Let's celebrate the BLACKTAIL anniversary with a special discount!
It's been a year since you delved into the dark fairy tale driven world of BLACKTAIL and became the guardian of the woods or… the terror nightmares are made of. Or perhaps you haven't decided your fate just yet? If you are one of those who haven't ventured into the world of BLACKTAIL, we’ve prepared a special anniversary discount just for you.
A full year is also a fantastic time for a small recap. Especially since during that time we've received more than 10 nominations and awards! While our primary focus is on you, our community, we're thrilled to have been recognized by the game development industry. To have collected such prestigious awards for narrative work, audio, design, and performance is exhilarating. It feels nice inside to be acknowledged by numerous juries across various categories.
Awards are the cherry on top of how our game resonates with our community. Numbers and reviews speak for themselves - most of you have basically fallen in love with our game, which is our dream come true.
Let's spend a bit more time in the magical Slavic woods. Enjoy the game, our Behind-the-Scenes deep-dive video, and the OST, which is available here via Steam and all good music streaming services. Embrace the mystical aura of the year's end and spend it with Yaga and The Black Cat.
And finally, to all of you reading this message, all of us at THE PARASIGHT want to wish you a peaceful conclusion to this year and an even better one to follow. We want to also express our gratitude for your continued support. The significance of the Steam reviews, social media interactions, and e-mails cannot be overstated, as they serve as a tremendous source of motivation for us to shape an even more thrilling experience. So from the bottom of our collective heart, thank you for being the best community of players any developer could ever ask for.
Have a safe and happy break, and until next time,
Yours,
THE PARASIGHT team
Nominate BLACKTAIL at the Steam Awards 2023!
Hello, witches!
It’s been nearly a year since all of you dove into BLACKTAIL’s magical universe, and made Yaga’s story come to life through you. It’s been such a blast seeing you experiencing this dark fairy tale journey. We’re ecstatic to see all of the support, and positive reception our game received over the past year! ✨
To stay on such a wonderful path, we need you to keep on forging the legend!
The Steam Awards are right around the corner, and so are their nominations! Starting from November 22, help us nominate our beloved game by voting BLACKTAIL in the Outstanding Story-Rich Game category! Let’s make it a win together, your vote can make a difference!
Steam and media reviews prove you feel the love and dedication our team poured into BLACKTAIL. We're absolutely ecstatic by the vibrant and positive reception of our game. To celebrate it, we’ve prepared a special video featuring the media's impressions. Let the below Accolades Trailer lead you down the forest’s path and start your adventure!
For only 66% of the original price you can get even more than a 100% of the experience now. How come? The latest patch notes will tell you all about it (scroll down to see the details).
BABA awaits the next daredevils.
Yours, The PARASIGHT Team
The Patch 1.5 is now available!
Hi witches,
It has been almost two months since you dove into the dark fairy tale world of BLACKTAIL. Yaga, The Hut and The Black Cat, it all makes sense now!
Your support and feedback has proved that we do this for the love of games and we love what we do! A big thank you to all of you.
We've been hard at work with our most recent PATCH, which has addressed certain concerns we've been able to implement. Thanks to your feedback and detailed bug reporting, certain fixes and requests were possible! Please continue to report, and support, BLACKTAIL :)
Only the most noticeable changes have been listed in these PATCH notes. The update includes other minor fixes which may not be included in this list, but nonetheless have been implemented to enhance your BLACKTAIL experience.
