Comparison

Serania vs Eldrum

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

Eldrum

Embark on a dark, immersive text-based RPG where your decisions dictate your fate. Experience D&D-inspired gameplay, strategic turn-based combat, and branching storylines in a richly crafted, grimdark world. Explore, uncover secrets, and forge your own path to one of multiple endings.

Highlights
  • Branching storylines with multiple endings
  • D&D-inspired gameplay mechanics
  • Strategic turn-based combat
  • Rich, dark, and immersive world
  • Exploration with secrets and side quests
  • Atmospheric audio and evocative imagery
Features
Read full description

Dive into a dark, immersive world where your choices shape your destiny. Eldrum: Black Dust is a gripping text-based RPG that combines the depth of D&D, the strategic gameplay of CRPGs, and the narrative freedom of CYOA gamebooks. Key Features: - Branching Storylines: Every decision matters in this grimdark adventure, leading to multiple endings. - D&D-Inspired Gameplay: Experience the depth of tabletop RPGs in a mobile format. - Turn-Based Combat: Engage in strategic 2D battles reminiscent of classic CRPGs. - Rich, Dark World: Explore a meticulously crafted universe filled with moral ambiguity and tough choices. - Immersive Experience: Vivid text descriptions enhanced by evocative imagery and atmospheric audio. - Exploration: Roam the desert city and its surroundings, uncovering secrets and side quests. Eldrum: Black Dust brings the essence of traditional gamebooks and CRPGs to your fingertips, with a modern twist. Whether you're a fan of Choose Your Own Adventure stories, D&D campaigns, or simply looking for a deep, narrative-driven experience, this game offers hours of captivating gameplay. Our commitment to accessibility shines through - Eldrum: Black Dust is proudly created by a studio recognized for developing the Best Mobile Game for Blind Users (AppleVis Game of the Year 2020). Embark on your journey through the dark and unforgiving world of Eldrum today. Every choice you make, every path you take, will leave its mark on the Black Dust. What tale will you weave, and which of the multiple endings will you unlock? Eldrum: Black Dust is the third game in the Eldrum series. The games' stories are linked and there are references between the games, but they can be played in any order. Download now and start your grimdark adventure!

Screenshots

Serania4 screens
Eldrum4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Serania at Free against Eldrum's $8.99. Serania also leads on iOS requirement (9.3 vs 16.4). Eldrum's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Serania is free to download; Eldrum costs $8.99 up front. Serania sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Eldrum sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Eldrum holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 161 and 160 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Serania's written reviews are positive against 92% of Eldrum's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Serania ships an update every 10 days, Eldrum every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Serania versus Eldrum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSeraniaEldrum
PriceFree — better$8.99
Rating4.6 (161 ratings)4.9 (160 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews92.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings161 — better160
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.3 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size110 MB186 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperPeter RavnholtAct None

Customer experience

Serania

All ratings157 ratings
Positive92.4%
Neutral2.5%
Negative5.1%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative13.0%

Eldrum

All ratings160 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.9%
Negative3.9%

User reviews

Serania

From 161 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great story and narrative
  • 👍 Immersive and engaging gameplay
  • 👍 Excellent voiceover support
  • 👍 Good value for money
  • 👍 Innovative text-based adventure

Room to improve

  • 😞 Combat mechanics are frustrating
  • 😞 Combat is too luck-based
  • 😞 Final boss is too difficult/impossible
  • 😞 Limited choices feel arbitrary
  • 😞 Story can feel contrived

Eldrum

From 160 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Immersive storytelling
  • 🚀 Engaging combat system
  • 💡 Accessible for blind users
  • 🔒 Deep RPG mechanics
  • 👍 Fantastic writing

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Broken/tedious combat
  • 🐛 Slow progression
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches

Bugs and 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
Show 5 more
  • 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
Show 14 more
  • 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

Eldrum

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Voiceover issues with health display
  • RNG-heavy combat

Requested features

3 requests
  • More cities and activities
  • Ability to improve fighting skills
  • Clarity on save system

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Serania

One-time1
  • Access to the full story$3.99
1 purchases

Eldrum

One-time1
  • Mount Karnak DLC$4.99

Questions

Is Serania free?
Serania is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Eldrum free?
Eldrum costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Serania or Eldrum?
Eldrum is rated higher. Serania averages 4.6 out of 5 from 161 ratings, while Eldrum averages 4.9 from 160 ratings.
Do Serania or Eldrum have ads?
Neither Serania nor Eldrum shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Serania or Eldrum?
Serania ships an update every 10 days, and Eldrum every 3 days. Most recently, Serania was updated on November 2, 2026 and Eldrum on November 4, 2026.

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