Black Book

Black Book has surprised me with how charming, self confident and thoughtful its systems are, even if its pacing is a little inconsistent and some acts are better than others.

Black Book is an RPG/CCG/detective simulator/visual novel where you're either the villain or weakly trying not to be.

Black Book has a playful approach to a dark story and is a very cool introduction to Slavic folklore. But its card battles, while fun, are a bit off-balance at times.

Black Book feels in some ways like a D&D campaign through rural Russia that inadvertently teaches you history and folklore along the way, which I absolutely love, that comes down to card-game battles rather than dice rolling which, again, I love. The pacing is off, the addition of Durak is a bit pointless and there are quality-of-life issues that could do with a bit of polish, but I’d still strong...

It’s the witching hour, and there’s mischief to be done. In this story-driven deck-building tale steeped in Slavic folklore, help a young witch unlock the true power of the mysterious Black Book and find her love again. But be careful: the dark powers are ever fickle.

Morteshka’s second outing was a home-run. Black Book is a superbly written title, lifting the lids of a host of Slavic myths that were likely unknown to many of us previously. Gameplay can be easy at times, but the rest will keep you locked in.

What would you do to bring a loved one back from the dead? Black Book is a card-driven RPG that gives players the opportunity to find out.

The video game industry loves to focus on culturally-specific games, but many of them have been overdone. There are literally hundreds of games that focus on Japanese, European, American, and Nordic cultures, to the point where they have nearly worn out their welcome. Every once in while, you’ll get a game that focuses on less explored regions, such as Raji: An Ancient Epic, set in India, Aluna: S...

Black Book is an enticing mix of many different genres rolled into one dark and creepy experience. Focused on Northern Slavic mythology, it tells a fairly compelling story in a “choose your own adventure” style that relies heavily on its foundational deck-building mechanic. At its heart, it is a tale of demons and sorcery that doesn’t hold back on throwing strange terminology at you in the hopes t...