Overview

Black Book: The Board Game (Chyornaya Kniga) is a cooperative board game for 1-4 players based on the Black Book video game, which is rooted in Slavic mythology. Players take on roles of characters navigating a dark world of Russian folklore, battling supernatural threats using card-based combat mechanics. The game features six stories and a campaign mode, blending narrative-driven gameplay with tactical card combat inspired by the traditional Russian card game Durak.

Components

• Game board or modular map tiles
• Character cards and miniatures
• Combat cards (deck-based system)
• Story cards and event cards
• Enemy cards and figures
• Resource tokens
• Dice
• Campaign booklet with six stories

Setup

Select a story from the campaign booklet. Choose characters and take their character cards and starting decks. Set up the map according to the story’s instructions. Place enemy figures and event markers. Shuffle combat and event card decks.

Turn Structure

Each round follows:

1. Story Phase: Advance the narrative by reading story text and making decisions.
2. Movement Phase: Move characters on the map toward objectives.
3. Encounter Phase: Resolve encounters with enemies or story events.
4. Combat Phase: If enemies are present, resolve card-based combat.
5. Rest Phase: Heal, manage cards, and prepare for the next round.

Actions

• Move: Advance your character across the map toward story objectives.
• Combat (Card Play): Use cards from your hand to attack enemies and defend against their attacks. Combat is inspired by the card game Durak, where players play attack and defense cards in sequence.
• Use Abilities: Characters have unique abilities tied to Slavic magical traditions that provide special effects in combat and exploration.
• Make Story Choices: The narrative presents branching decisions that affect the story’s outcome and available resources.
• Manage Deck: Between encounters, modify your combat deck by adding or removing cards, reflecting character growth.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Players win cooperatively by completing the story’s objectives. Each of the six stories has unique victory conditions tied to its narrative. Losing all health or failing critical story objectives results in defeat. The campaign mode links stories together, with choices carrying consequences.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Durak-Inspired Combat: The card combat system draws from the traditional Russian card game Durak, using attack/defense pairs and trump suits.
• Slavic Mythology: Characters and enemies draw from Russian and Slavic folklore, including demons, spirits, and mythological creatures.
• Campaign Continuity: Decisions in one story affect later stories in the campaign. Character progression carries between sessions.
• Solo Play: The game supports solo play with one player controlling one or more characters.
• Deck Building: Characters improve their combat decks over the campaign, gaining access to more powerful cards.

Player Reference

Phase	Activity
Story	Read narrative, make decisions
Movement	Move characters on map
Encounter	Resolve events/enemies
Combat	Card-based Durak-style fighting
Rest	Heal and manage deck