How to Play Sker Ritual

Sker Ritual is a round-based co-op zombie FPS from Wales Interactive, spun off from the horror adventure Maid of Sker. Squads of one to four players survive escalating waves of Quiet Ones—Welsh undead pouring from fog—while completing map main quests, earning miracles from Celtic deities, and optionally chasing Hardcore Easter eggs for God Killer. Early Access began October 2022; version 1.0 launched April 18, 2024 on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox. This guide explains lobbies, core loop, economy, and how episodes connect without replacing map walkthroughs.

Starting a match

From main menu, select Play → Episode → Difficulty → Lobby. Invite friends or matchmake. Choose episode:

• Launch four: Lavernock, Ashes, Sewers, Fortress
• Post-1.0: House of the Damned, Tides of Terror

Difficulty tiers: Normal, Hard, Nightmare. Hardcore hidden objectives require Hard or Nightmare after main quest. Configure controls before first match.

Round structure and Quiet Ones

Each round spawns more Quiet Ones with higher health. Between rounds, a short countdown lets you buy doors, wall weapons, Pack-a-Punch upgrades, and choose miracles at shrines. Quiet Ones melee and grab—maintain distance, headshot when possible, use grenades for clusters.

Elite variants appear on specific maps: Banshees on Lavernock, Killerwatts on Ashes Dark Rounds, vent crawlers on House. Learn map-specific guides after grasping basics here.

Points economy

Earn points from kills and repairs. Spend on:

• Doors — Open new map areas and quest routes
• Wall weapons — Cheaper early damage
• Pack-a-Punch — Upgrade equipped primary mid-map
• Super Charger — Overcharge wonder weapons after Pack-a-Punch (Super Charger guide)

Rule: open route doors before luxury buys. Beginner tips expand round-by-round budgets.

Revives and downs

Downed players bleed out unless revived by teammates interacting nearby. Solo mode uses delayed auto-revive at cost of max health temporarily. Hardcore steps sometimes disable revives during specific defenses—callouts prevent accidental fail.

Ping downed teammates with mark button—see PC or controller bindings.

Miracles between rounds

At shrine stations, pick one miracle from three random offerings tied to Celtic deities like Cernunnos, Morrigan, and Rhiannon. Miracles last the whole match. Laughing Policeman challenges and Lucky dog fetches grant reroll tokens.

Read miracle builds once you finish first Normal clear.

Main quest vs side content

Each episode main quest unlocks its wonder weapon and boss fight. Side systems include Sker Pass cosmetics, Dread Level modifiers (nightmare guide), and optional episode Hardcore secrets on House and Tides.

God Killer requires Hardcore on all four launch maps—see how to get God Killer.

Recommended first session

1. Lavernock Normal with default loadout
2. Learn interact key for cylinders
3. Pick Rhiannon or Cernunnos first miracle offered
4. Complete main quest through Abraham
5. Exfil or practice to round 15

Then read Lavernock walkthrough for Thunderbolt and Hardcore pointers.

Co-op etiquette

• Call door buys so two players do not waste double spend
• Hold interact for team quest items—stealing interact can reset escorts
• Share Dark Round codes on Ashes immediately
• Do not start Hardcore steps without squad agreement

Use objective checklist for structured co-op.

Lobby flow and matchmaking

From the main menu, select episode, difficulty, and Dread Level before inviting friends. Public matchmaking exists but private lobbies prevent randoms from spending shared cash on wrong doors. Host migration can occur if host disconnects—quest items usually persist but verify cylinder colors after host swap. Cross-play between PC and consoles works; agree on callout vocabulary (left/right vs compass) before Ashes teleporter splits.

Revive and bleed-out basics

Downed players bleed out unless revived with interact held nearby or certain miracles proc. Quiet Ones attack downed bodies—clear space before reviving. Solo has no revive; treat every trade as lethal on Nightmare. In co-op, one player should always hold rear during vault and escort steps while others interact.\n\n## Keep progressing with linked hubs\n\nAfter you finish this page, open the Walkthrough hub for map scripts, study Easter Eggs for Hardcore seals, compare guns on the Weapons tier list, and shape Celtic powers with Miracle builds. Controller and keyboard players should also skim Controls before Nightmare pushes, then track steps live with the Objective Checklist.