- BGG rating
- 7.6
Black Sonata: The Fair Youth
- 1 player
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 2020
- BGG rank
- BGG #951
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Black Sonata
2017
Rules assistance for Black Sonata
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1 player
- 30 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.1/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Black Sonata
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Black Sonata is a board game released in 2017 for 1 player, 30 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by John Kean and its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Point to Point Movement, and Deduction.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Black Sonata: Strange Shadows
- 1–2 players
- 20–40 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2025
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About the game
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?
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- (Web published)
- GateOnGames
- CrowD Games
- TGG Games
- Treetato Studio
- Boardgame Mall
- Melmac Games
- Side Room Games
Questions and answers
Black Sonata supports 1 player according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Black Sonata is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Black Sonata for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Black Sonata has a complexity rating of 2.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Black Sonata belongs to these categories: Print & Play, Deduction, and Renaissance. Its main mechanics are Push Your Luck, Point to Point Movement, and Deduction. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Black Sonata are: John Kean. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Black Sonata as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.