QuestDeck™ Engine (QDE)

A Universal, Modular Card Engine for Game Designers, Guides, and Players

The QuestDeck™ Engine is an in‑house system created by James Pearson, Jim Brooks, and Pete Ruttman — a flexible, modular card‑based platform built to support nearly any tabletop RPG setting. QDE uses the world’s most accessible tool: a standard deck of playing cards. No proprietary components. No special dice. Just a clean, adaptable engine that designers can shape to fit their world.

A System Built on Flexibility

QDE is designed so creators can activate only the mechanics they want. Every subsystem is optional, skinnable, and easy to tune.

• Modular Mechanics: enable or disable features without breaking the engine
• Card-state Control: toggle court cards, suits, and special behaviors
• Genre-agnostic Design: works for fantasy, sci‑fi, noir, supers, survival, romance, anything
• Designer-friendly Structure: simple core, deep extensibility

Suits, values, and card types are mechanical categories defined by the designer. They can be thematic, narrative, functional, or simply organizational — and can be turned on or off as needed.

Controlled Customization

QDE’s core rules are simple enough that a nine‑year‑old can learn and play them confidently. At the same time, the system offers deep customization for designers who want to shape the deck to their world.

Jokers remain fixed and meaningful — they are not altered or reassigned. The rest of the deck, however, is yours to sculpt. Designers can activate or deactivate court cards, enable or disable suits, or define special behaviors for certain values. These adjustments let you theme the deck to your setting without adding complexity or rewriting the engine. QDE stays fast, intuitive, and accessible, even when heavily customized.

Why Designers Love QDE

• Skinnable: rename suits, reinterpret values, theme the deck to your setting
• Scalable Complexity: works for rules‑light story games or tactical campaigns
• Cooperative Mechanics: players can combine hands, assist, or tackle group challenges
• Fast Onboarding: players already understand how cards work
• No Proprietary Components: frictionless for designers and players

Who QDE Is For

Game Designers

A universal engine you can shape to your world, your tone, and your mechanics.

Game Guides / GMs

A system that stays out of your way and supports fast, intuitive play.

Players

A familiar, card‑driven experience that feels fresh without being complicated.

Licensing & Publishing

QDE is not currently public, but it is available for creators.

License QDE for Your Own Game

Use the engine in your commercial or indie project with flexible licensing terms.

Publish With Us — Use QDE for Free

If you publish under our banner, you get full access to QDE at no cost.

Want Something More Thematic?

If your game leans into supernatural, symbolic, or mythic themes, consider the TarotDeck™ Engine (TDE) — a tarot‑based sibling system designed for high‑drama, occult, or mystical settings.
Learn more: TarotDeck Engine (TDE)