Black Book A dark deckbuilding folktale

Vasilisa was set to marry her beloved and leave the witch's path behind. Then he dies under mysterious circumstances, and she turns to the Black Book: an artifact said to grant any wish to whoever breaks all seven of its seals. What she wants, and what she is willing to pay, is the thread the whole story pulls on.

The tale moves through the 19th century Russian countryside, where superstition, church and old spirits share one yard. Choices matter: your words and deeds build toward different endings, and dialogue options often depend on what you have learned along the way. The writing is strong throughout, side stories included, and some scenes get properly cinematic.

Fights play out as turn-based card battles. You play several cards per turn, and the order they resolve matters, so building a deck and sequencing it are both part of the strategy. Collect spell cards and new skills as you go, and lean into different directions: dark cards, herbs, status effects, whatever the fight demands.

The demons are clever opponents. One curses you so that every wound you take heals it, which makes a card that sacrifices your own health a risky proposition. Boss fights can be genuinely hard. If a battle refuses to fall, you can skip it without losing the story, which keeps the tale moving when the cards turn stubborn.

For deckbuilding fans, the loop is familiar and satisfying: you start small, draft and collect cards after battles, and shape a deck whose synergies decide the next fight. Cards interact with each other and with your own health, so a build is a set of decisions, not a pile of strong cards.

Runs branch through the story rather than through randomized maps, and with four endings and plenty of card directions to explore, a second playthrough plays out differently. One honest note: some find the middle stretch repetitive, with similar battles and side tasks piling up. If that happens, the skip option is there.