SKALD: Against the Black Priory

About

About the Game You drag yourself from the black tides, across the corpses of drowned men, and onto the unwelcoming, craggy shoreline. Gulls cry overhead and the stink of seaweed fills your nose.

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8
Based on
2849 reviews
Country Compatibility:
Languages:
Developer:
High North Studios AS
Publisher:
Raw Fury
Engine:
Unity 2018
Release date:
30 May 2024
Genre:
Recent Steam reviews:
Very Positive (27)
All Steam reviews:
Very Positive (2849)

Game features

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Description

About the Game

You drag yourself from the black tides, across the corpses of drowned men, and onto the unwelcoming, craggy shoreline. Gulls cry overhead and the stink of seaweed fills your nose. By some miracle you have made it to Idra. It will take all your skill to survive and unravel the eldritch mysteries of the Black Priory

SKALD: Against the Black Priory is inspired by roleplaying games of yesteryear, combining modern design and compelling storytelling with authentic 8-bit looks and charms.

Delve into a dark fantasy world, full of deadly creatures, tragic heroes, and lovecraftian horror for an epic retro-style adventure rich in exploration and tactical, turn-based combat.

Do you have what it takes to lead a company of broken heroes from the tainted shores of Idra to the gates of the Black Priory - and beyond?

Gather your party

Lead a band of broken heroes through challenging turn-based combat scenarios as you cleave, blast or stealth your way through deadly enemies of all definitions. Equip your heroes using a modern inventory system, fulfil objectives through quest logs, read journals to discover hidden secrets. And if the action is still a bit too hot to handle, auto-resolve to bypass conflict entirely.

Prepare thyself

Set yourself up for the journey ahead by crafting and cooking from a slew of distinct recipes Choose your character, select their stats and build out a party from a series of diverse allies, each with their own skill-set, agenda and personality. Decide between a dozen classes and varied backgrounds, levelling up to 20 while customising your spells and equipment to suit your style.

Venture Forth

Set in an unforgiving world with lovecraftian horrors and choice-based dialogue, your story will take many unexpected twists and turns. Living life as a mercenary, you’ll need to roll the dice to determine whether you fall prey to certain peril or escape grave danger.

Celebrate Yesteryear 

Uncover the grand schemes of the Gallian Empire and explore the vast expanse of Freymark and the Outer Isles. In SKALD: Against the Black Priory, you’ll experience this richly illustrated world of authentic pixel art, built from thousands of hand-drawn tiles and images using a palette inspired by the legendary Commodore 64 computer. Optional CRT filter for true retro aficionados also included.

Mod Support

Looking for more SKALD content to play? Players now have access to the SKALD Data Editing Tool (SKaDE) to create their own adventures and play all new ones at no extra cost. This custom-made modding tool is powered by Mod.io and gives you access to all of the assets in SKALD: Against The Black Priory. Where will your imagination take you?

Recommended system requirements

minimum*

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

recommended*

OS:
Windows 10
Processor:
Intel 7th Gen or AMD equivalent
Memory:
8 GB RAM
Graphics:
Nvida GTX Series 10 or equivalent onboard graphics
DirectX:
Version 10
Storage:
500 MB available space

User reviews

Aetherwulf
Recommended | 27 Apr 2026
21.3h played

Skald was something that I picked up on a whim, looking for something different from the slop that is modern gaming. I went from Crimson Desert, a technically sound AAA contender, especially in terms of graphics and

Helpful: 7
Gay Actor Michael Douglas
Recommended | 02 May 2026
21.8h played

An obvious loveletter to old RPGs. Otherworldly horror, physics-defying narrative, simple but fitting art style. It bears the salty fingerprints of developers who are familiar with sea-faring and fish-based cultures,

Helpful: 5
Circumcised with Dynamite
Recommended | 19 Apr 2026
38.0h played

Very, very good game. Yes, there are many flaws, and I won't go through them. Just try it for yourself. Though I should note that it's very hard to play on Steam Deck, which is disappointing, though on the other side it

Helpful: 2
Skelni
Recommended | 12 May 2026
13.8h played

A very cute, self contained adventure. I'm not sure the price of admission is entirely worth it but it's close at least. It fits into that "vibe" pile that other indie RPGs like to settle into. Think less on the

Helpful: 2
𝟙
Recommended | 20 May 2026
52.4h played

Absolute peak retrogaming. Mature and dark CRPG that doesn't shy from being it's own thing and doing it's own worldbuilding. Relatively short but worth trying for the story's conclusion. Mechanics are not as clunky as

Helpful: 0
John Brown
Recommended | 15 May 2026
27.4h played

Excellent all around! Great soundtrack, great art, and great writing. The game now has modding tools so you can make and enjoy fan made campaigns. The only gripe is that the combat get's a little samey after a while.

Helpful: 0