Black Sonata

2017 · Print & Play

Black Sonata

Players search Shakespearean London around 1600 to identify a mysterious Dark Lady referenced in the sonnets. A deck-driven hidden-movement system determines her secret travels between locations; players deduct her whereabouts, move through the city, and intercept her to obtain fragments of identity information. Clues accumulate into a profile that must be matched to one of several suspects, while each successful glimpse makes the Lady’s future movements harder to predict. The game plays solo and blends map movement, card-driven hidden movement, and logical deduction against a historical-literary theme.

Players
1
Playing time
30 min
Age
12+
Complexity
2.1 / 5
7.2 on Ludoyafrom $23.99DeductionRenaissanceSolo / Solitaire GamePoint to Point MovementAction Queue

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Full stats in Ludoya
307
Plays logged
100
Players
31m 2s
Average play
122
In collections
15
On wishlists

7.2/10

from 44 Ludoya reviews

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Rules questions

Answered from the rulebook by Ludoya's rules assistant.

When does the Dark Lady move — how and when do I update her location?

At the start of each round you perform “Update the Lady’s location” by advancing the stealth deck: move the top stealth card to the bottom and the new top card shows her current landmark (she only moves along connected locations). (p. 6)

Can I search when the top card of the stealth deck is a fog card?

No — searching is not available when the stealth deck shows a fog card; instead you may choose to use the fog card’s special action or pass. (p. 7; see fog actions p. 8)

If I search and don’t find her, does the stealth card get discarded and does she still move?

Yes — when you search you place the stealth card onto the location key, flip them, then discard that stealth card and insert a fog card beneath the top; afterward the Lady “flees” by advancing the stealth deck a number of cards equal to the clues you currently have (skip this advance if you have no clues). (p. 7)

Can I search to gain the final clue and then immediately confront the Lady in the same turn?

No — you may not search to gain a clue and then confront the Lady in the same turn; to confront you must already have identified all three traits and then successfully search for her. (p. 9)

How do fog cards work and what if I can’t perform a fog card’s action?

Fog cards don’t change the Lady’s path but prevent searching; if you choose the fog card action you slide a fog card under the top fog card, flip and resolve its special action, then follow the card’s instructions (placing it on the bottom of the fog deck unless told otherwise); if you cannot perform the required action you lose the game. (p. 8)

What happens if the countdown card reaches zero?

If the countdown card is ever revealed showing zero, time has run out and you immediately lose the game; when revealed earlier you rotate/flip it to the next lower number and place it at the bottom. (p. 6)

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Game facts (players, playing time, age, credits) from BoardGameGeek.