What is Pilatch?

"Pilatch" refers to a deck of playing cards, and games that are played with these cards.

The three suits in a Pilatch deck are: Rock, Paper, and Scissors. These symbols are familiar to anyone who has played Roshambo, though you may have called it simply, "Rock, Paper, Scissors." The relationship between these three suits is used to break ties, and have games where the suits interact intuitively. For instance the Queen of Rock beats the Queen of Scissors, without question.

Pilatch's concept of interactive suits is used in new versions of favorite games that can be as simple as War, or complex like Pinochle. Players and game designers alike are encouraged to rethink the value of one card in relation to another, as in War, or redefine the meaning of "trump," as in Pinochle.

Pilatch decks also come equipped with Up/Down cards that simply say "UP" on one side, and "DOWN" on the other. They can signify binary states such as direction, whether high or low values are important, or relate to hidden or public information. To see the Up/Down cards in action, try Runway.

Pilatch also introduces a fourteenth card to each suit — the rank, "One." Having the actual numbers one through ten in the Pilatch deck creates educational opportunities for children. This way, a child who is learning to count can see a direct correlation between the quantity of symbols on a card, and the numbers in the corners, as opposed to counting one symbol and seeing an "A" as the rank.

If you're wondering where the word "Pilatch" came from, it's a total fabrication. It doesn't mean anything except what it's defined as here. The word Pilatch was initially imagined to have a Mediterranean flair when said aloud, though that's not based on any particular language or dialect. The first syllable is pronounced the same as the word "pill," and the second syllable rhymes with "watch."

Pĭ - lätch

In addition to our Etsy shop, Pilatch decks can be made to order by The Game Crafter.