Introduction
At Black Pug Studio, we thrive on projects that blend creativity with purpose. Bad Cards was an ideal match.
This US-based company, inspired by the cheeky humor of Cards Against Humanity, approached us with a bold vision: elevate their quirky gaming platform into something exceptional. Led by Nate Fox, the project kicked off in September 2024, targeting a version 2.0 rebuild.
Bad Cards offers flexible game modes where players can respond with GIFs or memes instead of text prompts, or craft free-form answers. They can also create custom card packs to share with others. While it had a loyal following, the original platform needed refinement — better usability, a sharper look, and smarter tech. By November 24, 2024, we launched a polished, tech-forward version that’s making waves.
The Challenge
What Made Bad Cards Unique
Bad Cards innovatively builds upon the Cards Against Humanity concept by expanding gameplay options beyond text-only responses. Players can express themselves through GIFs, memes, or free-form answers, making each round more dynamic and engaging. The platform’s standout feature lets players create and share custom card packs, fostering a creative community while significantly boosting replayability and player retention.
Where It Needed Work
But there were challenges. The user experience (UX) was awkward, slowing down navigation and customization. The visual design didn’t fully capture its meme-loving audience’s energy. The old infrastructure was costly to run.
Nate and the Bad Cards team wanted a total overhaul: a smoother interface, a professional feel with colors that resonated, new settings for customization, and a monetization strategy blending ads, subscriptions, and digital pack sales. We were ready to tackle it.
Our Approach
Revamping the User Experience
We started by understanding the Bad Cards community — players who love humor and social gaming. With Nate Fox leading, we had two intense months from September 2024 to November 2024 to bring it to life.
The UX was our first focus. The original setup made switching between GIFs, memes, or free-form answers harder than it should’ve been. Creating custom packs felt clunky too. We rebuilt it from the ground up for version 2.0, making navigation seamless. We added a suite of new settings, letting players tailor their games — more flexibility, more enjoyment.
A Professional New Look
The visuals needed an upgrade. The old colors didn’t match the audience’s lively spirit, so we reworked them into a vibrant, professional palette. It’s designed to appeal to internet humor fans while feeling polished.
We used VueJS for the frontend. This efficient tool delivers a fast, responsive interface — whether players are picking memes or building packs, it’s smooth and engaging.
Crafting a Monetization Strategy
Monetization was critical. We built a three-part system: ads, subscriptions, and digital pack sales.
Ads keep the free version accessible, appearing subtly during play. Subscriptions come in three tiers — Silver, Gold, and Diamond — each offering more benefits. Players can also buy premium packs individually without subscribing.
We integrated Stripe as the payment processor, customized for Bad Cards. It handles subscriptions and single purchases securely and efficiently — perfect for a monthly Diamond plan or a one-time pack buy.
Launching a Partner Program
We didn’t stop there. We created a partner program for creators, a custom system powered by Stripe. Creators can bring their communities to Bad Cards and earn a percentage of sales and subscriptions through unique affiliate links. It’s a smart way to grow the platform and reward creativity.
Detailing the Subscription Tiers
The tiers cater to all players. Silver unlocks more custom packs than the free tier, access to some premium packs, and extra in-game settings. Gold offers a higher pack limit, removes ads for everyone in your game (not just you), includes more premium packs, adds more settings, and unlocks premium game modes. Diamond is the ultimate: the highest custom pack limit, ad-free play for all in your game, every premium pack, all settings, and all premium modes. It’s built for casual players, group hosts, and pack creators alike.
Boosting Custom Packs
Custom packs are Bad Cards’ core. Players can craft prompts and answers — text, GIFs, or memes — and share them with friends or the community. The rebuilt platform makes it effortless, with subscription tiers offering more creation slots to spark innovation.
