Games aren’t just entertainment, they can provide valuable business lessons. I recently finished the card game Blackjacket by Mi’pumi Games (Vienna, Austria). Throughout the journeys (levels) these words were stuck in the back of my mind. So now it is time to turn ‘em into a blog post to share it with you.
But first, a little “warning”… In this blog post I will be sharing my experience with the Blackjacket game and although it isn’t a walk-through or solution guide, it may contain some elements or tips that can be seen as spoilers. It is not my intention to create a how-to or share insider tips, so I’ll try to be a bit more cryptic where possible.
What is Blackjacket?
Blackjacket is a digital twist on Blackjack, blending strategy and luck. Think of it like building a deck of marketing tactics. It’s is a rogue-lite deckbuilder where strategy, risk and adaptability are key to escaping hell by outwitting opponents, winning their Soul Coins and bribing the ferryman.
For those of you not familiar with these gaming terms, a rogue-lite deckbuilder game is a fun and challenging mix of two popular game styles:
- Rogue-lite – A game inspired by Rogue (an 80s super-hard dungeon crawler) but with some modern twists to make it less punishing.
- Deckbuilding – A game where you build a “deck” (a collection of cards) to defeat enemies or complete challenges.
Why did Blackjacket inspire me?
I love playing games, therefore a lot of things I do(opens in new tab) are laced with gaming terms or themes, in personal and business life. I’ve always played a variety of games, depending on the mood, time available and lots of other factors. So yeah, I can switch between 3 to 5 games in a week. That doesn’t mean a short attention span or that the other games in my collection are boring, no worries.
But it does mean that there are only a few games that I have completely finished. However, Blackjacket is different. From the moment I played the first demo on Steam(opens in new tab) I wanted to continue playing and start another round when not successful in a particular journey.
So when the full game was released it was a no-brainer that I wanted to beat the other (end) bosses as well. The fun thing is that at first, you think that the moment you’ve beaten the end-boss (and the twist you’re experiencing in that game, remains so much fun – short version: the goal posts are being moved), you think that is it. Game over. Job done.
Well not really, from that moment it is time to move to the next difficulty level and win at every step of the new journey (“again”). Well to some it may feel like “again” but as the gameplay changes, it feels like a different game every time you enter a new difficulty level.
But beyond its fun & addictive (addictive in a positive way) gameplay, Blackjacket offers interesting parallels to digital marketing and eCommerce. This blog post explores the lessons marketers and eCommerce entrepreneurs can learn from the game’s mechanics, storytelling and strategic depth.
Reach for more than the max to reach your goal(s)
At the start of Blackjacket you probably start with the strategy of classic Blackjack in mind. I did as well and judging from the reviews & comments on Steam a lot of people do. Well, that traditional strategy might win you a few games in the beginning but it will be your downfall later in the game.
What I mean? Well, that moment you pass when you have 19 or 20 in hand as your analytical side will say that it is highly unlikely you will get a suitable card to get to 21 and not going way over it.
That is true in a traditional world but not here. In Blackjacket you need to understand that pushing the limits, taking risks and actually going over 21 can win you the game. How? Well, in Blackjacket there are various cards that can lower your score, even when you’ve already gone over. Your opponent can even lower your score. And there are plenty of cards that have multiple values so they can adjust to your (new) situation or cards that can grow or shrink along with your score.
In Digital Marketing & eCommerce it means that if you, your manager or your company has set a certain goal – whether it is market share, items sold, conversion or whatever – you should never try to reach that exact number and be happy when it is close enough. Close enough doesn’t win you the battle. Aim for more.
Like Social Distortion sang:
“Reach For the Sky, 'cause tomorrow may never come. Yesterday is history and tomorrow's a mystery”
A negative event can actually reach your goal
Negative cards were already mentioned in the previous paragraph but there are more moments in Blackjacket where you can use a negative effect to create a positive effect. Take for example, that moment where Better breaks one of your card slots at the start of each round. Any card you place in it will break aka will turn into a negative.
If you try to be smart and avoid that card slot, you end up shooting yourself in the foot. The unused slot remains and you’ll get another one in the next game. Make sure to use these broken slots. Use ‘em up so they are gone the next round.
And returning to the topic of negative cards or cards that lower your adjacent cards. You can always use an artefact like Haze and place these cards in one of your opponent’s slots. Start combing cards, artefacts and everything else you come across in this game.
