# Avernum HD

> Epic indie fantasy role-playing adventure game with a vast underworld and compelling story. (iPhone/iPad app by Spiderweb Software.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avernum-hd/id499730787 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Spiderweb Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/426522868)
- Category: Games, Role Playing, Strategy
- Price: $9.99
- Rating: 4.80/5 from 41 App Store ratings · 136 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 12+
- Requires: iOS 12.0 · 172 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2012-04-03
- Data updated: 2026-06-20
- Monetization: paid
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avernum-hd/id499730787/reviews.md

## What is Avernum HD?

"Avernum: Escape From the Pit is an amazing game which will provide hours of fun. I would even go so far as to say it’s a nearly perfect example of a role-playing game." -AppleTell
"8/10" - Inside Mac Games
"Fans looking to get into the Avernum series will do very well with Escape from the Pit, and while the improvements beyond the game engine and visuals are relatively modest, there's still a lot to enjoy even if you've played through the game once before already." - GameBanshee
"The game’s strong writing carries it through, and earns it a place among the greatest indie RPGs. 9.0/10" - Game Chronicles
"It is a tribute to indie gaming as a whole that a game made by such a tiny team can swell into such an involving, engrossing and glorious fantasy epic. - 9/10" - The Digital Fix
"If you're looking for a complex single player RPG and value content at the expense of visuals, don't miss this title. 8/10" - Impulse Gamer
"Spiderweb Software have provided a vast world in which to get lost, and a hefty quest in which to sink your teeth, which will reward those who can overlook its lack of finesse with many hours of enjoyable adventure." - Indie Game Magazine
"Take this one with you on car trips, use it to replace your TV shows on summer break, whatever. No self-respecting fan of RPGs should be without it." - Technology Tell

Avernum: Escape From the Pit HD is an epic, indie fantasy role-playing adventure. It is optimized for the iPad and features an enormous world, a fascinating story, and 30+ hours of gameplay. Avernum is the first chapter in an epic tale, the story of imprisonment, rebellion, and the struggle for freedom against overwhelming odds.

Avernum: Escape From the Pit features:

Epic fantasy adventure in an enormous underworld.
Huge outdoors and eighty towns and dungeons.
Three separate game-winning quests. Seek safety, escape or revenge. Do just one of them or all three!
Unique races and settings make Avernum different from any adventure out there.
Dozens of side quests and hundreds of magical artifacts.
Rich game system with over 50 spells and battle disciplines and a multitude of beneficial character traits to choose from.

The Story: 

You have been banished to the underworld, never to see the light of day again.

The surface is ruled by the cruel Emperor Hawthorne, master of the Empire. All of the known lands are subject to his brutal command. Everyone who speaks out, who misbehaves, who doesn’t fit in is cast into the dark, volcanic pits of Avernum, far below the surface. There, you are expected to die, a victim of starvation, horrible monsters, or simple despair.

But not all of the Avernites have surrendered. With magic and steel, they are forging a new nation deep underground. You can join them and fight for safety. Or freedom. Or even, if you dare, revenge on the surface-worlders who tried to destroy you.

## Key features

- Epic fantasy role-playing adventure
- Enormous underworld world
- Fascinating story with 30+ hours of gameplay
- Three separate game-winning quests
- Dozens of side quests and magical artifacts
- Rich game system with spells and character traits

## What do users think of Avernum HD?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Great turn-based RPG
- 👍 Excellent alternative to D&D
- 👍 Massive world to explore
- 👍 Huge amount of content
- 👍 Fantastic game
- 👍 Brilliant writing and world-building
- 👍 Excellent value for money
- 👍 Engaging story and gameplay
- 👍 Smooth iPad implementation
- 👍 Offline play

**Cons**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🐛 Upside-down orientation on iPad Pro
- 🐛 Difficulty selecting enemies in combat
- 🐛 Frustrating pathfinding issues

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Automatic party death at start of game
- Compatibility issues on older iPads

**Most requested features**

- Pinch-to-zoom functionality
- Automatic saving during gameplay
- More quick spell slots
- iCloud save sync

## Recent user reviews (10 of 136)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avernum-hd/id499730787/reviews.md

### 2/5 — This is an outdated version of the game

*2025-11-05, version 1.2.3*

The game was remade 15 years ago, it’s now called escape from the pit. This is an even older version of the game with bad graphics and systems. 

The description should make this clear. 

Would skip unless you’re a die hard retro gamers

### 5/5 — Great turn based RPG

*2025-07-03, version 1.2.3*

Easily one of the best written rpgs. Tons of quests, not a micro transaction to be found.

### 5/5 — Excellent Alternative to D&D

*2025-01-26, version 1.2.2*

These games are pretty good for the price. They are easy to learn and absolutely packed with content. If you like RPGs then you won’t be bored because there is a lot to do. The game does require a lot of reading but the writing is fairly decent so I’ve never minded how much reading I was doing. The humor is what really stood out to me. There’s a lot of clever stuff and subtle references that might go over the heads of younger players- 10 or younger. Overall I enjoyed this game and it convinced me to play all of their games. I hope they make some more.

