Scaling game production to handle massive, custom decks is one of the biggest bottlenecks in tabletop game design. Making individual cards in Photoshop or Illustrator works for a small deck, but manual updates become impossible when managing hundreds of unique cards that constantly shift during playtesting and balancing.
nanDECK solves this problem by using data-driven automation. It acts as a compiler that takes data from a spreadsheet and pipes it into a standardized script layout, allowing designers to update or generate thousands of cards in seconds. The Data-Driven Architecture
Scaling with nanDECK relies on separating your game data from your visual asset design.
The Spreadsheet Layer: You maintain all card text, resource costs, attack values, item types, and image file paths inside an Excel file or Google Sheet. Each row represents a unique card, and each column represents a dynamic element.
The Layout Script Layer: Instead of designing individual cards, you write a single script template using nanDECK directives. The tool cross-references the spreadsheet headers and systematically generates the assets. Advanced Directives for Massive Scale
To successfully scale production to hundreds or thousands of custom cards, designers use advanced nanDECK commands to streamline logic and formatting: 1. Spreadsheet Integration
The LINK directive connects your spreadsheet directly to the template. If you use a Google Sheet, you can easily collaborate across remote design teams. LINK=“game_data.xlsx” Use code with caution.
Once linked, any column header wrapped in curly brackets (e.g., [Card_Title]) automatically pulls specific row data into your text and image blocks. 2. Conditional Logic (IF / ENDIF and SECTION)
Massive card games often have multiple card types (e.g., Spells, Creatures, Land) that require entirely different background frames or icon placements.
IF / ENDIF Statements: Filter rows based on specific data constraints. If a card’s “Type” column says “Spell”, you can instruct the program to only render a magical purple border.
SECTION / ENDSECTION Blocks: Break large scripts into manageable components. You can easily define card fronts in one section, card backs in another, and conditionally choose whether or not to render specific subsections during debugging to save time. 3. Flowing Text and Formatting (HTMLTEXT) nanDECK Tutorial | Introduction and Overview
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