VIDEO:
1. DLSS | FSR2.1 | XeSS - added PC Video Upscaling options 2. ULTRAWIDE 21:9 & 32:9 - black bars fix/visible when applicable
ADD-ONS:
1. ARACHNOPHOBIA MODE - has been added 2. PERSISTENT CENTER DOT MODE - has been added for those who may experience motion sickness 3. IMMERSIVE MODE - option to hide the UI has been added 6. DANGER SIGNS - have been added to indicate more difficult quests and areas 4. SIGN POSTS - a reminder for Side Quests has been added 5. GAME OVER SCREEN - added various game tips 7. ADDITIONAL ADD-ONs - implemented to enhance your gaming experience
ADJUSTMENTS:
1. ADDITIONAL AUTO-SAVES - added to various major and minor moments throughout the game 2. MORE FREQUENT TUTORIALS AND POP-UP'S - to remind the player of certain events, skills, mini-game controls and objectives 3. CHEST ADJUSTMENTS - Beast Chests have more randomized loot and basic Chests no longer respawn and stay open. 4. ALMANAC ENTRIES - fixes and adjustments 5. BATS - are now more visible and have had a health bar added 6. ANTIDOTE - poison resistance duration will last significantly longer 7. MAP - has been visually improvedf 8. GAME UI - visual adjustments 9. FOXES AND STICK BUGS - more have been added to the world 10. ENEMY HIT BOXES - have been increased 11. RESOURCE INVENTORY CAPACITIES INCREASED - increased for the Red Herb, Honey, Eyes and Crystals 12. ENEMY RESPAWN TIMES - have been increased 13. VARIOUS VISUAL ADJUSTMENTS AND ENHANCEMENTS - implemented to improve visibility and experience throughout the game
BUG FIXES - QUESTS
1. MANEATER quest - soft-lock progression fixed (player was blocked in the tower area after dialogue with Drath'Eff Kha) 2. SPECIAL TREAT TUTORIAL - conditional blocker in the Special Treat tutorial fixed (player couldn't leave the canyon or progress the quest further) 3. UPSIDE DOWN BRIDGE AREA - conditional blocker in the Upside Down Bridge area fixed (player couldn't get off the bridge and continue the quest further) 4. WINTER AREA BLOCKER - conditional blocker in the winter area fixed (Boruta's dialogue interrupted quest progress) 5. AUTUMN BLOCKER - Conditional blocker in autumn fixed (player couldn't progress the quest further and was blocked on the "Hunt the ghost" quest step) 6. THERE BE DRAGONS quest - soft-lock progression fixed (player was blocked in Peewee's area) 7. WHO'S THE FAIREST OF THEM GNOLL quest - conditional blocker fixed (player movement was blocked in the boss fight area) 8. WINTER main quest - disappearing quest markers fixed 9. UNTIL IT SLEEPS quest - conditional reward blocker fixed (player couldn't interact with Spy or Whacko) 10. PAINKILLER quest - conditional blocker fixed (after the boss fight and cutscenes, the objective was stuck on the "Follow the spirit" step which directed the player back to this Autumn boss area, with nothing to do) 11. THE VOID STARES BACK quest - Henrik's fishing spot respawn issue fixed 12. WINTER SOLSTICE quest - conditional progress blockers fixed (player couldn't progress to the "Prison of Souls" areas
BUG FIXES:
1. GNOLL CITY ACCESS - you can no longer access Gnoll City without an active quest 2. CURSED BEEKEEPER TAG - fixed an issue with reaching Super Morality while having the Cursed Beekeeper Tag 3. NEW GAME+ - more detailed description and various bug fixes 4. LEDGES - bugged ledges fixed (unable to grab certain ledges easily) 5. ENEMIES SPAWNING UNDERGROUND - fixed various spots where enemies spawned underground 6. STICKY CROSSHAIR ADJUSTMENTS - added options to change the effect strength 7. REBINDING - rebinding keys issue fixed (bug in Vision stage if keys were rebound) 8. VARIOUS MINOR BUG FIXES
BUG FIXES - AUDIO & DIALOGUE:
1. VARIOUS AUDIO BUG FIXES - fixes and improvements to UI, Dialogues and SFX 2. AUDIO OPTIMIZED
STEAM DECK:
STEAM DECK - automatically changes resolution to avoid crashing
Yours, The PARASIGHT Team
Hotfix + FAQ
Hi everyone,
Or should we say "Hi witches” as many of you have already dived into BLACKTAIL’s world ;)
A huge thanks for your ongoing support, sending feedback and writing reviews. BLACKTAIL is trending on Steam which is solely due to you - we couldn’t ask for a more committed community.
The first HOTFIX is now live on Steam. We have addressed certain concerns and issues which were possible to implement at this point in time.
We’ve also prepared the Witchcraft Starter Kit down below. We wouldn’t want you to be an easy target in BLACKTAIL’s woods.
HOTFIX notes:
Various bug fixes, crashes and potential blockers.
Yaga's starting Vitality has been increased.
Additional tutorial reminders for the controls and movement.
New Game+ tweaks. You now get bonus resources - teeth and shelloks - and carry over your Map, Collectibles, and Almanac entries.
Hostile Mushrooms have been balanced.
