Deadman Diaries vs Serania
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Deadman Diaries
This interactive storybook allows readers to guide a character through a neo-noir thriller. Make choices to either save the protagonist or lead him to a multitude of deaths. Immerse yourself in a personal diary format filled with crime and suspense.
- Choose your own adventure
- Multiple death endings
- Neo-noir thriller narrative
- Personal diary format
- Quick and easy to read
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Readers can choose between trying to save the character or sending him to the largest imaginable number of deaths Deadman Diaries is an introduction to gamebooks, so the game has been designed to be quick and easy to read. Likewise, its authors say “this story presents a contemporary ‘black’ and neo-noir thriller drawing from referents like the cinema of Scorsese and the Cohen Brothers, and TV series such as The Sopranos, without ignoring the influence of the most classical cinema ‘noir’ and the thrillers of James M.Cain and Patricia Highsmith”. Using the form of a personal diary, readers are immersed in the life of John Riggs, a bank worker who has to pay off a gambling debt that will lead him to different illegal, and often lethal, situations. Readers are given different options and can choose between trying to save the character or killing him off in as many ways as possible. “Deadman Diaries” is available in English, Spanish, Russian and Catalan.
Serania
Embark on a text-based role-playing adventure to uncover your past and escape pursuers. Make choices, explore a fantasy world, and engage in combat and skill development. The first part of the story is free to play.
- Engaging fantasy story with choices
- Explore a detailed story world
- Interact with characters
- Complete missions and improve skills
- Manage inventory and combat
- Uncover ancestral truth
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Escape the Blackblades and search for answers about your mysterious past in this new, fresh take on the text-based role playing genre. You can play the first 1/4 of the game for free. If the game is for you, you can buy access to the full story. FEATURES: * An engaging fantasy story, where you choose what to do * Freely explore the world of the story * Meet and interact with other characters * Go on missions, improve your skills, and fight deadly battles * Manage your inventory, use items, buy, sell or use in combat * Follow the clues and find out the truth about your ancestry! AWARDS: Best Narrative - Silver Winner NYX Game Awards 2021 Best Storytelling - Silver Winner NYX Game Awards 2021 PRESS: “... a stunningly well-written and enthralling text adventure.” - GameBookNews "Serania: Path of the Scion is a Must Play if You Like Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Books" - GameSpew "Serania – Path of the Scion excels as an engaging narrative experience that you can enjoy anytime, anywhere, with a streamlined interface that seamlessly integrates all aspects of the game naturally." - IndieHive
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Serania at 83% against Deadman Diaries's 25%. Serania also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.6 vs 3.0). Deadman Diaries's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Serania is free to download; Deadman Diaries costs $0.99 up front. Serania sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Deadman Diaries asks for nothing beyond the download.
Serania holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Serania has 162 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Deadman Diaries's written reviews are positive against 83% of Serania's.
Deadman Diaries ships an update every 8 months, Serania every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Deadman Diaries | Serania |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.0 (3 ratings) | 4.6 (162 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | 83.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 162 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 9.3 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 64 MB | 110 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Cubus Games | Peter Ravnholt |
Customer experience
Deadman Diaries
Serania
Bugs and requests
Deadman Diaries
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Serania
Reported bugs
10 issues- Combat options disappear
- Enemies can dodge while 'paralyzed'
- Life doesn't fully restore upon leveling up
- Stuck in temple ruins without a boat option
- Final boss is impossible to hit/beat
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- Choices are arbitrary, leading to death and reverting to checkpoint
- Constant misses in combat, reliant on RNG
- Difficulty spikes significantly at the end
- Hint doesn't provide enough information for progression
- Continue button sometimes delayed with voiceover
Requested features
19 requests- Add a dodge button
- Add a defense button
- Add more combat options (e.g., quick thrust, sideways cut)
- Fix bug with disappearing combat options
- Make the next game free
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- Add more choices to the story
- Add a boat option for crossing the lake
- Create a Serania part two
- Allow revival in the story
- Add more sound effects for combat
- Expand the story after claiming the throne
- Add a freeplay or challenge mode after main story
- Add hidden areas with new enemies/weapons
- Implement New Game + with increased difficulty
- Add a gender option other than man and woman
- Loop music tracks and add more scene-specific music
- Add a map for better navigation
- Make the full story free
- Allow watching ads to progress instead of paying
In-app purchases
Deadman Diaries
No in-app purchases
Serania
- Access to the full story$3.99
Questions
Is Deadman Diaries free?
Is Serania free?
Which has better reviews, Deadman Diaries or Serania?
Do Deadman Diaries or Serania have ads?
Which is updated more often, Deadman Diaries or Serania?
Other comparisons
