Let’s be real: designing physical games is not always smooth sailing. If your game relies on custom cards, the process of making, remaking, and tweaking those cards can feel like an endless chore. That’s where dynamic card templates make the difference. There are many tools that let you focus on making your game fun rather than spending hours updating stats or layouts by hand.

Early on in the development of Sylvan Tactics I leaned heavily on Photoshop’s scripting tools to generate my cards dynamically. It was a lifesaver for someone who’s both a perfectionist and on a tight timeline. But I get it—Photoshop isn’t everyone’s jam. I have a degree in graphic design and I’m now a professional software programmer, so it’s just what I know. I have almost 20 years of experience with Photoshop and with my scripting skills I can get it to automate almost anything. If you don’t have that level of comfort with Photoshop, thankfully there are plenty of other options out there that don’t cost a dime (or close to it), and they’re perfect for game designers at any level.

Why Speed Matters in Prototyping

Quick prototyping isn’t just about saving time—it’s about unlocking creativity and improving your game. The faster you can create a playable version, the sooner you can test mechanics, tweak balance, and refine your ideas. Games don’t get better by sitting in your head or your notebook; they get better through feedback and iteration. Dynamic templates streamline that process, letting you adjust card stats, abilities, or even visuals on the fly. This way, you can focus on the stuff that really matters: making your game fun and engaging.

Tools to Make Prototyping a Breeze

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for every designer, but here are some tools that have the most widespread adoption and support within the community. Whether you’re a coding wizard or prefer drag-and-drop simplicity, there’s something here for you.

1. Photoshop (With Scripting)

URL: Photoshop
Why It’s Great: Photoshop gives you total control over every pixel, and with scripting, you can automate the tedious parts. Need to generate 50 cards with different stats? Done in minutes.
Downsides: It’s subscription-based and can feel intimidating if you’re new to it.
Who It’s For: Designers who are already comfortable with Adobe tools and want pro-level output.

2. Card Maker

URL: Card Maker on GitHub
Why It’s Great: Free, open-source, and lightweight. It reads from spreadsheets or text files, so you can quickly plug in your data and crank out cards.
Downsides: The interface is bare-bones, so it might feel a bit clunky.
Who It’s For: Indie creators or hobbyists looking for a no-cost, no-frills option.

3. NanDeck

URL: NanDeck
Why It’s Great: It’s free and lets you script your card layouts in a way that’s highly customizable. Plus, it’s built specifically for card games.
Downsides: Learning the scripting language takes time, and there’s no GUI to fall back on.
Who It’s For: Designers who don’t mind rolling up their sleeves and learning a bit of code.

4. Component Studio 2

URL: Component Studio 2
Why It’s Great: It’s web-based and super user-friendly. You can drag and drop elements, link your designs to a Google Sheet, and see updates in real time.
Downsides: It’s subscription-based, so there’s a recurring cost.
Who It’s For: Designers who want a polished interface and don’t mind paying for convenience.

5. GIMP (With Plugins)

URL: GIMP
Why It’s Great: Free and open-source. With plugins, you can automate certain tasks and create dynamic designs.
Downsides: It’s not as robust as Photoshop, and the interface can feel a bit dated.
Who It’s For: Budget-conscious designers who need a Photoshop alternative.

6. Squib

URL: Squib on GitHub
Why It’s Great: A Ruby-based framework that’s perfect for programmatically generating cards. It’s open-source and endlessly customizable.
Downsides: You need to know Ruby (or be willing to learn it).
Who It’s For: Coders who want maximum flexibility and don’t need a graphical interface.

Pro Tips for Prototyping

Start Simple: Don’t get caught up in making your first prototype pretty. Placeholder art and simple layouts are fine in the early stages—what matters most is testing your mechanics.
Use a Spreadsheet: Link your card generator to a spreadsheet for easy updates. This lets you tweak values or text in one place and instantly apply changes across all your cards.
Get Feedback Fast: The sooner you can test your game with real players, the faster you’ll spot what works and what doesn’t. Rapid prototyping tools make this much easier.
Leverage Community Resources: Many tools have active user communities where you can find templates, tutorials, and advice. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or inspiration.

My Workflow for Sylvan Tactics

For Sylvan Tactics, I used Photoshop scripts to automate my card designs. It was a literal game-changer. Whenever I needed to tweak stats or adjust layouts, I could update my data file and let the script handle the rest. This meant I could spend less time fiddling with design details and more time playtesting. I actually spend more time cutting out the printed cards to slip into sleeves than I do editing them for printing.

That said, no single tool is perfect for everyone. Whether you go with a free option like NanDeck or splurge on something like Component Studio 2, the key is finding a tool that fits your workflow and lets you iterate quickly.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some things that really helped us to streamline the process and prevent errors.

Create an ID number for each card

You don’t want your cards to be identified solely by their name or title, because those things will change over time as you iterate through your design. ID numbers allow you to track changes to a card over time and if you prefix your filenames with the ID numbers it’s easier to see if anything was missed in the export.

Use text replacement signifiers

Let’s say you have a mechanic in your game called “Use” and it’s referenced on several cards in your game. Then, two months down the road you decide to change the mechanic’s name to “Deplete”. Well, now you have to find every instance of the word on your cards and replace it with the new term. Instead, when using special terms on your cards surround them with brackets like {Use} or [Use] and then have your script replace those terms with a constant value across all cards. You can also use this to insert the card’s name into the rules text on the card. For our game, Sylvan Tactics, we have used this technique to allow for name changes seamlessly during development. The card rule text in our original spreadsheet for the card below reads as: “Shadow Sneak - As long as {Name} is not invoked, it cannot be targeted by attacks while standing on a black space.”

Save yourself trouble and headaches with {bracketed} text replacement. No one wants to type “Swiftpaw Scavenger” multiple times…

Final Thoughts

Prototyping is the heart of great game design. The faster and easier it is to make changes, the more room you have to experiment, iterate, and discover the magic that makes your game special. So pick a tool, dive in, and start turning your ideas into something playable. Who knows? Your next prototype might just be the next big hit at game night.

Follow us on Bluesky or Instagram to learn more about our upcoming chess card battling game, Sylvan Tactics.