| Maid of Sker | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:Maid_of_Sker_cover.jpg) Official cover art | |
| Developer(s) | Wales Interactive |
| Publisher(s) | Wales Interactive |
| Director(s) | David Banner Richard Pring |
| Designer(s) | The Wales Interactive Team |
| Programmer(s) | Spas Dimitrov |
| Artist(s) | Richard Lee Rowlands |
| Writer(s) | Matthew Gibbs |
| Composer(s) | Gareth Lumb |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4 Xbox One Nintendo Switch |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Survival horror |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Maid of Sker (/skɛər/) is a 2020 first-person survival horror game developed and published by Wales Interactive. The game is set in 1898 in the Sker Hotel, on an imaginary island called Sker Island. The protagonist, Thomas Evans, is invited by his lover, Elisabeth Williams, to uncover the mysteries of the hotel after she notices her family's strange behavior. While exploring the hotel, Thomas learns cult followers called "The Quiet Ones" control the place. He finds notes and gramophone records scattered around the hotel that reveal the history of Elisabeth's family.
Several Welsh and British folklore tales provided inspiration for the story. One particular source was Sker House—a historic place situated just outside the town of Porthcawl, near Bridgend, Wales—made famous by The Maid of Sker, the three-volume novel written by R. D. Blackmore. The folklore story of the same name titled Y Ferch o'r Sger in Welsh also influenced the game. The game has been compared to Outlast, The Evil Within 2, and Silent Hill. Its saving system was compared to that of Resident Evil, with the typewriter switched to a gramophone in the saving rooms.
The game was released on 28 July 2020 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, and on 26 November 2020 for Nintendo Switch. Critical reception to Maid of Sker was mixed, with reviewers praising the visuals and plot while criticising the gameplay mechanics. A spiritual successor, titled Sker Ritual, is scheduled to launch in 2024 for Windows, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.