### 5/5 — An Absolute Classic

*2024-08-21, version 1.2.2*

I played the original version of this game 20 years ago and its remake 10 years ago and never sat down long enough to complete it until recently — and boy I’m glad I did. This game stays interesting from beginning to finish, with an enormous world to explore and an amount of content unrivaled in other iOS RPGs

### 5/5 — Just what I was looking for!

*2022-11-18, version 1.2.2*

I wanted to find a mobile RPG that was a real RPG, and not some scammy app full of pay walls. Not only does this meet that criteria, but the story line is awesome, the puzzles are compelling (except the lasers in 3; those were a pain in the A), and I could play the whole thing offline. I absolutely love this game. There’s not another mobile app like it. Great development work, thank you! I have played the whole thing, the first one twice, and I could play again. It’s a little different when you make different choices, too.

### 1/5 — Not as good as Exile

*2021-04-15, version 1.2.1*

Spiderweb’s remakes tend to be worse than the originals. They loose more than they gain. ‘Blades of Exile’ would have been a way better app.

### 5/5 — An amazing game and a great way to play it

*2020-07-07, version 1.2.1*

I first discovered this developer on the computer, and was thrilled to discover that they had released this game on the ipad.  It has character classes, an interesting and engaging story, and fun mechanics.   The world in the game is absolutely enormous as well.  The only thing that might be a turn off for some is that this game is text heavy, but if you like a game that is great classic role-playing with huge replay value, this is it.

### 5/5 — Brilliant

*2020-06-20, version 1.2*

So much bang for your buck - many pleasant hours spent adventuring, with a good story besides! Thanks

### 5/5 — Fantastic game

*2020-03-30, version 1.1*

I recently discovered these Games from SpyderGame. I got initially hooked on Avadon and followed up with Avernum EftP. Wow. As I played this during the pandemic lock up in the UK I have had  a full   2 weeks of playing! The game has easy combat and use mode. The story telling is superb and I like the fact I can use cheat codes if I get stuck. Most RPGs I just stopped playing in the past as I used to get bored of dying and doing the same fight over and over. I also like the fact I can use different levels of play  from easy to super hard. I started On easy and will replay on a higher level. 
The game give us also great control on how our characters develop in term of skills. There is so much more to tell. Just get it and play you will love it! Now I will start Avernum 2 and will probably do the full series. Well done to the very talented creator of these games.

### 5/5 — Great game, many hours of play time

*2019-06-01, version 1.1*

Really great old school RPG.  Writing and world building is top notch.

## Frequently asked questions about Avernum HD

### What kind of game is Avernum HD?

Avernum HD is an epic, indie fantasy role-playing adventure game. It features a vast underworld, a compelling story, and offers over 30 hours of gameplay. Players can choose to fight for safety, freedom, or revenge.

### What are the key features of Avernum HD?

Key features include an enormous underworld to explore with eighty towns and dungeons, three separate game-winning quests, unique races and settings, dozens of side quests, hundreds of magical artifacts, and a rich game system with over 50 spells and battle disciplines.

### How much does Avernum HD cost?

Avernum HD is a paid application. The price is a one-time purchase, and there are no in-app purchases or advertisements mentioned in the description.

### What platforms is Avernum HD available on?

The description specifically mentions that Avernum: Escape From the Pit HD is optimized for the iPad, suggesting it is available on iOS devices.

### What is the story of Avernum HD about?

The story revolves around players being banished to the dark, volcanic pits of Avernum, a subterranean underworld. They must survive and potentially join or fight against the forces of the cruel Emperor Hawthorne who rules the surface world.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 1.2.3 — 2025-03-20

Minor tweaks and typo fixes.

### 1.2.2 — 2021-11-18

* Recompiled to be compatible with newer model iPads.

### 1.2.1 — 2020-06-23

Some corrupted graphics have been fixed.

### 1.2 — 2020-05-29

* Rebuilt for iOS 13 with support for all iPad sizes.
* Clearing Quick Use buttons now works correctly.
* Several minor bug and typo fixes.

### 1.1 — 2016-11-10

* Now fully 64-bit compatible!
* A rare bug that could cause inventory items to disappear has been fixed.
* Numerous small interface improvements.

This version requires iOS 8 or later.

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## More apps by Spiderweb Software

- [Avadon: The Black Fortress HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avadon-the-black-fortress-hd/id429761869)
- [Avernum 6 HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avernum-6-hd/id547400849)
- [Avadon 2: The Corruption HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avadon-2-the-corruption-hd/id784903621)
- [Avernum 2: Crystal Souls HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avernum-2-crystal-souls-hd/id967096180)
- [Avadon 3: The Warborn HD](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/avadon-3-the-warborn-hd/id1161538963)

All apps by Spiderweb Software: https://appshunter.io/developer/426522868

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-20.*