Sker Ritual is the Aliens to Maid of Sker’s Alien. Following on from the evil ending to the excellent, atmospheric 2020 horror game, this is a more high-octane co-op FPS game that doesn’t let up on the terror. The Quiet Ones are back and joined by even more powerful foes, but you and your teammates will have access to some rather powerful gear to help you survive. This is Call of Duty Zombies reimagined as an intense, atmospheric thriller, and you can play it now via Steam Early Access with a full release date set for April 2024.
Maid of Sker is probably one of my favorite indie horror games of recent years. Trapped in a macabre, mysterious hotel in rural Wales, you must sneak your way past horrifying creatures drawn from Welsh folklore, using a sound-maker to draw attention away from your position to create openings. As revealed in a new story trailer, Sker Ritual follows on from Maid of Sker’s ‘evil’ ending, and takes things at a rather different pace.
Rather than creeping around in near-silence, in Sker Ritual you’ll go loud, utilizing steampunk weaponry and supernatural powers to take on the Quiet Ones either solo or in multiplayer as a co-op game with support for up to four players. The enemy hordes will scale dynamically to your team size, and you’ll have to face all-new foes alongside the most famous faces from its predecessor.
You’ll be armed with with ‘miracles’ – potent upgradeable powers themed after Celtic gods that can buff your abilities or alter how they work, alongside various steampunk guns. You’ll have access to melee, grenades, and healing tools, along with a powerful ultimate ability you can deploy in a pinch. You’ll be able to visit The Laughing Policeman at various points around the maps to upgrade your gear or gamble on a random weapon in true CoD Zombies fashion.
The Sker Ritual release date is April 2024. If you want to get ahead of the full launch, you can jump in right now via Steam Early Access – and it’s 35% off right now until Wedesday November 1 in the Wales Interactive sale, so expect to pay just $12.99 / £10.88, down from $19.99 / £16.75.
Alternatively, take a look at more of the best indie games you should be playing in 2023, along with even more great FPS games, including plenty that are a little less terrifying than this one.