Russian video game "Black Book" will get a tabletop adaptation

In Russia, a board game adaptation of the game "Black Book" is released, which will continue the plot of the project of the same name. In 2021 it became a bestseller and sold more than 100 thousand copies in the first weeks of sales. The creator of the computer version was the studio "Mortyoshka", and for the board game attracted domestic Open Borders Studio, a division of Hobby World. "Izvestia" tested the novelty one of the first, studying its pros and cons.

Gamers are waiting for six stories, combining ancient witchcraft and the rudiments of technological progress that reached the Russian Empire. Players take on the roles of "nobles," that is, sorcerers who wield the mysterious power of the Black Book. The basic plot in each of the six stories is predetermined, but within any of them it is allowed to make their own decisions, develop the hero and get acquainted with the inhabitants of Cherdyn, people and mythological monsters: leshaks, demons and other evil things.

"We didn't want to base the game entirely on stories from Komi mythology only. Yes, the action takes place in Cherdynsky uyezd of Perm province, but it is important not only where, but also when the action takes place - and this is the late 19th - early 20th century, a time of great anxiety, a time of great change, but most importantly, a time of incredible flourishing of Russian culture. That's why some of the plots are connected with Komi mythology, some with Russian culture of the second half of the 19th century, and some with modern Russian culture," said Ivan Tuzovsky, the narrative designer of The Black Book.

Read more in an exclusive Izvestia piece:

Manuscripts speak: the Russian video game "Black Book" has become a board game