Fragments of the System
Graphic Design
Visual Design
Card Design
Package Design
Graphic Design Visual Design Card Design Package Design
Fragments of the System
Fragments of the System is a minimalistic yet narrative-driven cyberpunk playing card deck that merges visual design with a futuristic dystopian aesthetic. By blending graphic design, symbolism, and game aesthetics, this capstone project examines how visual identity and storytelling can transform a traditional card deck into an engaging, thematic experience.
Card Design
Software
Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop
Four factions. One broken system.
A world wired in control, ruled by four factions.
Corporations. Rebels. Hackers. Mercenaries.
No order. No peace. Only players in a rigged game.
Pick a side. Play your part.
Break the system — or become part of it.
Choose Your Side
In Fragments of the System, every game begins with a choice: which faction will you align with? Each side offers a unique perspective, strategy, and role in the fight for control—or freedom. Your allegiance shapes your path, but the outcome is always in your hands.
Diamond Suit: Corporations
The Diamonds are powerful corporations that control the system through wealth, influence, and relentless ambition. They build cities, own governments, and shape reality to serve their interests—no matter the cost. To them, control isn't just a goal; it's the product they sell.
Heart Suit: Rebels
The Hearts are rebels, nomads, and outcasts united by resistance. They fight for freedom in a world built to suppress it, using whatever they can salvage—truth, tech, or trash. They don’t follow leaders—they follow hope.
Club Suit: Mercenaries
The Clubs are mercenaries—fighters for hire with no loyalty but the contract. Driven by profit and survival, they shift between factions, tipping the balance of power for the right price. In their world, trust is a currency—and it’s always running out.
Spade Suit: Hackers
The Spades are unseen, unknown, and unstoppable. Hackers, data ghosts, and digital saboteurs, they operate in the shadows to expose truths and unravel control. They don’t seek power—they delete it.
Joker Cards
The Jokers are wild cards—unpredictable forces that don’t follow any rules or factions. They disrupt, deceive, and destabilize, serving no one but their own chaos. When a Joker appears, the game changes.
Fragments of the System: Faction Wars
Fragments of the System: Faction Wars is a narrative-driven, cyberpunk card game where 2–4 players control factions (Corporations, Rebels, Hackers, or Mercenaries) to compete for Influence. Players draw and play cards to gain points, use faction-specific events, and prepare for a showdown in System Collapse Mode triggered by the Joker cards. The player with the highest total Influence wins.
Objective
The objective of the game is to build Influence Points through strategic card play, completing faction-specific objectives, and triggering narrative events with face cards. Each face card has a powerful effect tied to its faction, allowing players to shape the game’s progression. As the game unfolds, players aim to reach a designated number of Influence Points or survive until System Collapse Mode is triggered by both Jokers.
System Collapse Mode
In System Collapse Mode, the final battle begins, and players reveal all cards in hand, with their total Influence deciding the winner. This creates a thrilling endgame where tactical plays and the careful management of cards and Influence are key to victory.
The game is designed to be highly strategic, with each decision impacting the flow of the match. Players must carefully decide when to build up their Influence, when to trigger their faction’s abilities, and when to disrupt their opponents. Even holding onto certain cards can be a risky move — as waiting too long could backfire once the Jokers enter play. The blend of tactical play, narrative-driven effects, and a suspenseful endgame makes Fragments of the System a fast-paced yet thought-provoking experience that rewards both planning and adaptability.
Why this project?
I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of creating a custom game deck—designing unique artwork and seeing it come to life in print. While digital projects like apps and websites are exciting, I wanted to create something tangible. In a world that’s increasingly digital, there’s still something powerful about holding a physical piece of design in your hands.