# Official Step Away Deck, 52-card structure

The free version uses a normal poker deck. The official deck replaces proxy suits with purpose-made intervention cards while keeping the same mathematical structure.

## Power bands

- 2-5: small intervention, power 1
- 6-10: structured intervention, power 2
- J/Q/K: major intervention, power 3
- Ace: critical intervention, power 4

## Diamonds, Seen

| Rank | Card name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2♦ | Pattern Noticed | A small behavioural change is seen. |
| 3♦ | Tone Shift | The table catches the difference in how they speak. |
| 4♦ | Missed Routine | A broken pattern becomes visible. |
| 5♦ | The Joke That Wasn't | Humour is treated as signal, not dismissed. |
| 6♦ | Name What Changed | The table names specific change without accusation. |
| 7♦ | Ask Again | A vague answer is not treated as closure. |
| 8♦ | Read The Silence | The lack of signal becomes signal. |
| 9♦ | Hidden Pressure | A practical or emotional truth begins to surface. |
| 10♦ | Clear Question | The table asks directly and calmly. |
| J♦ | Mask Cracks | The performance of being fine weakens. |
| Q♦ | Truth Held Gently | A hard truth is allowed into the room. |
| K♦ | Full Picture | The table finally understands the shape of the crisis. |
| A♦ | Ask Directly | The question is asked plainly. |

## Hearts, Held

| Rank | Card name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2♥ | Small Check-in | One thread of contact stays alive. |
| 3♥ | Open Door | The person is invited without pressure. |
| 4♥ | No Fixing Speech | Presence replaces empty positivity. |
| 5♥ | Stay In The Quiet | Silence is not abandoned. |
| 6♥ | Honest Presence | A real person stays real. |
| 7♥ | Call Back | The table follows up rather than drifting. |
| 8♥ | Side By Side | Connection is made without confrontation. |
| 9♥ | Not Alone Now | The acute window is shared. |
| 10♥ | Future Thread | A future moment is named and held. |
| J♥ | Safe Person | A reliable person becomes part of the net. |
| Q♥ | Relationship Anchor | A connection becomes a reason to keep contact open. |
| K♥ | Circle Holds | More than one person is involved. |
| A♥ | Stay On The Phone | They are not left alone with the silence. |

## Clubs, Helped

| Rank | Card name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2♣ | Food And Water | One body-level pressure is reduced. |
| 3♣ | Lift Given | A practical barrier is removed. |
| 4♣ | One Letter Opened | Admin pressure becomes smaller. |
| 5♣ | Room Reset | The immediate space becomes less crushing. |
| 6♣ | One Problem Named | The ocean becomes one handled piece. |
| 7♣ | Debt Call | A money pressure is acted on. |
| 8♣ | Appointment Made | Help becomes concrete. |
| 9♣ | Support Route | A path to support is made reachable. |
| 10♣ | Burden Shared | Responsibility stops sitting on one person. |
| J♣ | Practical Triage | The most dangerous pressure is prioritised. |
| Q♣ | Network Built | A wider support net forms. |
| K♣ | Pressure Reduced | Several practical problems lose weight. |
| A♣ | Crisis Admin | Practical collapse is interrupted. |

## Spades, Secured

| Rank | Card name | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2♠ | Door Open | Physical isolation is reduced. |
| 3♠ | Means Distance | Immediate risk is made less available. |
| 4♠ | Stay Visible | The person is not left unseen. |
| 5♠ | Safe Room | The environment becomes safer. |
| 6♠ | Not Alone Tonight | The acute window is not left to willpower. |
| 7♠ | Hand-off | One supporter becomes a support chain. |
| 8♠ | Safety Plan | The table makes the next hour specific. |
| 9♠ | Crisis Contact | Immediate support is activated. |
| 10♠ | No Gap | The next support step is already in place. |
| J♠ | Urgent Bridge | The table moves from care to action. |
| Q♠ | Protected Window | Danger is reduced long enough for support to land. |
| K♠ | Held Until Morning | The night is made survivable. |
| A♠ | Emergency Support | The highest safety action is taken. |


## Jokers

The official deck is 52 cards. There are no Jokers and no wild cards.

Aces are already the critical intervention cards. They are powerful, but they are still locked to their pillar. That keeps the central tension intact: a powerful card is not always the right kind of help.

## Art generation approach

Use one master art direction and generate by suit, not as 52 unrelated prompts.

Best workflow:

1. Card back.
2. Master style sheet.
3. Four-card proof for each suit, 2, 7, Queen, Ace.
4. Full suit sheets.
5. Individual fixes only where needed.

The visual direction is chunky stick figures, humanised through posture, clothing, room detail and objects. Keep the figures broad enough for projection, but not faceless in emotional weight.