So what can Digital Marketers learn from this? Embrace the “broken slots” in your strategy. Those underperforming ads, low-traffic blog posts or abandoned carts. Instead of avoiding them, repurpose them, use them. Turn a poorly performing ad into a case study, transform an old blog post into a lead magnet or use abandoned carts to refine your retargeting.
Like in Blackjacket, ignoring these “negatives” only lets them pile up. Combine them with other tools (like automation, analytics, or A/B testing) to flip the script. Sometimes, the biggest wins come from what initially seems like a setback.
Use strengths to counteract weaknesses
In Blackjacket, you often face opponents with unique abilities or cards that exploit your weaknesses. However, the game rewards players who strategically use their strongest cards, artefacts or combos to neutralise or even reverse those disadvantages.
In Blackjacket, certain cards can neutralise opponents’ attacks. Card combinations are a great way to counteract bad cards like negative cards, lowered in value cards or Lost Soul cards. My favourites are the 6/0 of Clubs and 4/0 of Clubs. The 6 sucks up its adjacent cards, uses its values and removes the adjacent cards (two slots cleared, if placed strategically). While the 4 sucks of the value of the opposing card. You lower my cards, I slurp up your highest card in the opposing slot – or the card you need to reach your goal.
It’s like how a strong email list (your 6/0 of Clubs) can offset a weak social media presence. Always pair high-performing assets with underused ones to create these combos.
For Digital Marketers this means to leverage your core strengths to neutralise any weaknesses in your funnel. This can be done via SEO, email marketing, social proof or automation. Check your marketing stack, identify your “power cards” (top-converting channels) and design combos to offset gaps.
Think of tactics aka powerful cards like:
- Use high-performing content (your 6/0 of Clubs) to absorb attention from underperforming assets or tweaking the targeting of ads (your 4/0 of Clubs) to slurp value from competitors’ audiences.
- Counteract customer hesitations (like high cart abandonment) with social proof (reviews, UGC) or scarcity (limited-time offers).
- Re-engage inactive users with personalised win-back campaigns (e.g., “We miss you” discounts).
Help can come from surprising sides
There are several opponents in Blackjacket, from cursed souls to the ones that have a history with the protagonist, Kris aka you. They are your opponents but they all play in a different way. Some play more aggressive and on-the-edge than others. And some actually seem to help you. For example, Niv and their train cards regularly do something that will eventually leads to you getting a higher score than before the rotating started.
I guess there is a reason that one of their quotes is: “I bet my train cards helped, right? (but you can’t have them. Sorry)”.
So what does this mean for Digital Marketer or eCommerce fans? Don’t overlook unexpected allies in your ecosystem. Competitors might inspire new strategies, customer feedback can reveal hidden opportunities and even algorithm changes can push you to innovate.
Like Niv’s train cards, sometimes the most valuable help comes from where you least expect it. Collaborate with complementary brands, leverage user-generated content or turn a competitor’s weakness into your strength. Keep an open mind, opportunities often disguise themselves as problems or challenges.
What works now may not work tomorrow
When you start a game of Blackjacket, you get to pick 3 card decks to use. At first, you’ll be going for randomise – just give me anything and I'll figure out how they work – which is a great way to start. That way, you’ll learn the advantages and disadvantages of each deck. You’ll soon spot the ones that work really well and the ones that are not so great.
Then you’ll start to combine the ones that really work for you and you’ll be picking these every time you start a new game, trying to beat the bosses and end-bosses at the next difficulty level.
However, the combination that works at one particular level, may not work that great at others. You’ll need to mix and match regularly. Even if it is just to keep you on your toes and to make sure you don’t become complacent.
In Digital Marketing it means that a particular mix of tools and channels may work well now, but maybe that is not the case next week or on your next project. Environments (difficulty levels) change, rules change, competitors change, algorithms change just like many other external factors.
Always ask yourself what are we trying to achieve now? Is this the best mix to use for this project? Shouldn’t we test something else, something new? Or just do things differently? Always be testing, always be changing. Don’t let anyone become complacent, not yourself, not your colleagues and not your customers.
Gaming (“cheating”) the system = creative problem-solving
Blackjacket rewards players for thinking outside the box. whether through card combos or unconventional strategies. In marketing, creative problem-solving can outperform traditional tactics. Always try to game the system to get the upper-hand.
