First Look: “The Pope of Naked City” Card Game Features the Soul and Personalities of Las Vegas
A new augmented reality card game is about to be unveiled, “The Pope of Naked City,” and you’ll want to gird your loins because we suspect it’s going to blow some minds. We’d say it will blow some loins, but today we are staying focused on our story rather than mixing metaphors.
The game, the brainchild of entrepreneur Darryl Rosenblatt and his AR Trading Card Company, offers 500 collectible trading cards featuring real people, archetypes and historical figures to “capture the full social ecosystem of Las Vegas.” No mean feat.
“The Pope of Naked City” drops April 1, 2026, but we have an exclusive first look because that is how we roll. Also, yes, we are on one of the trading cards. Which is epic, but completely unrelated to our enjoyment of this product. Probably.
Basically, anyone and everyone who plays a part in the Las Vegas conversation is depicted in these trading cards, from the town’s founding fathers to mobsters, moguls, entertainers and everyone in between, including all the influencers you know and love like Vegas Pauly C, Brian Christopher, Vegas Starfish, Jacob Orth, Vegas Matt and yours truly.
While the trading cards are glossy in appearance, the game’s developer, Darryl Rosenblatt fearlessly imbues the game with unabashed attitude. The depictions aren’t always flattering, and we’re pretty sure Rosenblatt didn’t get anyone’s permission to include any of these folks in the game.
That, friends, involves balls the size of the Sphere.
Cease-and-desist letters be damned, “The Pope of Naked City” is guaranteed to spark conversation and controversy, which is sort of the entire point. Well, that and helping the homeless. A significant portion of the proceeds will go toward feeding the homeless, according to Rosenblatt.
Here’s what the official Web site says about the game: “Pope of Naked City is a premium strategy trading card game that captures the full social ecosystem of Las Vegas—from billionaire moguls and global celebrities to casino workers, hustlers and the city’s invisible underclass.”
By “underclass,” of course, they mean “people in casino public relations.”
Moving on: “Set in a stylized but unflinching version of the city, the game asks players to build power not just through wealth, but through influence, access, reputation, chaos and control. Every card represents a character or location inspired by real-world archetypes, blending satire with authenticity to portray how Vegas actually works behind the lights.”
In other words, this isn’t some fly-by, superficial slapped-together game based upon tropes and myths; it’s the real Las Vegas.
Need proof? There’s a butt on the back of every trading card. Based upon an actual person’s butt. Kristal. She’s very nice.
You can read all about the game on the Web site, so we won’t go through all the trouble of cutting-and-pasting it here.
Essentially, the card game is for 2–6 players. Using trading cards, players build a face-up tableau of characters and locations while jockeying for influence, money, fame, access and control. Every card brings symbols into play—cash, cops, chaos, celebrity, surveillance—that act like the city’s operating system. Stack them right and you’re untouchable. Stack them wrong and you’re tomorrow’s cautionary tale. Players battle over Hot Spots, sabotage each other’s boards and try to keep their carefully built Power Pyramid from collapsing under pressure. Winning isn’t about brute force, it’s about holding your structure together in a city designed to push back, long enough to crown yourself Pope of Naked City.
We can’t really speak to the game itself because it isn’t out there yet, so we haven’t played it.
We just know its creator has a keen eye for influence and power, the people who really run Las Vegas.
Ahem.
Let’s just say there are many layers to this product.
Beyond the cards just being cool (a pack of 10 cards is $20), and playable without technology, there’s also an augmented reality feature. Cards come with a QR code, and after a scan with your phone, cards have additional content attached, visuals that add to the experience.
The augmented reality content features characters and lore and other interactive experiences that remind us of Omega Mart. You can visit and just enjoy the silly grocery store, of you can delve into the clues and mysteries around Dramcorp, the disappearance of Cecilia, the Source and a fractured multiverse.
To put it simply: The more you know about Las Vegas, the more you love it or obsess about it, the more you’ll get out of “The Pope of Naked City.”
Darryl Rosenblatt has been in and around the Las Vegas ecosystem for ages, and he’s just the kind of colorful character that makes this town, and his game, unique. He’s had run-ins with the law (decades ago), is a holder of gaming technology patents, he’s a skilled magician, a writer and he’s a casino whale. For starters.
Rosenblatt said he started the “Pope of Naked City” project because his son challenged him to do it. Rosenblatt likes a challenge, apparently. The 500 cards are just the starter set. Expansion packs are already in the works, we’re told.
Pre-sales of the trading cards are live. Expect to hear more about this game, as it was marketing genius to include content creators in the cards. (There’s an affiliate program for those who sell the cards, so influencers will be motivated to talk about the game for commissions. We are not taking part and have no affiliation with the game or its manufacturer.)
The complete set of 500 cards is currently $399. As mentioned, a pack of 10 trading cards is priced at $20, but we’ll be getting a discount code so those will be $15.
The trading cards will be showing up in gift shops and other retail outlets once the game is released.
“The Pope of Naked City” is a fun way to delve into Las Vegas culture without having to research or visit Wikipedia or “read books” or whatever.
Should you get our card in your pack, and you see us out and about, we would be happy to sign it for you. The usual rules apply: 1) No direct eye contact. 2) No furtive movements unless you are ample-bosomed. 3) If we are playing video poker, limit the conversation to 30 seconds or less. 4) Never speak aloud that we made a grammatical error in this blog. For example, in that last sentence, it should be “fewer,” not “less.” 5) If we see a signed card on eBay, you are banned from Las Vegas. 6) That last item probably isn’t enforceable, but you get the idea.
We are on a trading card, so treat us with the respect we so richly deserve.
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