Black Sonata cover
2017BGG rank #963

Black Sonata

by John Kean · (Web published)

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Players1
Time30m
ComplexityMedium-Light
Age12+

About the game

What is Black Sonata?

For more than four centuries scholars have argued over the identity of the mysterious Dark Lady of William Shakespeare's sonnets. According to the sonnets, the Dark Lady seduced the poet and held him in an agonised thrall while also conducting an affair with the Fair Youth whom Shakespeare also loved. In Black Sonata you will find yourself in Shakespeare's London, circa 1600, in pursuit of the shadowy Lady. A specially ordered deck of cards determines her hidden movements from place to place. You must deduce her location and then intercept her to catch a glimpse and gain a clue to her identity. You will need several clues to deduce her identity, but with each clue gained the Lady becomes harder to track. Black Sonata combines hidden movement and logical deduction into a unique solitaire steeped in literary history. Can you finally solve English literature's greatest mystery? Or will the Dark Lady elude you, melting from your grasp like a curl of smoke and promises?

How it plays

Mechanics

Action QueueDeductionHidden MovementPoint to Point MovementPush Your LuckSolo / Solitaire Game

On the shelf

Categories

DeductionPrint & PlayRenaissance

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

  • How do setup and the first turn work in Black Sonata?
  • When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
  • How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?