Try marketing hacks like these:
- Referral programs that turn customers into advocates (“Invite a friend, get 20% off”).
- Asymmetrical content: Low-budget, high-impact formats (TikTok duets, memes or user-generated challenges) to outmanoeuvre competitors with bigger budgets.
- Data arbitrage: Exploit underutilised platforms (Pinterest for niche eCommerce) or overlooked keywords in SEO to gain an edge.
- Alternative channels: Are your competitors all over traditional channels or networks? Test if alternatives work for you, find a niche or underserved audience. Instead of just advertising via Google Search, see if Bing can do wonders for your business, at a lower cost. Check if part of your audience is active on alternative or federated platforms like Loops (instead of TikTok), Pixelfed (instead of Instagram) or Mastodon (instead of X)
- Become active when others aren’t: Are certain days of the week slow in online sales and/or conversions? Why is that? Can you trigger people to shop on these days. Days where your competition might also see as a slow day or even be away (weekend?). Test if a short-lived, high discount flash deal works for you.
Uncovering stories: the power of brand narrative
While you are playing Blackjacket a story unfolds. You’ll discover the links between the protagonist (Kris) and each of the bosses… And of course, the end-boss. Piece by piece, a story is taking shape. Until you reach the end where you’ll experience the final animation.
Just like any story ever told, there are people who like it… And there are people who don’t like it. Just check the game’s reviews on Steam(opens in new tab) to see many excited people and some people that were disappointed by the story part.
How the story unfolds or how it ends is not that relevant. I personally find it more exciting to see the pieces of the story drop, the info you figure out and how you piece it together. The actual facts are not that interesting to me. It's all about the journey, not the destination, perfect motto for a Digi Geek that is also a Travel Geek(opens in new tab).
The same goes for marketing and the brand stories we tell. Brand storytelling creates emotional connections with audiences and makes products & brands more memorable and relatable. Not everyone may like it, but there are plenty of people that do.
Tell the brand story how you want to tell it. How you want your brand or product to shine. Stick to the core values of your brand. See how customers use it, respond to it and weave your customers’ stories into your brand story as well.
Always make sure to capture reviews and feedback from customers. No matter what they have to say, listen to it and respond to it. The most valuable intel comes from your most recent customers. How did they experience purchasing process, the shipping and what that they think of the product. Use their feedback – both positive and negative – to make improvements where needed and to make sure others see these advantages as well.
Rogue-lite mechanics: adaptability in marketing
The rogue-lite nature of Blackjacket means players must adapt to new challenges in every run. Similarly, agility in marketing – pivoting strategies based on data, trends or feedback – is critical for success. Even though this may feel like a combination of the things mentioned above, there is more to tell.
Let’s start with the data. Yes it is super important to have, but… And that is a big BUT… Are you collecting the data you actually need in your analysis or are you collecting more than that is needed? Collecting for the sake of collecting is a waste of time and resources. Just like in Blackjacket there is no point in getting certain artefacts if you’re not going to use them or getting some cheap cards while they add no value to your deck or strategy.
Are you aware that the data you collect is something you have on loan from your customers? Especially their data related to your customers themselves. Are you protecting that data well enough? Or is it just sitting out there, an easy mark for rogue elements? Like having an ace in Blackjacket but your opponent just takes it by swapping a card with the other side.
Have you been collecting data the obvious way, the way most New Zealand companies do it? Just slap a free analytics tool like Google’s on it and that’s it. It may look free but you are paying for it with your data (and your customers’ data).
All great questions to ask when starting a project or when reviewing your current set-up. Never stop asking yourself: is this the best, most secure and most privacy-friendly way to be doing things?
From Blackjacket to digital marketing in real-life
Even if you have never played Blackjacket before you’ll get the drift of this blog post.
- I – the author, Marty the Digi Geek – really like this Blackjacket game.
- There are lots of things to tweak or update in Digital Marketing. When sitting still you are going backwards.
So maybe this has inspired you to try Blackjacket (just get it from your favourite game store) – but that wasn’t the main goal of this blog post – but more importantly I do hope this has inspired you to tweak, upgrade or change the way you do Digital Marketing. Change is good and change must always happen.
So which of these Blackjacket lessons will you apply to your marketing first? Let me know via a comment, I’d love to hear your power cards!
Enjoy the game of Blackjacket or the business game of Digital Marketing.
Game on!
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