Visual adjustments have been made to enhance visibility to certain areas.
Sticky crosshair range increased.
HDR issues fixed.
We’re gathering your feedback and preparing a more detailed patch for January, to help improve your BLACKTAIL experience. Until then, wishing you all a well-deserved rest, stay safe, and see you on the other side witches!
Don’t forget to dash
The first skill you get is a crucial one. Dashing - Mouse button 3 or 5 (RB) - at just the right moment should keep you from harm, provided your timing is on point. It’s also the best way to enhance your traversal.
Use Hokuses. Often
Press [F] (R3) to use Deflect Hokus for pushing back enemies and breaking obstacles. Hold [F] (R3) to perform a Sunlight/Leech Hokus - linked to your current moral stance.
The Broom is your best friend in combat!
The Broom not only acts as a decoy by luring enemies, but it also grows ever more powerful the more defined Yaga’s character becomes. Comes in handy also during boss fights. Press [Q] (Y) once you have this ability.
Special treats
By combining the power of The Gauntlet with her marksmanship prowess, Yaga can perform maneuvers far beyond any ordinary hunter’s array. Hold LMB (RT) and then press [F] (R3) to perform the Special treat.
Save haven
Use Shrines often, there is also an auto-save system to keep your progress in crucial moments.
Berries
Berries have healing properties and grow in various places, including boss areas.
The Hut
Don’t hesitate to use Cataportation and return to The Hut. Brew Elixirs, unlock new Skills, and activate your Hexes. Take a stroll through the yard, make it a home for your Toads. Get into power and ease yourself into this big adventure!
Explore the world
There’s plenty to explore in BLACKTAIL. Roam the world and keep your eyes wide open. Hold [R] (B) to hide the bow and move faster. Use the Map and Compass, switch between the main quest and side quests in your Journal - look for Resources and Lost Pages.
Adventure or Story mode?
You can change the difficulty level during your journey. The initial choice is not definitive, adjust it to your preferences on the fly. Remember to have fun :)
Yours, The PARASIGHT Team
The legend starts today
Off to a great adventure we are,
BLACKTAIL is out NOW!
Before you hit the green “PLAY” button - we want to say a huge THANK YOU for all your support, encouragement, feedback, and overall kindness and positive energy. It’s been quite a journey!
We are excited to share this world of BLACKTAIL with you from now on. Here you’ll come across stories we were raised on, the artists we were influenced by, the games, the tales and music - all these different creative expressions merged into one - BLACKTAIL.
And for all of you music lovers, BLACKTAIL’s Original Soundtrack is live December 15 on Steam and the most popular music streaming services. Get carried away by a combination of dreamlike, Slavic themes with modern motifs and synthetic sounds which reflect contrast and duality - the foundation of BLACKTAIL's vibrant world. The score composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski (The Medium, Layers of Fear 2, upcoming Silent Hill 2 Remake), with performances by Robot Koch (the man behind Netflix's “Dark” theme song), Zazula Vocal Group, Bartosz Pałyga, and CZELUSC Collective follows Yaga’s highs and lows, from the game’s sunniest meadows to its darkest depths. It sets the emotional backdrop for a dark fairy-tale like no other. Get both the game and the OST in an extra-discounted bundle on Steam right now!
Every tale has a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Today starts yours - enjoy your time in BLACKTAIL!
Yours, The PARASIGHT Team
Behind the Scenes - this is how legends come to life
Hello everyone!
We are proud to share with you the Behind The Scenes story of our work on BLACKTAIL. Discover our close-knit production team behind the game - from the very beginning to its upcoming release: December 15!
Join the team beyond Yaga’s adventure. A true reflection of how the studio’s ideas developed into this magical and intriguing, surreal fairy-tale world, and also breaks down the fourth wall by adding BLACKTAIL’s two most distinctive characters to the video - The Black Cat (Nergal, Behemoth’s front man) and The Voice (Avalon Penrose, know for playing Megaera in Hades.) We wanted to show you this incredible journey in the heart of the Slavic legends, but also our passion to bring you the best experience possible.
Thanks for being with us on this sort of… mission… quest… thing.
Yours,
THE PARASIGHT Team
The voices of BLACKTAIL revealed!
Hello everyone!
We’re thrilled to share with you the talented cast that bring to life the iconic characters of BLACKTAIL.
