Yes, some of these are admittedly aspirational, but here’s our roundup of over-the-top, beautifully designed games (some could be considered art), from gilded playing cards to hand-painted, framable jigsaw puzzles.
The Backgammon and Checkers Set from Fredericks & Mae includes 30 playing pieces and four dice or 24 playing pieces for checkers; $160.
On our wish lists for a while now: Hand-Painted Puzzles by Tyler Hayes, the multitalented creative behind BDDW and M. Crow. The M. Crow Puzzle Catalogue is $100 and includes all 76 hand-painted puzzles and prototypes produced in Tyler Hayes’s Philadelphia studio from 2015 to 2016.
World’s most beautiful playing cards?
The London designer “approached her pack of playing cards with the past four centuries as her influence; each suit represents a century and each century is represented by key motifs of its age.”
From Swedish company Print Works Market, the Chess Coffee Table Game is $52 from Flora & Henri.
The Fredericks & Mae Moons Dominoes Set is $38 from Y Living.
Jorge Almada and Anne-Marie Midy of San Miguel de Allende–based Casamidy make a rugged, handwoven travel Blanket Backgammon Set with saddle leather pieces; contact Casamidy directly for pricing and more information.
The brass-accented Monochrome Belgian Dart Set is handmade in the US and inspired by an 18th-century model; $148 from Best Made.