that celebrated Indigenous identity, culture, and clan with contemporary design rooted in tradition.

He decided to begin with something almost everyone has at home—a deck of playing cards.

Over several months, Rico carefully designed every detail. Rather than relying on traditional face card artwork, he created original illustrations for every king, queen, and jack. He even included an extra storytelling card featuring Raven, adding another layer of Northwest Coast storytelling to the deck. Working closely with the United States Playing Card Company, he meticulously prepared every file to ensure the finished product reflected his vision.

To bring the project to life, Rico launched a Kickstarter campaign. The response was overwhelming, and with the support of hundreds of backers, the first production run became a reality.

As orders began to grow, his family stepped in to help wholesale the playing cards. What started as one thoughtfully designed product quickly grew into something much bigger. Rico took a leap of faith, leaving the security of a traditional career to build a business rooted in Indigenous innovation, cultural pride, and community impact.

That leap became Trickster Company.

The popularity of the Standard Edition Playing Cards also inspired a second deck—our Tlingit Language Playing Cards. Rico collaborated with his brother, Kyle Worl, who was teaching the Tlingit language at the time, to create a deck that encourages language learning through play. It remains one of our favorite examples of how everyday objects can help celebrate and revitalize Indigenous language and culture.

Want to learn how to count and play cards in Tlingit? Watch X̱'unei Lance Twitchell's instructional video here and practice with your own deck!

More than a decade later, we're still inspired by the same vision that started it all: creating modern Indigenous design that celebrates who we are while honoring where we come from.

Thank you for being part of our story.