Hey there!
The last month of the summer is here, which means that Black Book launch is right around the corner. We decided to dedicate this update to one of the in-game mechanics that also happens to be a real card game — Durak.
Remember to wishlist Black Book if you don’t want to miss the approaching release (coming in 8 days, to be exact)!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1138660/Black_Book/
There is one highly popular card game in Russia that virtually everyone knows how to play. It’s called Durak (translated as “Fool” in English), and it’s a traditional past-time activity all over, for young and senior players alike. It has a pretty quick pace and is enjoyable to play.
In Black Book, Vasilisa can also play Durak mini-game with her companions and less than hostile foes. Let’s take a short look into what kind of card game that is, how it plays, and what you can expect from it during your playthrough of Black Book.
History of Durak
The first recorded accounts of Durak date to the 18’th century in Russia. While there certainly were other card games, they were mostly enjoyed among the high society - poker, solitaire, and bridge. Simple folk took a liking to Durak, and by 20th’ century, it became more popular than poker.
Préférence, 1879, by Viktor Vasnetsov
None can say why Durak (Fool) is called the way it is. At the time, this was one of the most common swearing words around, and since the point of the game is to find a loser among the players, it is suggested that it became the case to call the loser just that - a fool.
The original Durak is rather straightforward and simple in terms of rules. Later on, people started to mix extra rules and produce more interesting and dynamic variations of Durak. One of them is Perevodnoy Durak (a-la Reverse Durak), where you can pass the need to defend to the next player if your card rank matches the one sent your way.
There is also a special variation of Durak (Japanese Durak) where spades can only be beaten by other spades, and diamonds are always the trumps.
How is Durak played?
To win, you have to play your hand against your opponents until you run out of cards in the deck. The player that has the most cards at the end of the game ends as the Durak - or Fool. There is no strict winner in the game of Durak, only the loser.
Durak - Picture By Gzhegozh - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What you can see in the picture above is a deck of cards laid out to play Durak. 1 - the deck from which players draw their cards, with the one card face-up that is used a trump suit. 2, 3, and 4 - six cards are given to each player after shuffling the deck at the beginning of the game.
Trump cards
The trump suit can beat any other suit regardless of their rank. The player with the trump card of the lowest rank begins the round.
Bouts
The turns are usually taken clockwise. An attacker deals a card (or multiple cards, if they’re of the same rank) against their opponent. Other players can pitch in with their own cards, so long as they’re of the same rank, potentially swarming the defender with cards. However, it’s forbidden to place more cards against the defender than the number they currently have in hand.
If Perevodnoy Durak is played, the defender can pass along the cards and the need to defend to another player, if they have the card of the same rank they are dealt with. For example, if you get a Queen of spades during defense, you can use your own Queen of hearts to pass the defense to another player. They would have to defend against both of these cards, and not you.
The defender has to use either the card of the higher rank with the correct suit (e.g: beating a 9 of spades with a 10 of spades) or by using a card of the trump suit (e.g: beating an Ace of spades with a 6 of Hearts if its a trump suit).
Standard play of Durak in Black Book
If the defender is unable to beat the cards dealt to them, they have to take it into their hand. If they manage to defend, they draw from the deck until their hand has 6 cards remaining again. The defender then attacks the next player.
General rules
The game can be played with 36 or 52 cards. It can have up to 6 players for a 36 card deck. However, 6 players starting the round with 36 cards isn’t exactly a fair game, because the first player to deal has a tremendous advantage over their opponents. Sometimes, it’s viable to use multiple card decks during play.
Discarded cards are placed into a separate pile and are not used until the round is over.
The loser deals the next round.
Playing Durak in Black Book
In Black Book, you will be playing a standard version of Durak. But! Since you are playing against more than just mere peasants, your opponents will bring an extra twist into the way Durak is played. In Cherdyn, this kind of Durak is called “Witching Durak”. You and your opponents both have a way to gain an upper hand.
Switch - get a trump card
As you gain experience, you will be able to switch a random card in your hand into a trump card of the same rank. This will be extra handy when playing against demons because they can and will do that against you.
Getting a trump card out of nowhere in Black Book
Peek - see the enemy’s hand
A few choice words and the cards of your opponents will reveal themselves to you. Be careful, however, this ability is extremely useful and should be saved for later. Sometimes, after all, the demons wager for your very soul…
And that’s how you play Durak, in real life and in Black Book! Join Vasilisa on her perilous adventure across Cherdyn, discover what fate has in store for her, and don’t forget to stop by and enjoy an occasional bout of Durak.