Games Couture
A tabletop game that is uniquely yours.
Imagine
Imagine a completely original tabletop game, designed in the style of the classics, but made exclusively for you.
Games Couture is a new, bespoke game design studio, specializing in unique and enduring tabletop games in the classic style.
Apply today to own an original classic: a tabletop game that is unique in the world, designed and built by one of the world’s foremost game inventors.
Create
Game designer James Ernest is offering a limited number of original abstract games, through the Games Couture studio at Crab Fragment Labs.
Based on your inspiration, we will design and produce your original game. This includes rules, components, and strategies, made to order for you alone.
Games Couture are not variations on existing games, but thoroughly original concepts, not available anywhere else, and yours to keep secret or share with the world.
Play
The classic tabletop game is a study in aesthetics and experience design. Designer James Ernest is foremost among the modern masters: A celebrated, award-winning tabletop game inventor with more than 200 published games.
Through Games Couture, James Ernest will create original rules, handmade components, and even historical notes and house variants, all tailor-made to your specifications.
Inquire now. Your table is waiting.
About the Artist
James Ernest is a celebrated tabletop game designer who specializes in classical games, in the style of hearts, poker, backgammon, and chess. Ernest has created dozens of incredible games in this category, including Tak: a Beautiful Game, an original abstract board game that raised more than $1.3 Million on Kickstarter.
James Ernest’s creations include:
Pairs: A suite of more than 40 original card games played with a unique 55-card deck.
Vines: A suite of more than 20 original trick-taking games played with a five-suited deck.
12 Days: A family card game based on the Twelve Days of Christmas, now a best-seller from Calliope Games
Ricochet Poker: A licensed, patented casino game now distributed by Galaxy Gaming, and winner of the silver medal for new games at the Las Vegas Cutting Edge Table Games Expo
Rochi: A fantasy gambling card game appearing in The Stranger Trilogy by Sonia Lyris
Fable II Pub Games: Three casino-type games (Keystone, Spinner Box, and Fortune’s Tower) appearing in Fable II, by Microsoft / Lionhead Studios
Fist: An abstract game based on descriptions in The Verdigris Pawn, designed with author Alysa Wishingrad
Take Back Toe: A classic abstract board game and winner of Daniel Solis’ Thousand-Year Game Design Challenge
Tak, A Beautiful Game: Designed with author Patrick Rothfuss, this abstract game raised more than $1.3M on Kickstarter, and is ranked on boardgamegeek.com among the top 25 abstract games of all time.
Your Investment
Games Couture specializes in heirloom games: simple abstract board and card games in the style of classic games like hearts, poker, backgammon, chess, and go. These are very simple games with deep strategies, the kind that endure through generations.
Your project begins in a consultation with the designer, to talk about the styles of game you play and love, and what concepts will make your game unique. If we accept your proposal, you can expect your game within six to twelve months, complete with finished rules and a hand-made copy (for board games), or a box of professionally printed decks (for card games).
Pricing
Games Couture is an exclusive, limited service, and these prices are preliminary and subject to designer availability.
No two games are alike, and your project might not fit into one of these basic categories. In fact, we hope that it won’t! Please use these categories as starting guidelines.
Card game with standard poker deck: $12k
Traditional Dice game: $15k
Card game with custom deck: $25k
Board game with dice: $30k
Pure strategy board game: $45k
Casino-ready Card or Dice Game: Please Inquire
Prices above do not include fees for materials, artwork, or fabrication, all of which can be explored in the preliminary project phase. Manufacturing and distribution rights are also available.
Begin Your Journey
Reach out to an Account Manager today.