Black Book

I have played this game on pirate version and completely loved it, so've bought on steam as well Just 10/10 - would recommend

Short review; subject to change or replacement later. Black Book is a dark and gritty cardbased RPG that follows a young girl on her journey to battle monsters and save the world. It’s steeped in Russian folklore and theology, with a strong atmosphere and a wellcrafted narrative for what it sets out to be. Unfortunately, the gameplay didn’t quite hook me. The card mechanics felt a bit shallow and lacked the depth I was hoping for. Still, it might resonate with others ,especially if you enjoy folklore inspired stories and unique settings. 🙂

You can tell this is a game made with love for the folk lore it's based on. It doesn't just use it as a plot device or to throw monsters at you. It explains it to you, lets you absorb it slowly. They clearly want to pass on this love to the player. And at least in my case it worked, because I just ordered a book on Russian fairy tales.

This story line is chock full of eastern block history and mysteries that makes for a very fun game that works best when you read through and or listen to dialogue. If you enjoy books with heavy pulp to the stories, this game is the "choose your own destiny" that tops the rest.

Are the graphics the best? Nah. Is the localization the best? No. Is it a ton of fun? Hell yes. I played this game for about 7 hours yesterday and woke up looking forward to playing it again today. If you're a fan of choice matters and card games this is a great buy!

Interesting story based on Siberian legends and folklore.

1. Plot: decorations without content • The main line is lost in endless “bring-give” assignments. • The dialogues are wooden and often interrupted by loading screens. 2. Card battles: the illusion of tactics • The deck of “spells” looks diverse only in the first ten minutes. • Randomness dominates: either you destroy the enemy with one combination, or you lose due to a cunning RNG. • The balance has been “fixed” with patches so many times that now some of the cards are simply broken and do not work according to the description. 3. Technical condition: • FPS drops to 20 even on modern video cards in static menus. • Crashes when switching between locations have remained a familiar “trick” • Some NPCs freeze in a T-pose in the middle of cut-scenes, turning the drama into a meme. 4. Audiovisual: budget puppet theater • Animations - a minimum set of frames: eyes do not blink, lips "chew air". 5. Interface and UX: the enemy of gameplay • Hints are hidden behind three clicks in a separate submenu. • Quest log is not updated correctly: markers often point to the wall or disappear altogether.