SKALD: Against the Black Priory

About

"SKALD: Against the Black Priory" is a dark fantasy role-playing game inspired by retro classics. Lead a group of heroes on a tactical, turn-based quest to uncover the eldritch mysteries of the Black Priory and save Idra from lovecraftian horrors. With authentic 8-bit aesthetics and modern design, this indie title offers a rich, immersive experience in exploration and combat.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

SKALD: Against the Black Priory screenshot

95%

Audience ScoreBased on 4,138 reviews

story838 positive mentions

grinding68 negative mentions

Engaging storyline with strong Lovecraftian themes that kept players invested throughout the game.
Well-designed character progression and class systems that allow for diverse builds and strategies.
Beautiful pixel art and atmospheric music that enhance the overall experience.

Combat can become tedious and repetitive, especially in the later stages of the game.
The game lacks a map feature, making navigation challenging and requiring players to memorize locations.
The ending felt rushed and unsatisfying, leaving players wanting more closure and resolution.

story
2,068 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
58%
2%
The story of the game is widely praised for its engaging narrative, rich world-building, and strong Lovecraftian themes, which keep players invested throughout the experience. While many appreciate the atmospheric writing and character development, some critiques highlight the linearity of the plot and a lack of meaningful choices, particularly in the latter parts of the game, which can lead to a feeling of disappointment regarding the ending. Overall, the storytelling is considered a standout feature, making the game a worthwhile experience for fans of dark fantasy and cosmic horror.
- “The storyline is interesting and kept me invested the entire way through.”
- “Every town has a situation and story that you want to learn more about, and the worldbuilding itself is just fascinating.”
- “The intricate storytelling, branching dialogues, and strategic combat make every decision feel impactful, truly bringing the world to life.”
- “A big flaw of the story is the lack of backtracking to quest givers for closure.”
- “Worst of all, the story is a 'time loop' story that you cannot break out of meaning everything you just did?”
- “Overall, I felt bored with the plot and then the ending was just a sudden slap in the face.”
graphics
1,070 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
66%
3%
The graphics of "Skald: Against the Black Priory" are a nostalgic homage to classic 8-bit and 16-bit RPGs, featuring pixel art that effectively conveys the game's dark, Lovecraftian themes. While many players appreciate the retro aesthetic and its atmospheric contribution, some find the visuals challenging to navigate, particularly in combat and text readability. Overall, the graphics are well-received for their artistic style, though they may not appeal to everyone, especially those unfamiliar with older gaming aesthetics.
- “10/10 graphics and aesthetic, 11/10 writing, storytelling, and characters.”
- “The excellent pixel graphics (and the over the top optional CRT monitor filters for that true retro feel) really bring this game's aesthetic home.”
- “The retro graphics are wonderful and it has nice detail on the things that really matter which sets a dark, wonderfully moody atmosphere.”
- “The graphics at first glance look old.”
- “The graphics can get a little messy and I found myself referring to the sidebar to see which character was active in battle at some points, and thank goodness the shift key highlights usable objects.”
- “The graphics literally gave me a migraine after less than an hour of playtime.”
gameplay
886 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
60%
3%
The gameplay of the game is a blend of retro aesthetics and modern mechanics, featuring accessible turn-based tactical combat and character-building options that cater to both casual and strategic players. While many reviewers appreciate the engaging story and nostalgic feel, some criticize the simplicity and repetitiveness of the mechanics, suggesting that they lack depth and can become tedious over time. Overall, the game offers a solid experience for fans of classic RPGs, though it may not satisfy those seeking more complex gameplay.
- “You can play this simply and straightforward if you like, but if you're more into character building, optimizing, and strategic gameplay - the game lets you go plenty deep into that too.”
- “The mechanics are solid and enhance the experience without being intrusive.”
- “The gameplay is fun and engaging, really hits that retro vibe well.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it isn't anything particularly groundbreaking.”
- “The gameplay stays rather simple as most spells and abilities, aside from those that heal, are never really needed and basic attacks do a good enough job most of the time.”
- “The gameplay is archaic and the graphics are reminiscent of early-90s computer games.”
music
542 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
43%
3%
The music in the game has received a mixed reception, with many praising its nostalgic, retro style that effectively enhances the atmosphere and complements the Lovecraftian themes. However, several reviewers noted that the soundtrack can be repetitive, particularly during combat, which detracted from the overall experience for some players. Overall, while the music is generally well-composed and atmospheric, a desire for more variety in tracks was a common sentiment.
