SKALD: Against the Black Priory

SKALD:Against the Black Priory is a retro-style party-based RPG set in a grim-dark fantasy world of tragic heroes, violent deaths and Lovecraftian horror. Take a chance and roll the dice as you embark on a compelling story filled with deadly creatures, branching story and tactical, turn-based combat

SKALD: Against the Black Priory is a strategy, singleplayer and minimalist game developed by High North Studios AS and published by Raw Fury.
Released on May 30th 2024 is available in English on Windows and MacOS.

It has received 2,348 reviews of which 2,229 were positive and 119 were negative resulting in an impressive rating of 9.1 out of 10. 😍

The game is currently priced at 10.49€ on Steam and has a 30% discount.

The Steam community has classified SKALD: Against the Black Priory into these genres:

Strategy Singleplayer Minimalist Atmospheric Exploration Horror Turn-Based Strategy Story Rich Character Customization Choices Matter Class-Based RPG CRPG Party-Based RPG Dark Fantasy Lovecraftian Adventure Fantasy Old School Magic

Media & Screenshots

Get an in-depth look at SKALD: Against the Black Priory through various videos and screenshots.

screenshot_ss_b79719585f72dbe165e0ffe2dc47cbdbfd5d0cee.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_17e3c373d78c23b750a7c4de5969b2a799cdd067.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_1c57f05eb469ea840c2c2ef42ebc9b5576d7eda4.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_4a3a485e1d1e39e22238d06512947c9a1a6a5140.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_ee817a85eecc2d062e380c98e07fc9e1fd011d30.1920x1080.jpg

screenshot_ss_340f36f4d9b05176caac66707a7196a296e98444.1920x1080.jpg

Requirements

These are the minimum specifications needed to play the game. For the best experience, we recommend that you verify them.

Windows

OS: Windows 10
Processor: Intel i5 or AMD equivalent
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: Intel Iris / AMD Vega or equivalent
DirectX: Version 10
Storage: 500 MB available space

MacOS

OS: macOS 14
Processor: M1
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Storage: 500 MB available space

Reviews

Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.

Sept. 2024

This is pure KINO. It takes you on a short whimsical journey full of pixelated gore, cosmic horrors, text-based gore, fish people armed with forbidden magic and an option to pet dogs. The pixelated barf-like aesthetic, the old-school music and competent writing brings back memories of games that used to be standard for this type of genre. Now they are as rare as games on PS5. 10/10, can recommend

July 2024

this is probably the only review i will ever leave on steam. i just finished my first playthrough about 70 seconds ago. i am absolutely blown away by the grotesque beauty of this game. countless times i would sit, staring at a pixelated screen in the middle of a dialogue, listening to the gorgeous score, for minutes at a time. i would refuse to choose a dialogue choice just so i could enjoy the art a bit longer. numerous games with vastly "better" graphics have failed to communicate such gut-wrenching terror with 10x the pixels, 60x the frames, etc. the best way i can think to compare this game is comparing an expressionistic portrait to a photorealistic portrait. both are paintings, both are beautiful, but the expressionist conveys such emotion, such intangible substance, that the photorealistic painter can not. idk, take my thoughts with a grain of salt. maybe i'm just a pretentious asshole trying to justify her love for retro pixel game. this game is incredible. well-written, horrifying, electrifying, and just fun. i cannot recommend it enough.

June 2024

If you're old enough to remember the Gold Box D&D games by SSI... If you're old enough to remember the Ultima games... If you're old enough to remember sitting in a darkened living room or basement rolling dice that you had to color in with a cheap crayon while delving through The Lost City or Keep on the Borderlands... ...then you're one of my people. And you'll love SKALD: Against the Black Priory. Buy this game.

