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The Dark Book

The Dark Book Game Cover
33%Game Brain Score
music, atmosphere
graphics, story
54% User Score Based on 13 reviews

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The Dark Book Game Cover

About

The Dark Book is a single player hack and slash game with fantasy, dark fantasy and science fiction themes. It was developed by Bunetto Michele Salvatore and was released on May 16, 2023. It received neutral reviews from players.

An obscure old-school rpg - Single player offline with a skeleton warrior

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The Dark Book screenshot
The Dark Book screenshot
The Dark Book screenshot
The Dark Book screenshot
The Dark Book screenshot
The Dark Book screenshot
The Dark Book screenshot
The Dark Book screenshot
The Dark Book screenshot
The Dark Book screenshot
The Dark Book screenshot
+10
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54%
Audience ScoreBased on 13 reviews
music3 positive mentions
replayability3 negative mentions
  • Engaging and atmospheric story with rich lore that draws players into a dark fantasy world.
  • Diverse combat system with various weapons and spells, allowing customization of playstyle.
  • Smooth performance with responsive controls and an immersive soundtrack that complements the game's theme.
  • Presence of aggressive microtransactions that hinder progression and create a predatory experience.
  • Outdated and basic graphics accompanied by occasional bugs and technical issues, including poor controller support.
  • Repetitive quest design, limited character customization, lack of replayability, and inability to remap controls or disable music.
  • graphics
    15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics are generally viewed as basic, outdated, and somewhat shallow, reminiscent of older or retro games from the 90s. While some players find charm and nostalgia in the simpler visuals, others feel the lack of modern graphics detracts from the overall experience and could benefit from an update to broaden appeal.

    • “This is a solid game, the graphics may not be AAA quality but it's a very enjoyable experience.”
    • “The nostalgia it brings and its older graphics add to its charm.”
    • “If you're a fan of older games and don't mind the retro graphics, this game is definitely worth a try.”
    • “The game visuals and the game itself are incredibly shallow... think of them as the too-bright, colourful, thin plastic cabinet dress theme on a poker machine at the casino.”
    • “Good thing this game is free because it's pretty bad with terribly outdated graphics from the 90s and combat that feels like swishing the air.”
    • “The repetitive quests and basic graphics might deter some players, and occasional bugs can be frustrating.”
  • story
    11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's story is engaging and immersive, drawing players into a dark, mysterious world with a compelling narrative. However, the frequent repetition of quest structures can make the experience feel monotonous, reducing replay value after completing the main plot.

    • “The Dark Book offers an engaging story that pulls you into its dark and mysterious world.”
    • “The Dark Book is an engaging and atmospheric game that draws you into its dark fantasy world with a compelling story and immersive soundtrack.”
    • “Engaging story.”
    • “Repetitive quests make the game's story feel monotonous after a while.”
    • “Once you've completed the main story, there isn't much incentive to replay it unless you're a completionist.”
    • “The quests make sense as much as they can for a legion of undead, but overall the story feels minimal.”
  • gameplay
    8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay offers a seamless experience with engaging elements like leveling up, grinding, and quest completion, but occasional bugs can disrupt play. However, some find the combat and mechanics bland, with a heavy focus on progression and microtransactions rather than skill-based challenges.

    • “This ensures a seamless gameplay experience, allowing you to fully enjoy the game without technical issues.”
    • “You can level up, grind for better gear, and complete quests, which adds depth to the gameplay.”
    • “Personally, I've encountered occasional bugs that can disrupt the gameplay.”
    • “Occasional bugs that can disrupt the gameplay.”
    • “Bland combat, bland mechanics, focus on progression over skill, and microtransactions.”
    • “Gameplay is nothing new.”
  • music
    6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is praised for its immersive soundtrack that enhances the dark fantasy atmosphere and overall immersion. However, some users are frustrated by the inability to disable the music or customize controls, which detracts from the experience.

    • “The immersive soundtrack perfectly complements the dark fantasy theme.”
    • “The music adds depth to the game's atmosphere and makes the adventure more immersive.”
    • “The dark book is an engaging and atmospheric game that draws you into its dark fantasy world with a compelling story and immersive soundtrack.”
    • “A pretty bad game in general but a mobile port with microtransaction for a single-player game (lol) (can't turn off music, no remapping controls, no manual saves, bad controls).”
    • “Music also cannot be disabled, you cannot remap the controls, and you cannot manually save.”
  • atmosphere
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features a strongly atmospheric world enhanced by an immersive soundtrack that deepens the dark fantasy setting. While the graphics are considered somewhat basic, they still contribute effectively to the overall ambiance and engaging experience.

    • “The music adds depth to the game's atmosphere and makes the adventure more immersive.”
    • “The Dark Book is an engaging and atmospheric game that draws you into its dark fantasy world with a compelling story and immersive soundtrack.”
    • “I personally love the atmospheric world.”
  • optimization
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game features smooth performance with responsive controls and minimal lag, contributing to an enjoyable experience. While some minor optimization could improve it further, overall it runs well and performs smoothly on most systems.

    • “The game runs smoothly, with responsive controls and minimal lag.”
    • “The diverse combat system and smooth performance add to the enjoyment, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre.”
    • “Additionally, it runs smoothly on my computer.”
  • replayability
    5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game is widely criticized for its lack of replayability, with users suggesting that additional endgame content, branching paths, or more character customization could improve its long-term appeal.

    • “The game lacks replayability.”
    • “Adding more endgame content or branching paths could enhance its replay value.”
    • “The limited character customization and lack of replayability are also worth noting.”
  • monetization
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users criticize the monetization for relying on microtransactions in a game with bland combat and mechanics, emphasizing progression over skill, which feels unnecessary and detracts from the experience.

    • “Bland combat, bland mechanics, focus on progression over skill, and microtransactions?”
    • “Why does such a game include in-app purchases?”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is largely seen as shallow and clichéd, relying on simple puns like playing a skeleton, but fails to deliver genuinely funny or clever content. Overall, it comes across as a barebones and uninspired attempt at humor.

  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users indicate that grinding in the game is quite demanding, often requiring additional time or resources to manage effectively.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Dark Book is a hack and slash game with fantasy, dark fantasy and science fiction themes.

The Dark Book is available on PC, Windows and Linux.

The Dark Book was released on May 16, 2023.

The Dark Book was developed by Bunetto Michele Salvatore.

The Dark Book has received neutral reviews from players. Most players liked The Dark Book for its music but disliked it for its graphics.

The Dark Book is a single player game.

Similar games include Black Myth: Wukong, Elderand, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, The Witch's Cauldron Prologue, SKALD: Against the Black Priory and others.