Smarter Tech Choices
On the tech side, we moved to Google Cloud Platform (GCP). The old system was a budget drain, but GCP delivered impressive results: 90% cost reduction, automatic scaling, and enhanced security through built-in protection against DDoS attacks. The platform’s global content delivery network (CDN) ensures fast loading times worldwide, while its robust APIs and microservices architecture make it easy to implement new features. It’s a flexible foundation that provides detailed analytics, simplified deployment through Cloud Build, and efficient container orchestration with Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) — letting the Bad Cards team add new packs and game modes with confidence.
A Dynamic Collaboration
Our partnership with Bad Cards was exceptional, demonstrating how creative synergy drives innovation. The collaborative atmosphere allowed us to develop unique solutions like the creator partner program, where content makers can earn through affiliate links — an idea born from our brainstorming sessions. Our willingness to experiment led to smart features like flexible response types (GIFs, memes, or free-form answers) and a tiered subscription model that caters to different player needs. Under Nate Fox’s guidance, we weren’t afraid to challenge conventions, resulting in features that truly set Bad Cards apart: custom card packs that build community engagement, premium game modes that enhance gameplay, and a monetization strategy that balances accessibility with profitability. This fearless approach to ideation and execution has created a platform primed for sustainable growth.
The Results
Since version 2.0 launched on November 24, 2024, Bad Cards has hit new heights.
The VueJS-driven UX is quick and intuitive, keeping players engaged with settings and pack creation. The new colors and professional design resonate with the audience, perfectly matching their humor and meme passion.
Post-launch success is clear: all metrics are up. Traffic has surged, premium pack sales have climbed, and subscriptions — Silver, Gold, and Diamond — have spiked. There are more active users, more games created, and more custom packs made than ever before. Players are embracing the upgrade wholeheartedly.
Ads power the free tier, Stripe handles payments (including creator payouts via the partner program), and the subscription tiers deliver — more custom packs, ad-free group play, premium modes, and extensive settings. Digital pack sales offer flexibility, letting players grab premium content without a subscription. It’s a thriving, balanced ecosystem.
Key Takeaways
This project offered a wealth of lessons worth unpacking.
- A refined UX, powered by VueJS, shows how simplicity and speed can shift frustration to delight — players stay engaged when the experience flows effortlessly.
- A visual redesign with colors that resonate deepens audience connection, making a platform feel tailored to its users’ spirit.
- A multi-faceted monetization strategy — ads, Stripe-supported subscriptions, and digital pack sales — offers flexibility, meeting diverse player needs while building a sustainable model.
- The custom partner program, built on Stripe, proves empowering creators can drive growth, turning community passion into a revenue engine through affiliate earnings.
- Tech choices like GCP’s 90% cost reduction highlight the power of efficiency — saving money while enabling scalability for future content and modes.
- Collaboration between creative teams, like ours with Nate Fox’s crew, thrives on open idea-sharing and bold experimentation, delivering a platform that’s both fun and smart.
- Building with adaptable architecture ensures longevity — Bad Cards is poised to expand packs, modes, and platforms without missing a beat.
Conclusion
Partnering with Bad Cards, a US company led by Nate Fox, was a standout success for Black Pug Studio.
From September 2024 to the November 24, 2024 launch, we transformed version 2.0 into a dynamic platform — GIFs, memes, free-form answers, custom packs, and more. Google Cloud Platform cut costs by 90%, VueJS ensures a swift experience, and Stripe powers seamless payments, including the custom partner program for creators.
The flexible architecture lets the Bad Cards team grow packs and modes effortlessly. The future is bright — more content, new game modes, and plans to expand to Twitch, Discord, and beyond. Our collaboration, fueled by creativity and bold vision, gave Bad Cards a winning edge, ready to lead in the gaming space.
About Black Pug Studio
Black Pug Studio is a leading multidisciplinary creative agency based in Galway. We specialize in delivering high-quality, custom-tailored services in web design, branding, digital design, and advanced software and web technology experiences. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies, we design elegant interfaces and partner with businesses to create their ideal digital tools. Connect with us today and kick-start your project with our experienced team. We eagerly await the opportunity to transform your business vision into reality.
Bad Cards Levels Up was originally published in Creative by Black Pug Studio on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
