Guidebook
How to use Wild Cards
Wild Cards is a deck of 54 national animals that you can draw from, read from and play with. There are 52 real animals, one from each of 52 countries, plus 2 mythical Jokers.
Every lesson starts with something true about the animal. The wisdom is a mirror, not a fortune: use it as a prompt to think, talk and act, never as a prediction.
Three ways to use it
Draw
1 minuteShuffle, pull one card, read its card words and its message.
Read
5 to 10 minutesDive deeper: the animal's true story, the lesson, how to bring it into balance, a nature practice and a question to sit with.
Play
3 minutes a gameUse the three stats to play Top Trumps, or play any classic card game. It is a full 52-card deck with Jokers.
How to read a card
Every card front holds the same nine parts, read from top to bottom. The quick read is the art, the archetype and the card words; the rest is there when you want it.
Rank is game strength, not the worth of the lesson. The Ace has the highest total stats in its suit and the 2 the lowest. The four 2s are the Underdogs: in the game they topple any Ace or royal (Jack, Queen, King), and some of the deck's deepest lessons sit on them.
To read a card in 30 seconds: look at the animal, say the card words out loud, then notice which of the three keywords pulls at you.
- 1
Corner index · A small tab top left, and upside down bottom right
Rank and suit in red and black, so the deck works for any card game. The Jokers show a star.
- 2
Name and element glyph · Top bar
The animal, and its element's symbol on a coin: a gust for Air, a drop with a whirlpool for Water, mountains for Earth, a flame for Fire. The Jokers carry a star.
- 3
Art · Centre
A real photo of the animal. The photographer's name is on the bottom edge.
- 4
Element frame · Around everything
The whole frame takes the suit's colour: teal for Air, blue for Water, ochre for Earth, ember red for Fire, violet for the Jokers.
- 5
Archetype · Strip under the art
The role this animal plays in your life, such as The Solitary Strategist.
- 6
Card words · Light text panel, in an italic serif
The whole lesson in five words or fewer.
- 7
Keywords · Under the card words
Three themes to watch for today.
- 8
Stats · Bottom row
Power, Instinct and Resilience, each from 1 to 99.
- 9
Footer · Bottom edge
The photographer's credit and the country.
The stats: body, mind and spirit
Body
Power
In the animal
Size, strength, speed and natural weapons
In you
Energy, health, the courage to act
Highest: Asian Elephant, 98
Mind
Instinct
In the animal
Senses, smarts, memory and navigation
In you
Attention, intuition, learning, timing
Highest: Bottlenose Dolphin, 95
Spirit
Resilience
In the animal
Coping with hardship and change, and how fast its kind bounces back
In you
Recovery, patience, staying power
Highest: Arabian Camel, 95
Four elements and two Jokers
Air
The Flyers
Air cards are about perspective, voice and freedom. Draw one when you need to see clearly, speak up or rise above something.
Water
The Swimmers and Waders
Water cards are about feelings, connection and intuition. Draw one when you need to feel your way through something, mend a bond or trust your gut.
Earth
The Grounded
Earth cards are about patience, the body, home and resources. Draw one when you need to slow down, steady yourself or build something that lasts.
Fire
The Hunters
Fire cards are about courage, drive and action. Draw one when you need to commit, lead, protect or finally move.
Wild
The Jokers
The two Jokers are the deck's true wild cards: mythical national animals that stand for imagination and inner fire. They have no stats; in the game, a Joker beats every card.
Spreads
Three spreads cover most days: one card for a daily prompt, three for Body, Mind and Spirit, and four for a bigger decision.
Card of the day
1 card- Shuffle while you think about the day ahead.
- Draw one card. Read the card words, then the message.
- Carry one keyword with you. Tonight, answer the card's question in a line or two.
Body, Mind, Spirit
3 cardsLay three cards from left to right.
- Body: what your energy and health need right now.
- Mind: where to put your attention.
- Spirit: what will help you recover and grow.
The Four Elements
4 cardsFor a decision or a project. Lay four cards in a cross.
- Air: how to think about it.
- Water: how you really feel about it.
- Fire: the action to take.
- Earth: what will keep it steady over time.
Wild Cards does not use upside-down (reversed) cards. For more nuance, read a card's In balance and Out of balance lines and ask which one is true for you today. Keep a simple journal: the date, the card and one sentence.
Lay a spread in the app →The game
Wild Cards plays like Top Trumps for 2 to 4 players. Hold your cards face down and only ever look at your top card. Quick Draw takes about 3 minutes; Classic about 6.
- The caller reads one stat from their top card: Power, Instinct or Resilience.
- Everyone flips their top card. The highest number for that stat wins all the flipped cards.
- The winner calls next.
About the animals
18 of the 52 real animals in this deck are threatened with extinction, and one, the dodo, is already gone. Every card is a small reminder of the wild places these animals need.
The Red List is the global record of extinction risk, kept by the IUCN. It does not assess domesticated animals such as koi and the Arabian camel. Several national animals are unofficial or shared, as the table notes.