Black Book on Steam - User reviews, Price & Information
Quick menu
“Black Book” is a dark RPG Adventure, based on Slavic myths, in which you play as a young sorceress. Fight evil forces in card-based battles and explore the world, where humans live alongside mythological creatures.
Black Book is a card battler, turn-based tactics and female protagonist game
developed by Morteshka
and published by HypeTrain Digital.
Released on August 10th 2021 is available on Windows and MacOS
in 5 languages: English, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean.
It has received 5,955 reviews of which 5,515 were positive and 440 were negative resulting in a rating of 9.0 out of 10. 😎
The game is currently priced at 24.99€ on Steam.
The Steam community has classified Black Book into these genres:
System requirements
These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.
Windows
- OS *: Windows 7, 8, 10
- Processor: Intel Core i3 3.0 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 / AMD Radeon R9 280X
- DirectX: Version 10
- Storage: 5 GB available space
MacOS
- OS: MacOS version 10.13.4 or 10.14.1 or 10.15.4 or newer
- Processor: Intel Core i3 3.0 GHz
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Graphics: An OpenGL supported GPU
- Storage: 5 GB available space
User reviews & Ratings
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Very lovely game with great atmosphere. You can really feel the nature of people from the time od 19th century of Russia. A lot of mythology and folkloric stuff around. Love it! But some puzzles can be challenging.
Expand the review
Tbh, game is quiet good in the start - the lore and the premise is perfect but i do feel like the story is TOO long. The momentum it built went down the drain as tasks became too repetitive. Sad though as the game is promising.
Expand the review
A love letter to slavic folklore I bought Black Book due to its theme; I find slavic folklore and pagan traditions in general deeply captivating, but I hadn't much expectations for what seemed at first glance like a small indie game coasting on personality alone. What I did not expect is how much I would love every aspect of this game. Theme and general ambiance First of all, it is a game made with heart and it absolutely shows, it's oozing with the charm of the modest and hardy life of older, rural cultures and their countless traditions, beliefs and superstitions. Playing as a witch, the player will be in constant contact with such customs and have a particular insight into the surrounding mythology, at the frontier of the real and supernatural. Black Book also does a great job depicting the blurring of the lines between orthodox faith and pagan spirituality, from its world and dialogues all the way to its combat system and itemization. The game has an encyclopedia feature where articles of knowledge and lore can be stored as the player collects them on their travels. From real tidbits of local culture or history to tales and legends, the game is a true treasure trove to those who like to take the time to read and learn about a culture where reality and superstition are interwoven, influencing each other in every aspect of daily life. Visuals Although some might be put off by the low-poly 3D phases of the game (namely: while exploring/investigating an area or during combat) I think the game truly shines during the visual-novel-like dialogues, which uses a hand-drawn style not unlike one of a story book, bringing details and personality to the characters while remaining simple and humble enough, just like the folks it portrays. In battle, the pages/cards imitate the style of illustrations one could find accompanying the stories of old or on religious iconography, further reinforcing the omnipresence of this liminal atmosphere, halfway between the world of men and the spiritual realms. Sound design In the audio department, the game once again shows sobriety but not austerity: the music and sound effects convey emotions effectively, remaining in the background without taking the spotlight. The deep, low-intensity music or sometimes lack thereof is perfect to explore a forest at night with only the wind and rustling of leaves for company whereas the combat soundtrack brings percussions, drumming in the intensity of battling an evil spirit. I must say what truly sold me on the game were the songs that can be collected just like encyclopedia entries. It might be very niche interest but I absolutely love traditional slavic folk music (with or without instruments, monodic or polyphonic, ukrainian, polish, russian or any other origin it doesn't matter) and the unexpected delight of finding a dozen of such acapella songs, very well performed in the traditional "white voice" technique, is what made this game so special to me. I must give a special mention to the russian voice acting, which consistently hits the nail when it comes to tone and delivery: I don't speak the language yet I could feel the context-appropriate emotion or feeling in every line. Note: English voices are also available and I was surprised to see one could freely toggle between English - Russian - None (silent) at any time without having to reload the game. Combat gameplay I consider the turn-based card battles to be the main gameplay loop of the game, since the rest consists mainly of conversations, making text-based choices, moving rather linearly between areas and interacting with item vendors. Not that it's devoid of interest, far from it - but most of the "meat" is in the combat system. Mechanically, I would say there are enough different mechanics to be interesting without becoming too confusing, and effect descriptions are correctly worded for the most part. Early on it is a bit too simplistic and limited but with each chapter of the story, a new collection of cards is unlocked, allowing for more diverse and complex strategies as the game progresses. Also, the player can complement their decks with a wide array of consumables and permanent items, some improving certain effects, or granting stats while others can apply effects at the start of battle, for example. In the same vein, there is a companion system which is basically a cooldown-driven, on-demand buff, the nature of which depends on the chosen companion. I must say I was surprised with the build diversity and viability (on Normal difficulty), also the game allows the player to save up to 3 decks, which is nice to play around with deckbuilding. Here are examples of decks I personally used to great effect, to give you an idea of what is possible: a slow-ramping deck relying on stacking damage and defense buffs to egregious levels -- an attrition deck based around debuffing enemy attacks into oblivion and applying damage-over-time with a few trump cards scaling their damage on enemy debuffs -- a weird deck that's all about self-inflicted damage to trigger effects, and massive healing/lifesteal to compensate -- a deck based around increasing how many cards can be played per turn and using cards that get stronger the more cards of the same color are played. There are other mechanics I can imagine building around, but haven't experimented with. The game features a handful of "puzzle battles" as well, which are encounters where you have no items, no companion and a fixed deck to find the one (sometimes few) play order to "solve" the battle. I found them interesting and creative, often forcing you out of the comfort of your deck to discover new ways to play, but I can understand that voiding player progress even if only for the time of one battle can be frustrating to some people. Finally, Black Book also offer an optional regular card game of Durak that can be played with peasants and sometimes demons or spirits. It can be fun for a while, especially since the player (and sometimes the more occult-inclined opponents) can employ a couple of sorcerous tricks to cheat. Conclusion I cannot overstate the amount of heart and soul that radiates from this game, and even though I am very biased in its favor due to how well it resonates with my personal interests, I know it is not necessarily a game for everyone due to its slower pace, weird-working save feature (think manual saves that just send you back to the beginning of the current area without saving progress or inventory changes made within the area) and minimalist 3D. However, if you are even somewhat remotely interested in slavic folklore, or more generally in the sort of themes I have described, please do yourself a favor and give Black Book a chance.
