Genuine challenges are necessary for every game, as the lack of difficulty can leave an experience void of satisfaction or fun. However, artificial difficulty, such as throwing many over-leveled enemies at the player unexpectedly, can be even more frustrating.
Thankfully, some developers, such as the indie game devs at Morteshka, have found a way to implement problem-solving and reading into their dark fantasy game that not only feels appropriate but also immerses gamers into the sinister and deep world they have created in Black Book.
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Players, in the role of the newly initiated witch Vasilisa, will have to explore, consult their notes, and use logic to make the best choices in the many decisions that will be presented to the player throughout the course of the game.
One of these decisions, in the form of a cryptic question, will present itself before the player after one has entered the Old Windmill at the end of the game's Prologue chapter. Here, Vasilisa will be confronted by a demon and the first boss in the game, the Thirteenth Brother, who will expect the witch to prove her prowess as a Koldun (a witch that deals with demons in Russian folklore) by demonstrating her knowledge.
In typical fashion for Black Book, players will likely need to reference their Onomasticon, which is a tab in the menu that contains encyclopedia entries regarding all of the information that Vasilisa has so far acquired through exploration and conversations.
While speaking with the humanoid winged demon after entering the Old Windmill, players will get a chance to learn of the fiend's history and why they have come to dwell and plague the already decrepit location. Through the dialogue had with the Thirteenth Brother, as well as reading the encyclopedia entry gained after speaking to the Miller who gave the player the task of clearing out the Old Windmill, players can glean the answer to the fiend's question.
Keep an eye out for mentions of what was done by the Miller prior to the demon arriving, which, after a bit of investigation, will lead to the player to read the section of the Miller's report where they mention performing a ritual for supernatural aid.
When the Thirteenth Brother asks Vasilisa if she knows about his origin, the player must respond by saying that the demon was summoned by a sacrifice to get the windmill to move once more, which will allow one to gain the missable Exp reward from this decision.
In addition to gaining 50 Exp from this choice, players can also read the Thirteenth Brother's response to learn a bit more about demonkind and how they think, which will be useful in future decisions that involve conversing with creatures of the night. Be prepared, however, as, after speaking with the Thirteenth Brother, the boss fight against them will begin.