Xbox Makes New Horror Game Free For Gold Members For Halloween

With Halloween just around the corner, Microsoft and Sony are both celebrating the spooky occasion with a slew of suitably-themed promotions. In case you missed our earlier coverage, the latter just kicked off a massive sale available for all PlayStation owners boasting discounts on over 200 spectacular titles. Whether its competitor intends to respond with its own store-wide sale remains to be seen, though at the very least, Xbox Games With Gold subscribers now have access to a free – and seasonally appropriate – title starting from today.

The nail-biting experience in question is, of course, Maid of Sker, developer Wales Interactive’s first-person survival horror set in 1890s Britain. Steeped in folklore and sporting some incredibly haunting environmental design, the game places players in the role of one Thomas Evans, an aspiring musician who finds himself embroiled in a tale of woe and misery as he attempts to save his love, Elizabeth Williams, from a seemingly haunted hotel with a sordid past.

If that premise hasn’t already cemented your gaming plans for Halloween, it’s worth noting that Maid of Sker‘s story is penned by the writers behind Frictional Games’ excellent SOMA, as well as Don’t Knock Twice and Battlefield 1. In terms of gameplay, anyone who’s dedicated an hour or two to surviving the likes of Amnesia: The Dark Descent or Outlast will find themselves right at home here, with innovations coming in the form of dynamic environmental sound, which will alert enemies should Thomas nudge or otherwise bump into surrounding objects.

Games With Gold members can download Maid of Sker on Xbox for free until November 15th, upon which it will return to full price, so we’d recommend picking it up sooner rather than later. Enjoy!