- “The soundtrack is absolutely wonderful and I find myself just humming the battle music as I go about my day.”
- “The music oozes atmosphere; you can feel the eerie, fetid, and crushing fog around you just from hearing the ambient music while walking around.”
- “The music is superb and sets the perfect mood for the game.”
- “Music is a bit generic and not my thing.”
- “Gimmicky art style and pretty annoying music.”
- “At a certain point, I turned the game's music off and started playing a random dungeon synth playlist I found.”
atmosphere
474 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
62%
37%
1%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and haunting qualities, heavily influenced by Lovecraftian themes. Reviewers highlight the effective combination of art style, music, and writing that creates a compelling and darkly engaging experience, reminiscent of classic RPGs. While some note minor gameplay issues, the overall consensus is that the atmosphere is the standout feature, drawing players into its richly crafted world.
- “The atmosphere is top notch, music plays a big role for sure.”
- “The game oozes atmosphere, and has surprisingly deep RPG mechanics, skill checks, and a great variety of classes.”
- “The dark, lovecraftian atmosphere is intense and immersive, and while I typically shy away from such grim narratives, this one kept me hooked the entire time.”
- “The relentlessly gloomy atmosphere isn't just set dressing -- this is a game that was made with incredible passion, and even from its very first moments I was aware that I was playing something special.”
- “This is a game that just oozes atmosphere, with a setting that falls into that category of Lovecraftian writing that creates a sense of wonder and curiosity alongside those of despair and discomfort.”
- “The developer masterfully builds suspense and horror using all available tools: narrative, locations, illustrations, and music — all creating a truly enchanting atmosphere that sticks with you for a long time.”
grinding
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly in combat encounters that lack challenge and variety. While some appreciate that grinding is mostly optional and that the game rewards tactical play, many express frustration with the simplistic mechanics, excessive enemy health, and convoluted systems that contribute to a sense of monotony. The level cap further restricts character progression, leaving players feeling limited and unmotivated to engage in grinding activities.
- “Combat in this game is overly simplistic and boring; I was playing on hard and struggled more with the tediousness of chipping away at the enemies' health bar than anything.”
- “One significant drawback for me is the level cap, which limits character progression and can leave players feeling a bit restricted: it does not reward grinding.”
- “On the flip side: there is a lot of combat, which is to be expected in the genre, but I found it got tedious real fast, with enemies having too many HP or map layouts that prevent you from attacking enemies with more than one adventurer at a time.”
replayability
48 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
8%
The game's replayability is generally viewed as limited, primarily due to its linear storyline and few alternative choices, which can make subsequent playthroughs feel repetitive. However, players appreciate the varied character builds and party compositions that offer some degree of replay value, allowing for different approaches to scenarios. Overall, while the game is enjoyable and worth experiencing, it lacks significant replayability beyond experimenting with different classes.
- “A varied character build and party composition provides ample replayability, with myriad options for tackling different scenarios.”
- “It makes for endless replayability.”
- “Feels like a good degree of replayability since you can build your character and party however you'd like.”
- “Replay value isn't terribly high.”
- “The story is linear with a single ending, so replayability is limited to different character builds for varied experiences.”
- “This game is linear, there is zero replayable value.”
optimization
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
82%
8%
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues and stutters, particularly on certain hardware configurations, while others report smooth gameplay. Although there are occasional bugs and optimization inconsistencies, especially in specific chapters, many players still find the game enjoyable despite these drawbacks. Overall, the optimization is considered mediocre, with hopes for future improvements from the developer.
- “I didn't have to stress at all over optimized builds or teams to make it to the end with only a handful of deaths.”
- “I don't have a fantastic PC, but I am able to play games that are far more complex and with heavier graphics with no performance issues.”
- “Could use a little optimization as of this review, but my only real complaint.”
- “Performance issues: the game ran poorly on my home computer with a dedicated GPU but ran smoothly on my work laptop with a much weaker GPU. I tried all forum fixes and nothing alleviated the problem.”
- “The conclusion is: this game has a good narrative, excellent aesthetics, good combat, but mediocre optimization. It's far too linear, which makes it a little repetitive and removes any replayability from it.”
