Deep Dive: How regional differences in Slavic folklore shaped Blacktail
Blacktail delves into Slavic folklore as it casts the player as Baba Yaga, a being of myth whose identity can get a bit slippery depending on where you look and what you read. The development team at The Parasight used this uncertain identity to create a game about helping Baba Yaga discover who she is as players explore a world birthed by fairy tales and Slavic traditions, festivals, and myth.
Game Developer spoke with Bartosz Kaproń, CEO and creative director of The Parasight, to learn about how the game weaves Slavic folklore and ritual into even the smallest gestures in the game (like saving your progress), how the game was shaped around the backbone of archery in combat, and how regional differences in the mythologies would lead to the game’s emphasis on making the player choose who Baba Yaga would become.
Blacktail draws from Slavic folklore to create its world and the creatures within it. Can you tell us some of the mythological inspirations for some of the places and people that players will meet throughout the game?
Obviously, the biggest of Blacktail’s influences is Baba Yaga. Sometimes described as a wise old woman, sometimes as a savage-looking recluse, but never as mundane or predictable. Her depictions always come with some iconic attributes, like the Hut, or the Black Cat, or the Broom. But was the Hut on a chicken leg, or was it made out of gingerbread? Or maybe both? And if so—why? We see all these elements as gameplay and narrative opportunities.
Another dive into Slavic heritage is our usage of old folk traditions and annual celebrations. We give the player a chance to experience warding off the winter (involving Marzanna, the effigy of the winter goddess), Midsummer Night and flower crowns ceremony, as
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