Read the combined interview with Valerie Rose Lohman (known from What Remains of Edith Finch, Wolfenstein Youngblood) and Avalon Penrose (known for playing Megaera in Hades), BLACKTAIL’s Yaga and The Voice respectively and watch Nergal (Behemoth’s front man) step into The Black Cat’s role.
Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your roles?
A: I am Avalon Penrose, I’m mostly known for my role as Megaera in the game Hades. There are a lot of similarities between Megaera and my character of the Voice in BLACKTAIL. They’re both strong, powerful, dominant women. You don’t see a lot of female characters in the media that are portrayed with this kind of harshness and bluntness. Megaera, however, has an undertone of love for her partner, who she’s always going to love in her deepest soul. The Voice has a different kind of love, for the person that she’s always in the mind of. It’s even harder to distinguish.
V: My name is Valerie Rose Lohman; most people know me from the video game What Remains of Edith Finch and I’m also in Wolfenstein: Youngblood and Wylde Flowers. There’s a big commonality between BLACKTAIL and some of my previous works in that I play a lot of women who are finding themselves. Edith, in particular, is so lost, and I see so much of that in Yaga. They’re both discovering so much about their identity, their family, where they come from… There’s so much exploration, but Edith doesn’t have the type of outside forces that Yaga – who’s very ostracised – has to deal with.
How was it for you to invest yourselves in this fairy-tale driven world?
V: I grew up loving fairy tales, especially their dark versions. I remember The Brothers Grimm and Sleepy Hollow as spooky, fairy-tale driven films with dark legends. I also knew the tales of Baba Yaga. I love the sweet, fun versions of fairy tales, I’m a big Disney fan. But I also love the warnings and lessons that are in the darker versions of these tales. So getting to dive into this was such a treat. I loved piecing together the different influences from fairy tales, myths and legends that were sprinkled throughout. It was inspiring to know that there’s all this magic and talking creatures… Yes the game is grounded and real, but there’s also this eerie playfulness, which was so much fun to perform.
A: It was a joy to play a character in this world. I love rough and gritty tales, the dark side which didn’t make it to Disney movies. All this magic can exist but at the same time, you can’t escape the parts of human life that are morality and all these challenges, which make for such an intense and all-consuming game. I love the juxtaposition of these moral battles over this beautiful fairy tale world with unbelievable graphics and gorgeous character design.
How does BLACKTAIL compare to the way you imagined the myth of Baba Yaga?
V: My first ever learning of Baba Yaga was when I was very little, in a spinoff of the animated movie Anastasia. It was this image of a very old scary witch with her very scary, iconic tree. We never got a backstory from her in that film. Any time I've consumed media that pertains to Baba Yaga, she's elusive. She's this kind of mysterious villain, sometimes morally grey. I was really excited to have the chance to finally dive into this.
A: I knew nothing about Baba Yaga. When I began working on BLACKTAIL, I did a ton of reading to learn about her. I found that a lot of what I read was different from what we experienced in recording this game. It’s really cool because, just as Valerie said, it gives you such a unique perspective on someone who in folklore may be regarded as only evil.
How did you find your voice for the role?
A: It was all about tapping into the darker sides of my own personality. You don't only see the cruelty and the mystery of the Voice at first. But there’s more to it than just being the bad guy. I had to authentically connect with the sides of myself that have been cruel or mean at times. I would sometimes just take a few moments and try to get a little angry and see what voices came out of me, or think of times when I felt anger and was negative and nasty to people. I tried to channel all of that, because I didn't want my voice to sound inauthentic; I wanted it to sound driven by true emotion.
V: For me, it was a lot about finding Yaga’s rage. One of my audition scripts was filled with so many levels of rage, so I immediately knew this was the ride I was going on. We all have rage, anger. All these things inside of us, that we don’t let out because we live in a society and we must be pleasant and kind. But it was tapping into that unfiltered rage. I've not been kicked out of a mediaeval village for being accused of being a witch, but we all deal with loss and grief and people misunderstanding us. So it was about finding that from a really truthful place. I also added a layer with remembering when I was 16, my emotional volatility, still finding myself, feeling embarrassed, scared and lost at this teetering age.
What did you like about playing the roles of Yaga (Valerie) and of the Voice (Avalon)?
V: I just really loved the highs and lows and the layers to find with Yaga. She is so multifaceted, and it was a joy to explore it.