- “But I do have to make the caveat that right now I'm seeing some major performance issues with it.”
emotional
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting its nostalgic pixel art and heartfelt storytelling that leaves a lasting impact. Many felt deeply invested in the characters, particularly in their struggles and relationships, which added emotional weight to the gameplay experience. The combination of well-written narratives, engaging character dynamics, and a captivating soundtrack creates a poignant and immersive adventure that resonates with players.
- “The story had me hooked very early on and I was left emotionally impacted following the conclusion of the story.”
- “Never have I been more emotionally invested in so few pixels.”
- “A side character who was written in such a heartfelt, precise way - he struck a nerve.”
character development
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
54%
13%
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the variety in classes and skill trees, while others find it somewhat shallow and lacking depth compared to titles like Dragon Age: Origins or Baldur's Gate. Although the game features interesting companions and a strong narrative, many feel that the limited dialogue options and short playtime hinder deeper character interactions. Overall, while there are enjoyable aspects of character customization and design, the game may not satisfy those seeking a more intricate character development experience.
- “Character development is nicely spread out with different classes and skill trees.”
- “Get over the retro graphics and you will find a fun character development system with lots of options assembling a party, plenty of 8-bit gore and a really strong story that will keep you going.”
- “Excellent character development, an amazing and unusual world full of quests and weird NPCs.”
- “Recommended for any RPG player who can overlook somewhat shallow underlying systems, such as character development and combat.”
- “The companions were great (especially Roland), but do not expect them to be like companions in Baldur's Gate II or III. The game is relatively short with ~20 hours of playtime or less, and other than witnessing personalities and some comments during the narrative, you won't get much character development.”
- “It's far from a choose-your-own-adventure style RPG where you can make choices that have any kind of effect on the story or character development.”
stability
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
70%
Overall, the game's stability is mixed; while many players report smooth performance on platforms like the Steam Deck and Linux without major crashes, some have encountered bugs, UI glitches, and softlocking issues during combat. A few users noted clunky menus and occasional performance hiccups, suggesting that while the game is functional, it still requires some quality-of-life improvements.
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “Note: Playing on Linux with Proton Experimental, runs great!”
- “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
- “Buggy and unfinished game.”
- “The UI was a bit clunky at times, with several menu glitches that prevented me from buying stuff with one character in particular because the screen kept switching to their character sheet when I clicked on their portrait.”
- “At times, changing target seems to not work in combat, combat can be a bit too fast for information (though a combat log helps this) and, on occasion, the game can actually have some glitches (one sidequest glitched in two different ways on separate loads).”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its humor, starting off with a zany tone before transitioning into darker, Lovecraftian themes. Players appreciate the clever mechanics and interactive lore explanations, though some noted a decline in humor after the tutorial. Overall, the blend of comedic elements with deep storytelling creates an engaging experience, despite some grammatical errors.
- “This is a shockingly good game which I only bought because I felt it looked funny... well holy sh*t, color me impressed... if I had to describe it, it is very similar to Icewind Dale, but with a Lovecraftian spin. Although the graphics look much older, they are made like this on purpose... you can even activate a filter to make the game look even older... with a CRT filter :D... cute idea... :D”
- “It starts funny and zany, and very quickly goes into Cthulhu vibes... it also has very deep lore and very easy to navigate lore with its interactive text where you just hover over a word you don't understand and it just pops right out... or you can right-click anything in the game and a whole explanation window jumps out...”
- “An absolutely fantastic retro RPG with a hilarious amount of grammatical errors.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
67%
Reviews indicate that while the game is a well-developed single-player experience, it is criticized for heavily relying on microtransactions, leading some players to feel it prioritizes monetization over gameplay. Despite this, it is not viewed as a mere cash grab, but rather a substantial title within its genre.
- “They have become little more than storefronts for microtransactions rather than actual video games.”
- “This is not a quick cash grab; it's a properly fleshed out grimdark fantasy game, a singleplayer blackstone if you know what that is.”
- “Truth in advertising.”