---
title: "SKALD: Against the Black Priory"
category: game
slug: skald-against-the-black-priory
developer: High North Studios (Anders Lauridsen)
released: May 30th, 2024
price: $14.99
homepage: https://skaldrpg.com/
pubsite: https://rawfury.com/games/skald/
steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1069160/SKALD_Against_the_Black_Priory/
gog: https://www.gog.com/en/game/skald_against_the_black_priory
---

**SKALD: Against the Black Priory** is a retro-styled computer role-playing game
by High North Studios, the Norwegian studio of designer Anders Lauridsen,
previously trading as Scape-IT. It is published by Raw Fury and launched on
May 30th, 2024 for Windows and macOS at $14.99. It is drawn in a limited
Commodore 64 palette, over a Lovecraftian story.

## Style and design

- **8-bit inspired presentation**, built in Unity
- **Parties of up to six characters**
- **Grid combat with directional facing**: attacks land along cardinal
  directions, which lets rogues manoeuvre for backstabs
- **Skill checks in dialogue**, crafting for food and potions, and customisable
  classes with shared skills

## Story

Your ship is destroyed by a kraken-like creature off the Outer Isles. You wash
up searching for Embla, a childhood friend and noble mage who sailed
for the isles first, and find a land corrupted by Lovecraftian forces.

## Reception

76/100 on Metacritic from 13 critic reviews, and around 93% positive on Steam.
RPGFan scored it 89/100. Larian's Swen Vincke publicly recommended it.

## Concessions

SKALD has no **vertical one-handed UI** as it's exclusively for PC.

## Inspirations

- [Gold Box](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Box)
- [Ultima](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultima_(series)) (the early games)
- [Baldur's Gate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldur%27s_Gate_(video_game))
- [Planescape: Torment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planescape:_Torment)
- [Icewind Dale](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icewind_Dale)
- [Fallout](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_(video_game))
- [Baldur's Gate 3](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldur%27s_Gate_3)
- [Pillars of Eternity](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillars_of_Eternity)
- [Pathfinder: Kingmaker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pathfinder:_Kingmaker)
- [Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warhammer_40,000:_Rogue_Trader_(video_game))

## External articles

- [Skald: Against the Black Priory review](https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/skald-against-the-black-priory-review/) — PC Gamer
- [SKALD: Against the Black Priory Review](https://www.rpgfan.com/review/skald-against-the-black-priory/) — RPGFan (89/100)
- [SKALD: Against the Black Priory review](https://godisageek.com/reviews/skald-against-the-black-priory-review/) — God is a Geek
- [REVIEW: SKALD: Against the Black Priory](https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-skald-against-the-black-priory/) — Grimdark Magazine
- [SKALD: Against the Black Priory is an old school CRPG with modern sensibilities](https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/skald-against-the-black-priory-is-an-old-school-crpg-with-modern-sensibilities) — Game Developer
- ["SKALD: Against the Black Priory" Released on Steam and GOG](https://ultimacodex.com/2024/05/skald-against-the-black-priory-released-on-steam-and-gog/) — The Ultima Codex
- [SKALD: Against the Black Priory is Out Now!](https://rawfury.com/skald-against-the-black-priory-is-out-now/) — Raw Fury
- [Reviews aggregate](https://www.metacritic.com/game/skald-against-the-black-priory/) — Metacritic
- [Skald: Against the Black Priory](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skald:_Against_the_Black_Priory) — Wikipedia
- [SKALD: Against the Black Priory — forum thread](https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/skald-against-the-black-priory-released.150408/) — RPG Codex

## Screenshots

![Exploring Norryn by torchlight](/screenshots/skald-against-the-black-priory/1.jpg)
![Dialogue with Mother Katak in her cottage](/screenshots/skald-against-the-black-priory/2.jpg)
![The Outer Isles overworld map](/screenshots/skald-against-the-black-priory/3.jpg)
![Trading with a blacksmith in the Underhalls](/screenshots/skald-against-the-black-priory/4.jpg)