Ubisoft’s newest open-world pirate thriller and the latest major addition to the Assassin’s Creed franchise – Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag is easily one of the top games of last year, and has already provided enough joy to fans all around the world with its new setting and a brand new ruthless protagonist.
However, amidst all the joy that we are getting out of murdering pirates and total anarchy (pirates way of life, eh matey?), it seems like there will be a time when either all that will feel a bit repetitive or you’ll simply be tired. So what do you do then? Do you stop playing the title, or do you shift to an entirely new title. Seems like Ubisoft has the answer for both keeping you in the game and entertained at the same time.
The answer, according to Ubisoft, is simple – a game of in-game checkers with your pirate brothers, to be precise. The official report on the same states that alongside two other board games – Fanorana and Morris, “checkers is the perfect way to take your mind off of the murderous mayhem in front of you.”
“But these games aren’t just a delightful diversion wedged into a historical setting; they’re carefully researched period-appropriate additions to the Golden Age of Piracy,” it adds.
Initially introduced via Assassin’s Creed 3 out of sheer desire to add more interactive elements in the game, it seems these games have returned to the newly released title due to the fun factor involved.
“We were looking for games that would at the same time be fun to play and easy to learn – and since they were being developed for Assassin’s Creed III, could have been found in an American Revolution household or tavern,” said Olivier Garneau, team lead, programming at Ubisoft Quebec, where these minigames were developed.
“The historians searched and found two games that matched those criteria: Fanorona and Nine Men’s Morris,” Garneau added. “After careful research on the more common rules for those games and analysis of their feasibility, we decided to keep them and started working on their implementation.”
Apparently, the team working on them studied everything related to the game, starting from regional rules to a variety of board sizes, before eventually settling on the popular 9×5 board for Fanorona along with three of the most common Morris sizes: Six, Nine and Twelve.
These minigames seem like a good way to pass time when you aren’t sailing the high seas, collecting treasures or stabbing everyone in your way. The players will need to beat all three games at least once “and earn at least 2,000 Reales gambling on them if you want to achieve 100% in Black Flag,” the team adds. Find out more about the minigames in Ubisoft's official blog.
