The Black Death
The Black Death is a medieval survival MMO that drops you into a plague-stricken corner of Europe where basic necessities are as dangerous to secure as any enemy. Staying alive means balancing exploration with scavenging, hunting, crafting, and trading, while keeping an eye out for both hostile wildlife and desperate players.
 | Publisher: Syrin Studios Playerbase: Low Type: Survival MMO Release Date: April 19, 2016 Pros: +Bleak medieval Europe theme. +Hands-on melee combat with timing. +Housing to establish a foothold. Cons: -Very quiet servers. -Development appears discontinued. |
The Black Death Overview
The Black Death is a survival MMO set across a grim medieval landscape suffering under a deadly plague. You step into the world by selecting from more than ten class options, ranging from practical roles like a blacksmith or trader to combat-leaning picks like a knight, with each choice nudging your early priorities and how you approach other players. No matter what you pick, the core loop is the same, you forage for supplies, hunt for food, gather materials, and decide whether you will cooperate, barter, or take what you need by force.
The game’s map spans 8km² and leans into a harsh, grounded tone. The countryside is not just scenery, it is where you encounter animals, scattered points of interest, and plague-infected threats that can turn a routine supply run into a scramble. Night travel is especially risky, pushing you to plan routes and prepare before wandering too far from safety.
Combat is built around active inputs rather than passive auto-attacks. Winning fights depends on choosing when to swing, when to parry, and when to disengage. That makes even small skirmishes feel tense, particularly when resources are limited and a loss can set your progress back.
Economy and ownership are also part of the survival fantasy. Items are treated as having value, whether it is food, tools, or pieces of armor, and trading can be a more reliable path than constant fighting. For players who manage to stabilize, housing offers a way to claim a small refuge and create a semi-permanent base of operations.
The Black Death Key Features:
- Over 10 Classes – pick from multiple roles and identities, including options like Minstrel or Peasent.
- Night Cycle – darkness increases the danger from infected and wildlife, so travel requires caution.
- Large World – roam an 8km² stretch of Western Europe built for scavenging and encounters.
- Active Combat – manual swings and parries reward timing and positioning in melee fights.
- Trade – goods have market value, letting you buy and sell everything from gear to housing.
The Black Death Screenshots
The Black Death Featured Video
The Black Death Review
The Black Death aims for a specific niche, a slower, more deliberate survival MMO where the atmosphere is as important as the mechanics. Its strongest first impression is the setting. Medieval Europe, framed through famine, plague, and distrust, naturally supports the scavenging-and-survive format, and the game uses that backdrop to make basic errands feel uneasy. When it works, it creates the kind of tension survival fans look for, where a short trip for supplies can spiral into a fight you did not plan for.
Moment-to-moment play revolves around managing needs and risk. You are frequently weighing whether to spend time harvesting and crafting, or keep moving to avoid trouble. That push and pull is compelling in theory, and it gives different player types room to exist. Some will try to build a living through trade, others will hunt and craft, and some will treat the world as a place to ambush. The class selection helps set your initial roleplay and priorities, even if the core survival pressures eventually pull everyone toward the same essentials.
Combat is one of the more distinctive elements compared to survival games that rely heavily on gunplay or simple click-to-hit systems. The focus on parrying and committed swings gives melee encounters a more physical, skill-driven feel. In a clean duel it can be satisfying, because your inputs matter and spacing is important. In a chaotic situation, the same system can feel unforgiving, since mistakes are punished quickly and the stakes are higher when you are carrying supplies.
The biggest issue for prospective players is not the concept, it is the game’s current state as a multiplayer title. With low population, a large map can feel empty, and an MMO built around tension between travelers, traders, and threats loses much of its edge when you rarely run into anyone. That quietness also affects the economy and social dynamics, since trading only becomes interesting when there are enough people to create demand and competition.
There is also the reality that the project has effectively been left behind in Early Access. That matters for a survival MMO, because these games depend on iteration, balance passes, and ongoing support to keep the world healthy. Without active development, the rough edges become permanent, and players have to decide whether the atmosphere and core combat are enough to justify time in a world that may not meaningfully evolve.
As a result, The Black Death is easiest to recommend to players who specifically want a bleak medieval survival sandbox and can accept a quieter, unfinished online experience. If you are looking for a thriving MMO community or a game with a clear long-term roadmap, it is difficult to suggest. If you are comfortable treating it as a curious, niche survival experiment with a strong theme, there is still something here to explore.
The Black Death System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 7 64 bit
CPU: Intel Core 2 DUO 2.4 GHz / AMD Athlon X2 2.7 GHz
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 3870 / NVIDIA 8800 GT / Intel HD 3000 Integrated Graphics
RAM: 6 GB
Hard Disk Space: 10
Recommended Requirements:
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
CPU: Intel Core 2 DUO 2.4 GHz / AMD Athlon X2 2.7 GHz
Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 3870 / NVIDIA 8800 GT / Intel HD 3000 Integrated Graphics
RAM: 12 GB
Hard Disk Space: 10
The Black Death Music & Soundtrack
Coming Soon!
The Black Death Additional Information
Developer: Syrin Studios, Small Impact Games
Early Access: April 19, 2016
Release Date: April 19, 2016
Development History / Background:
The Black Death is developed by Syrin Studios and Small Impact Games, and published by Green Man Loaded. It launched into Steam Early Access on April 19, 2016, and has remained in Early Access since 2016. At this point it is widely viewed as effectively abandoned, with little indication of ongoing development or a completed release.