A custom card game from your photos sounds simple. Pick some pictures, get a deck. Then you land on our site and see two versions: Memory and Magic. Which one is right for you? This guide explains both, side by side, so you can choose in a minute and spend the rest of your time on the fun part, picking the photos.
How a custom card game from your photos works
Both versions of Matchy Matchy are the same classic matching game. Every photo you choose becomes a pair of cards. Shuffle them, lay them face down, and take turns flipping two. Find a match and you keep it.
Making one takes a few steps from your phone.
- Upload your photos. It takes minutes.
- Choose 12, 24 or 48 cards. That's 6, 12 or 24 of your photos, each printed twice.
- Keep them real, or pick a style. This is the only real difference between Memory and Magic.
- See your first card before you pay. You see the look before you order.
- We print and ship it within the US.
How many cards should you choose?
Size changes how the game feels more than you might expect. A 12-card game is a quick round, about right for toddlers and for a first game with Grandma. A 24-card game is the everyday family size, long enough to be a real game and short enough to play twice. A 48-card deck fills the table and makes a proper game night for adults, or a challenge for older kids. It also gives you room for more photos, so the whole extended family can make the cut.
Memory vs Magic at a glance
- Matchy Matchy Memory: your real photos, printed as they are. 12 cards $19.99, 24 cards $29.99, 48 cards $34.99.
- Matchy Matchy Magic: your photos re-drawn by AI in a style you pick, 3D Film, Watercolor or Anime. 12 cards $29.99, 24 cards $34.99, 48 cards $39.99.
Pick your size first, then find its price on each line. After that, the choice comes down to the look you want.
Matchy Matchy Memory: your real photos
Matchy Matchy Memory is the nostalgic one. The faces on the cards are exactly the faces in your camera roll. Grandpa's real smile. The real messy kitchen. The puppy before he got big.
Choose Memory when
- The photos themselves are the treasure, like old family pictures or a late pet.
- Places and objects matter as much as people. The old house, the boat, the wedding cake.
- You want the lowest starting price, from $19.99.
- The person receiving it prefers things classic and simple.
Matchy Matchy Magic: your photos, reimagined
Matchy Matchy Magic is the surprise. You upload the same kind of photos, pick a style, and every card comes back re-drawn. Your family becomes a cast of characters in a whole new world.
What a re-drawn card looks like
Each photo keeps its moment. The beach day is still a beach day, the birthday is still a birthday. What changes is the look. Faces, clothes and backgrounds come back drawn in the style you chose, so the whole deck feels like one set of illustrations. It's the same feeling as seeing a favorite photo turned into a storybook page.
The three styles
- 3D Film. Soft, rounded, animated-movie characters with big expressive eyes. Big-eyed and cheerful, an easy hit with kids.
- Watercolor. Gentle painted portraits. Lovely for babies, couples and grandparents.
- Anime. Bold lines, bright color and lots of energy. Great for teens and adventure lovers.
Choose Magic when
- You want a reveal moment when the box is opened.
- The game is for kids who'll love seeing themselves as characters.
- Your photos are mostly of people, with clear faces.
- You're making a bigger game and want the extra wow at the same 48-card price.
Which photos work best for each
Both versions love clear, bright photos with one main subject. A few differences help you decide.
For Memory
Anything goes. People, pets, places, food, handwriting on an old birthday card. Since the photo prints as it is, a meaningful picture always works, even a slightly faded one.
For Magic
Choose photos with people in them, and make sure faces are easy to see. The style re-draws who's in the picture, so close-ups and small groups come out best. For a landscape or an object with no one in it, Memory is the better choice. Either way, you see your first card before you pay.
Still deciding? Three quick scenarios
A gift for Grandma and Grandpa
Go with Memory if the photos span decades. Real faces from their wedding day mean more than any style. Go with Magic in Watercolor if the gift is mostly the grandkids, and you'd like it to feel like a little art collection.
A game for a five-year-old
Magic in 3D Film, 12 or 24 cards. Kids find themselves as characters and want to play again right away.
An anniversary gift
Either works. Memory tells your real story. Magic in Anime or Watercolor turns it into a storybook. You could also order both, one to keep and one to play.
A game for the whole family table
Go big. A 48-card deck gives every cousin, aunt and grandparent a card. Memory is $34.99 at that size and Magic is $39.99. Choose Memory if the photos come from many years and many cameras. Choose Magic if you want the whole family to look like one cast.
Make your custom card game
Pick your photos, pick real or reimagined, and choose your size. You'll see your first card before you pay.
- Make a Matchy Matchy Memory game, from $19.99
- Make a Matchy Matchy Magic game, from $29.99
Order early for Christmas. Questions about which one to pick? Write to hello@matchygame.com and we'll help.