A: I loved finding the mystery of the voice which unfolds throughout the duration of the game, seeing this mystery begin to clarify.
The gaming community loved your performance since BLACKTAIL’s very first demo. Have you kept in touch with them and have they inspired your approach?
V: I have been watching from afar, because we were not yet able to share that we're a part of it. But I've been keeping tabs on the different playthroughs which came out. I’m super stoked to finally be able to interact with such an invested community.
A: I was also watching from afar. For the most part everyone was very positive and received the voices very well. At the same time, there were comments on the harshness of the American voice and all that. It didn't necessarily lead me to change my performance, which I wanted to be true all the way through. But it gave me some context on the effect it was having on people. The Voice is not a comforting presence. It's supposed to make you feel a little uncomfortable, a little on edge. So I liked that people received it as harsh, because that's part of it.
What were your first impressions after seeing the game and hearing the final dialogues?
V: I was so stoked about this trailer. I finally got to hear the other voices and it solidified what this world is, that I've been living in for the last year. The team explains it to me as much as possible, but it’s only after seeing and hearing it all that it finally clicked for me. And it absolutely met my expectations.
A: I love indie games, it's where I find some of the coolest, most unique material. And with that, you don't always know how the final product is going to turn out. And the trailer really blew my mind, it’s incredibly gorgeous! The world is phenomenal and so detailed. The music gave me chills. To see how much was accomplished with just the trailer makes me really excited and intrigued for what’s next. It is way beyond what I expected.
Did Yaga’s adventures leave any significant thoughts and emotions with you?
A: I think it made me more empathetic. In BLACKTAIL, you see that anyone has the potential to make morally questionable decisions when they’ve been ostracised, rejected with no support. As an individual player, you are forced to make those decisions on your own. I hope it encourages people to understand that things are more complicated than they look, and you have to consider the consequences of being an outcast.
V: It got me thinking a lot about what “happily ever after” means. At the end of a Disney movie, the villain is defeated, you’ve found your one true love, and anything bad that happened, doesn’t matter anymore because you're happy now. In BLACKTAIL no matter how you play, the ending doesn’t negate any of the characters’ actions or the gravity of what they went through. I think that's something very relatable, because we can have these happy or life-changing moments, but everything we have been through remains.
As a player, would you choose to play the good witch or the bad witch?
A: I have a history of always wanting to be good in video games. I stop at traffic lights in Grand Theft Auto. That is who I am. I would play BLACKTAIL as close to my actual self as possible. I’m not sure if I would turn out as good or bad, because of that morally grey area. I'll probably still stray to the side of good because I get so worried about hurting even fake people and fake creatures. But who knows?
V: I'm probably around the same path as Avalon. I feel bad if I hurt a character in a game. So I would probably stray towards the good side, though there’s a couple of choices where I think that the bad side is justified. So I end up being somewhere in the middle, in that morally grey area… but I hope more good.
Special thanks to Avalon Penrose, Valerie Rose Lohman and Nergal for taking the time to talk with us! BLACKTAIL releases December 15 on Steam.
Hokus pokus, the Steam Deck is in our focus
Hello there,
We at THE PARASIGHT are really proud to say that BLACKTAIL is Verified on Steam Deck, which means our upcoming game is compatible in all its portable glory.
Since the start of production, we’ve made sure that BLACKTAIL would play seamlessly on a gamepad and once Steam Deck was announced we couldn’t wait to play BLACKTAIL on the go!
We hope that you will enjoy experiencing BLACKTAIL not just in front of your main screen. Now you REALLY can’t hide from BABA. She can follow you wherever you are.
Yours,
THE PARASIGHT Team
BLACKTAIL’s eerie forest awaits!
Venture down to the woods, see how your luck will sway…
“This place feels like a dream” - she said. “It’s so beautiful. The stars, the flowers…” “Sometimes beautiful means…” “Dangerous!” - he replied. “You can't hide from BABA…She's everywhere and nowhere all at once!” - said the kids.
The forest awaits and if you’re wandering alone, do so at your own peril. But, taking a sneak peek at BLACKTAIL’s fairy-tale-driven world, might spark your curiosity to embark on your own adventure…
No one is ready to meet BABA, the dark legend that haunts children's nightmares. The fate lies in your hands.
December 15 is the day She will judge you. Remember… you can’t hide from BABA.
