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Black Book: a card RPG rooted in Slavic folklore
Black Book is a dark narrative RPG by the Perm-based studio Morteshka, published by HypeTrain Digital and released on August 10, 2021. It's a story about a witch, cards instead of a sword, and northern Russian folklore you rarely see in games. Here you buy a Steam gift with the full (base) version: our bot adds itself as your friend and sends it straight to your account.
What the game is about
You play as Vasilisa — a young woman from the Russian North in the late 19th century. On the day her betrothed dies, she gives up an ordinary life and becomes a witch to find and unseal the Black Book — an artifact of seven seals that can grant any wish, even bringing back the dead. Breaking one seal after another, Vasilisa travels through the villages and forests of the Cherdyn region, helps peasants, bargains with demons, and inches closer to her forbidden wish — but every seal has its price.
Cards as spells
Combat in Black Book is built on a deck of “keys” — charms and wards Vasilisa uses to attack, defend, and curse the unclean spirits. You collect and upgrade your deck as the story unfolds, mix damage and defense cards, chase synergies, and tailor combos to each foe. Between battles there are text-based riddle stories, slices of Russian village life, and choices that shape the characters' fates. It's not just a card roguelike but a full adventure with a story, choices, and atmosphere.
Why it stands out
- Authentic folklore. The demonology, rites, and beliefs are drawn from ethnographic records of the Perm region — dozens of creatures from Slavic mythology.
- Full Russian voiceover. The game was originally made in Russian, with voice and text, and also supports English and other languages.
- Creature codex. A built-in bestiary and a collection of folk tales that grows as you play.
- Replayability. Branching story, challenges, and battle modes give you a reason to return even after the finale.
What's included in this version
This is the base (Standard) version of Black Book — the entire main game: Vasilisa's story campaign, all seven chapters, and the card combat. The Endless Battles DLC (endless battles, released February 18, 2022) and the Deluxe edition extras (artbook, soundtrack, cosmetic outfit) are not included here — those are separate listings. So you won't overpay for things you don't need: you get the clean, complete game.
How the gift is delivered
Delivery is via Steam Gift. You provide a friend invite link and your Steam account region, place the order — and our bot adds itself as your friend, sends the gift (usually within a couple of minutes), and removes itself once delivered. You don't need to accept the friend request manually, and Steam Guard is not required. All that's left is to accept the gift in Steam, and Black Book lands in your library like any purchased game — with achievements, updates, and cloud saves.
Important about the region
This is a gift covering a set of 47 regions. For Steam to accept the gift, your account region must be within the gift region, and you must not already own the game — Steam won't let you accept a gift for a game you already have. If you're unsure about your account region, check it in your Steam settings before ordering or message us. You can't switch your Steam region on the fly just to fit the gift, so go by the current region of your profile.
Atmosphere and presentation
Black Book leans on mood rather than flashy graphics. Dim villages, marshes, and forests of the Cis-Ural lands, icon-style art and folk ornaments, slow haunting folk music — together they feel like an old scary tale told at night. The vignette stories between battles are written in lively language: sometimes bitter drama, sometimes almost a joke about a cunning peasant and a foolish demon. The game respects its source and never turns folklore into cheap exotica — which is why both mythology fans and players tired of generic fantasy settings appreciate it.
Who it's for
Black Book is for you if you enjoy story-driven games with a strong atmosphere and don't mind reading. If you like deck-building card battles but want a real story behind the cards, not just damage numbers. And if you're drawn to a specifically Slavic, northern Russian flavor — no elves or dragons, but demons, witches, and charms instead. The main storyline takes more than one evening, and the branches and battle modes give you a reason to return.
Why a gift, not a key
Black Book here is delivered as a Steam gift rather than an activation code. In practice that's even more convenient: there's no key to type in manually — the game simply arrives in your Steam inventory and you accept it with a single button. The one catch: you need to check your region in advance and make sure you don't already own the game. If both conditions are met, delivery goes smoothly.
Similar games
If Black Book's Slavic flavor grabbed you, take a look at The Mooseman, another atmospheric game by the same studio Morteshka, built on Finno-Ugric mythology. If you love card RPGs with character, check out Inscryption, and for deep story and choice it's worth diving into Disco Elysium.