Expand the review
This was not what I was expecting -- the art is considerably worse, the gameplay is as much RPG as card game, but the use of Slavic mythology and Orthodox Christian legends are so dang rich, so dang full... It's also a much longer game than I expected. You definitely get your money's worth here.
Expand the review
This game is so enchanting. The turn based system is extremely well designed. The storytelling is really good - but I would advise you to use the russian audio, as it is a LOT better than the English audio. It can be a little tedious in the beginning, but once you get a hang of the game, it's a lot of fun to even do the side quests. It's also got multiple, equally satisfying endings depending on how you play Vasilisa. Even the ending with the most amount of sin is an interesting one!
Expand the review
Similar games
View all
Bingle Bingle
Bingle Bingle is a 'Roulette Builder' game where you can create your own Roulette. Strategically combine various betting options and unique balls to create synergies, earn extreme scores, and beat the casino.
Trials of Fire
A Tactical, Deck-Building Roguelite. Choose 3 Heroes and adventure into a post-Cataclysmic wasteland. Engage enemies in a unique meld of card-play and tactical, positional combat. Level up and scavenge what you can to customise your decks and build a party to take on any challenge!
Yohane the Parhelion - NUMAZU in the MIRAGE -
Yohane the Parhelion is an official spin-off of "Love Live! Sunshine". 『Yohane the Parhelion - NUMAZU in the MIRAGE -』 is a deckbuilding roguelite set in that world! A mysterious mirror world that changes each time it's entered. After countless choices, Yohane chooses...
Banners of Ruin
Assemble your party. Answer the call. Win the war. Build a deck and fight a series of turn-based combats with up to 6 party characters through the city of Dawn's Point. Each character can unlock a set of unique cards and abilities that can augment your deck in powerful, exciting ways.
NEOVERSE
Neoverse is a beautiful, fantastic game consisting of adventures with thrilling challenges. It is a strategic, action, rogue-lite, deck building game that will test the player’s skill. Start an adventure with unique heroes to save the world along various timelines.
Yao-Guai Hunter
Yao-Guai Hunter is a Wuxia roguelike deck-building game. In a world where Yao-Guai roam free, player battles with various evil beings, collecting cards and learn inner skills. Encountering various adventures in the martial world.
LONESTAR
LONESTAR is a strategic Roguelike spaceship deckbuilder. As a bounty hunter, you will capture criminals scattered across the universe. Win the shockwave battle to gain rewards and vacations. Find treasures, customize spaceships, unlock talents, defeat the felons and be a legend!
Castle Morihisa
"Castle Morihisa" is a roguelike featuring strategic deckbuilder. You need to build up your deck through constant battles, acquire powerful talents, and wield the power of the Fallen Heroes to unveil the truth behind the rebellion in Castle Morihisa.
Phantom Rose 2 Sapphire
Phantom Rose 2 is a roguelike deckbuilding game. Fight and collect powerful cards as Aria, trying to survive in her cherished school that’s being ravaged by evil creatures.
Railroads & Catacombs
In this exciting Card Building Roguelike game you create your cards from scratch adding different upgrades. Build your train, explore this mad land and face fearsome bosses. Discover infinite synergies. How far will you go?
Nowhere Prophet
Prepare your decks and go on a pilgrimage through the wasteland! Nowhere Prophet is a unique single-player card game. Travel across randomly generated maps and lead your followers in deep tactical combat. Discover new cards and build your deck as you explore this strange, broken world.
Die in the Dungeon
Fight your way through a mysterious dungeon in this deck-building, turn-based roguelike game where you don't use cards, but dice! Deal with enemies by combining powerful dice on your board, boost their effects with magical relics, and risk it all hoping for a good roll on unexpected encounters.Data sources
The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.
Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.
Last Updates| Steam data | 12 April 2025 10:02 |
|---|---|
| SteamSpy data | 12 April 2025 06:18 |
| Steam price | 15 April 2025 20:49 |
| Steam reviews | 14 April 2025 22:01 |
If you'd like to dive deeper into the details about Black Book, we invite you to check out a few dedicated websites that offer extensive information and insights. These platforms provide valuable data, analysis, and user-generated reports to enhance your understanding of the game and its performance.
- SteamDB - A comprehensive database of everything on Steam about Black Book
- SteamCharts - Analysis of Black Book concurrent players on Steam
- ProtonDB - Crowdsourced reports on Linux and Steam Deck Black Book compatibility
Online players
24
Developer
Morteshka
Publisher
HypeTrain Digital
Release
10 Aug 2021
Platforms