Stryx is a strategy tabletop card role-playing game that blends strategy with narrative chaos.

Think: sneak attacks. Think: backstabbing. Think: squawking like a bird in front of all of your closest friends and a healthy amount of strangers. Think: beautiful cards with incredible art and the right amount of “Can we even be friends after this round?”

Curated and developed together with Jaysen Headley (yes, that Ezeekat), Stryx is what happens when you hand the reins to someone who loves game nights as much as fantasy novels.

And together with the hard work of Team OwlCrate, we created something special.

Honestly, because we’re nerds. From Pandemic to Cards Against Humanity, Wingspan to World of Warcraft, Skyrim, Dragonage and so many more incredible games, Team OwlCrate is a bunch of gamer nerds.

And after a decade of creating some of the most beautiful books on the planet, we thought, what if we made other stuff we liked, too?

And yes, it got complicated. Yes, we spiraled. As it turns out, making a GAME is very different from curating a book, but something about Stryx kept us wanting to play again and again.

Let’s be honest — none of us knew what we were doing at first. But Jaysen did. He brought the bones, a full, inspired game system of play that was cinematic, dynamic, and totally unforgiving. What was initially an idea to reimagine Guess Who became a narrative. Monsters have backstories; mechanics have been mapped.

Early beta testing was pure chaos. We watched allies turn against each other, found rules with loopholes, and pushed the game to its limits to crack it wide open.

Oh, and then Cade and his friends broke the game.

Then came the polish.

Every piece and component of Stryx was meticulously curated with OwlCrate’s signature, immersive fantasy aesthetic. You know, the thing you love about our special editions?

Cade designed every idea inside our heads and his with care and agony, Alyssa fought to free the nipple and worked tirelessly on some of the most beautiful illustrations we’ve ever commissioned, Sophie insisted on the stenciled edges, Steph agonized over the quality, Jordan championed a two-player option, and Marina ensured that everything looked stunning, as requested in the end.

Stryx was truly a lesson in patience and a team unifying project that brought out the best in us. Combined with our incredible roster of artists, together we brought the world of Stryx to life in full, vivid detail.

And what we ended up with isn’t just a game.

It’s a perfectly curated OwlCrate experience.