Game of Hope

The Game of Hope (Das Spiel der Hoffnung) is a German parlor game published in Nuremberg around 1799, designed by Johann Kaspar Hechtel, and the direct ancestor of the Petit Lenormand. Its 36 illustrated cards were laid out in a grid and first served for a race game played with dice; an accompanying leaflet also suggested a divinatory use. The images and card order were taken over almost unchanged in the decks later sold under the name of Mlle Lenormand, which sheds light on the real origin of this system.