Bicycle Blackout Poker Deck Glows in UV Light - 56 Cards, Modern Design, Adults 18+, Futuristic Minimalism Theme

The package came unscathed. The cards themselves are beautiful and futuristic. Holds up to the description. Fascinating deck of cards!

The Grid Blackout deck is the latest and last in the series of GRID decks. The first edition was produced in 2012, and was hailed for its modern and minimalist design. A follow-up version of the deck called GRID 2.0 was produced the following year, and used special UV sensitive inks for interesting black light effects, including hidden UV reveals on certain cards.The original GRID decks were widely appreciated for the unique distinction of having stylish artwork that shows up only under black light. But even without the black light, the design offered a lot to admire, and was the subject of praise. This latest version of this deck, Grid Blackout, also employs UV inks that produce vibrant patches of purple and blue under a UV light, as well as a stylish technology-inspired design that is much like its predecessors.But unlike the decks that preceded it, the Grid Blackout deck is all about the colour black. That's already obvious from the tuck case, which immediately introduces us to accents of silver foil and stylish black, courtesy of UV spot printing. For extra classiness, the interior is entirely silver foil.The back design harks back to what made the original GRID deck popular, with a design inspired by a digital world full of vibrant light and circuitry. But unlike the white bordered cards of the previous standard editions, the Grid Blackout deck has cards with black faces. The card backs feature white pattern on the black, which ahs details that pop out under UV light for a very cool effect.As for the faces, these also feature a black canvas, and a simple white and grey colour scheme is used for the actual designs on the cards. But all is not what it appears to be, because you only need to place these cards under our black UV light, and you are in for a whole new look, given the use of UV sensitive inks!It's worth mentioning that unlike the predecessor of this deck, the UV light doesn't reveal hidden lines and details that can't be seen in regular light, which is somewhat of a pity. What glows is the white printing, (not the gray/silver), so there isn't the same level of hidden surprise being revealed as we've seen before in GRID 2.0. Even so, the effect is cool and impresses, and the UV inks do enhance the features and look of the design.Two Jokers and a couple of extra cards including a double backer bring the total cards to 56. Courtesy of USPCC printing under their Bicycle brand name, the cards handle well, although with black edges you will always see signs of wear quicker than normal. But given the extra features of this deck, it's more of a collector's piece anyway, and will best be enjoyed by the person looking for something unique in their collection.The intricate details on the pips and borders give this deck added appeal and an original feel. But to be best enjoyed, it really needs a full black light experience to showcase everything it offers. It may be somewhat of a novelty, but isn't that exactly what a lot of our favourite custom decks are exactly about?! - BGG reviewer EndersGame