June 2024

I grew up loving the Gold Box games from SSI and pouring countless hours into Unlimited Adventures. I fought through Wasteland and many iterations of Xeen myself and watched over my friend's shoulder as he wrangled Ultima V. For me, Skald does something truly magical: it captures not those old school games directly, but the *memory* of those games, burnished and rose-tinted by nostalgia. This indie RPG is a gem and well worth the small price they're asking. Some game development -- particularly at the AAA level -- starts from the question "How can I get the most money from players?" and proceeds from the results-driven conclusion. Other game development starts from a very different question: "How can I bring into the world this thing I yearn to create?" There's usually not an easy answer. Instead, the developer fumbles forward on a journey full of false starts, setbacks, blind alleys, and frustrations. With luck, suffering, and fans' support, the developer somehow makes it over the finish line. That's how we get a game like Skald. One of my favorite movies, Gattaca, begins by disposing of the notion that "a child conceived in love has a greater chance of happiness." Whether that is true of humans, I don't know. But I do know that a game conceived in love has a greater chance of bringing happiness to others. And there is no question that Skald began with love: its creators' twofold love for the old school games they grew up on and for the new game they were making. Each element of the game has such an evident genealogy of love: there is an authenticity here. The design, the writing, the pixel art, and the music all grow out of the fertile soil of the team's evident experience with (and admiration for) the old classics; and each element shows the careful tending of a team that knows they're making a new classic now. Every game hits every player differently. When the game and the player align, it's wonderful. But even with the highest level of alignment, there are always quibbles to be had. No game is perfect for everyone; no game is perfect for *anyone*. But that's only because it is impossible to create perfection. Other reviews have raised valid criticisms, but it's not for me to dwell on those flaws. I spend enough time finding faults in the games I'm developing! When I have the chance to play a game as good as Skald, the surprise isn't that here or there I could cavil, but that overall I'm transported both into a new world and back into the old childhood one where once I threw pixelated fireballs and cursed the fickleness of dice. It's good to be home. And it's good to be on a journey.

June 2024

Amazing CRPG. While I love the retro EGA inspired graphics, this is definitely not a retro title. The game's mechanics are modern, with a bespoke 2d6 system that shares a lot with its D&D/Pathfinder inspiration. Also unlike pre-2000s CRPGs, there's a lot of narrative and story being presented at every turn, with many options for utilising skill checks in dialogue. The big draw for Skald is the story and atmosphere. Right from the start, it's very clear there's a lot of Cthulhu mythos inspiration in the setting, and the game pulls you in and doesn't ever let that tense atmosphere wane. You have a clear goal you're trying to achieve, and I haven't felt like I was ever lost on what to do. There's a concise quest log to track everything. Your companions also have quite rich backstories and individual personalities. There are some areas of jank and irritation. Spells in particular are hidden from the player, which makes it very hard to know if a particular spell school is going to suit my character build. It is also difficult getting certain bits of equipment, particularly at the start of the game. It's possible to specialise in heavy armour and two handed weapons, only to not find either despite having played for many hours. These issues are largely mitigated by the game not being unfair or punishing, and you definitely don't need to min-max to get through on standard difficulty, so the lack of build transparency or equipment control doesn't bite that hard. Overall, it's not a good retro game, it's a good modern CRPG in a retro skin, and somehow, both of these parts come together so well to make a game with a really unique identity. Highly recommended.

Similar games

View all

Mars: War Logs

Similarity 70%

Price -80% 0.99€

Rating 7.3

Release 26 Apr 2013

View

Pillars of Eternity

Similarity 64%

Price -75% 6.99€

Rating 8.6

Release 26 Mar 2015

View

Expeditions: Rome

Similarity 62%

Price -90% 4.56€

Rating 8.6

Release 20 Jan 2022

View

Xenonauts 2

Similarity 61%

Price -53% 18.72€

Rating 7.8

Release 18 Jul 2023

View

Tyranny

Similarity 61%

Price -83% 5.17€

Rating 8.5

Release 10 Nov 2016

View

Tchia

Similarity 61%

Price -58% 12.45€

Rating 8.3

Release 21 Mar 2024

View

Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones

Similarity 61%

Price -95% 1.00€

Rating 6.5

Release 26 Sep 2019

View

Expeditions: Conquistador

Similarity 60%

Price -84% 3.18€

Rating 7.6

Release 30 May 2013

View

Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew

Similarity 59%

Price -51% 19.65€

Rating 9.0

Release 17 Aug 2023

View

Guild Wars 2

Similarity 59%

Price Free to play

Rating 8.7

Release 23 Aug 2022

View

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

Similarity 59%

Price -81% 6.53€

Rating 8.9

Release 04 Dec 2018

View

EARTHLOCK

Similarity 58%

Price -90% 2.89€

Rating 7.0

Release 08 Mar 2018

View

More games like SKALD: Against the Black Priory

Data sources

The information presented on this page is sourced from reliable APIs to ensure accuracy and relevance. We utilize the Steam API to gather data on game details, including titles, descriptions, prices, and user reviews. This allows us to provide you with the most up-to-date information directly from the Steam platform.

Additionally, we incorporate data from the SteamSpy API, which offers insights into game sales and player statistics. This helps us present a comprehensive view of each game's popularity and performance within the gaming community.

Last Updates