Comparison

The Elder Scrolls vs DREDGE

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

Head to head
About

The Elder Scrolls

Build and manage your own castle and dynasty across generations. Make crucial decisions, customize your stronghold, and send heroes on quests to protect your kingdom. Your choices shape your legacy.

Highlights
  • Build and customize your castle
  • Manage your dynasty across generations
  • Make impactful kingdom decisions
  • Train subjects and assign workstations
  • Complete epic quests with heroes
  • Equip heroes with epic gear
Features
Read full description

From Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning developer behind Skyrim and Fallout Shelter, comes The Elder Scrolls: Castles – a new mobile game that puts you in control of your very own castle and dynasty. Oversee your subjects as the years come and go, families grow, and new rulers take the throne. BUILD YOUR DYNASTY Tell your story for generations - each day in real life covers the span of an entire year in The Elder Scrolls: Castles. Train your subjects, name heirs, and maintain order to help your kingdom flourish. Will you keep your subjects happy and ensure a long life for their ruler? Or will they grow discontent and plot assassination? MANAGE YOUR CASTLE Customize your castle from the ground up, adding and expanding rooms, placing lavish decorations and inspirational monuments, and even assign subjects to workstations to ensure your castle has the resources to thrive for years to come! RULE YOUR KINGDOM Make key decisions that impact your legacy. Will you risk a limited supply of food to aid a neighboring kingdom? How should a heated spat between your subjects be settled? Your choices determine if your rule will inspire prosperity or lead your castle to peril. COMPLETE EPIC QUESTS Create heroes, equip them with epic gear, and send them to battle against classic Elder Scrolls foes to collect valuable items and keep your kingdom growing.

About

DREDGE

Explore remote islands and their depths as a fishing trawler captain. Sell your catch, complete quests to uncover local secrets, and upgrade your boat. Beware of the dangers lurking in the dark.

Highlights
  • Explore remote islands and depths
  • Catch and sell diverse sea life
  • Complete quests to uncover secrets
  • Upgrade fishing boat and equipment
  • Survive nighttime dangers
  • Unravel a dark mystery
Features
Read full description

*TRY BEFORE YOU BUY* Play the first area for free. One-time purchase unlocks the base game. DLC expansions available as additional in-app purchases. Captain your fishing trawler to explore a collection of remote isles, and their surrounding depths, to see what lies below. Sell your catch to the locals and complete quests to learn more about each area’s troubled past. Outfit your boat with better equipment to trawl deep-sea trenches and navigate to far-off lands, but keep an eye on the time. You might not like what finds you in the dark... Explore the Islands & Discover their Secrets Starting from your new home in the remote archipelago, ‘The Marrows’, take to the water and scour the depths for curious collectables and over 125 deep sea denizens. Explore each area while completing quests and visiting neighboring island regions – each with their own unique opportunities, inhabitants, and secrets. Dredge the Depths Someone wants you to dig up the past, but can you trust them and will it ever be enough? Beware the Fog Danger is everywhere, so watch for sharp rocks and shallow reefs, though the biggest threats of all lurk within the fog that cloaks the night-time seas... Game Features: - Unravel a Mystery: Captain your fishing trawler across a collection of remote islands, each with its own inhabitants to meet, wildlife to discover, and stories to unearth. - Dredge the Depths: Scour the sea for hidden treasures and complete quests to gain access to strange new abilities - Study Your Craft: Research special equipment and upgrade your boat’s capabilities to gain access to rare fish and valuable deep-sea curios. - Fish to Survive: Sell your discoveries to the locals to learn more about each area, and upgrade your boat to reach even more secluded locations. - Fight the Unfathomable: Strengthen your mind and use your abilities to survive trips out on the water after dark.

Screenshots

The Elder Scrolls4 screens
DREDGE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: DREDGE at none against The Elder Scrolls's shown. DREDGE also leads on review sentiment (60% vs 49%). The Elder Scrolls's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (13K vs 1.1K). On price, update cadence, 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

Both are free to download. The Elder Scrolls sells 39 one-off in-app purchases and DREDGE sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Elder Scrolls holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Elder Scrolls has 13K ratings behind it against 1.1K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of The Elder Scrolls's written reviews are positive against 60% of DREDGE's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Elder Scrolls ships an update every 2 weeks, DREDGE every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
The Elder Scrolls versus DREDGE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Elder ScrollsDREDGE
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (13K ratings) — better4.3 (1.1K ratings)
Positive reviews49.1% of reviews60.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13K — better1.1K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size686 MB785 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperBethesdaBlack Salt Games

Customer experience

The Elder Scrolls

All ratings13,152 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral4.0%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews1,181 reviews
Positive49.1%
Neutral18.2%
Negative32.7%

DREDGE

All ratings1,082 ratings
Positive82.2%
Neutral3.7%
Negative14.1%
Written reviews1,144 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral10.2%
Negative29.8%

User reviews

The Elder Scrolls

From 13K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun and addictive gameplay
  • 👍 Unique Elder Scrolls-themed mechanics
  • 💡 Interesting character relationships and decision-making
  • 🎨 Beautiful visuals and music

Room to improve

  • 🔋 Drains battery quickly
  • 💰 Aggressive monetization with paywall-locked content
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and sync issues
  • 🕹️ Clunky controls and UI

DREDGE

From 1.1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great game
  • 🚀 Excellent port to mobile
  • 🎮 Supports controllers
  • 🎨 Stunning graphics
  • 🕹️ Intuitive controls

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive for a mobile game
  • 🔍 Misleading 'free' description
  • 📱 Text/UI too small on phones
  • 🐛 Crashes and performance issues
  • 🎮 Controller support needs improvement

Bugs and requests

The Elder Scrolls

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to select rooms without selecting characters
  • Accidental character movement due to poor UI
  • Inconsistent resource collection when game is closed

Requested features

4 requests
  • Multiple save files or restart option
  • More customization options for castle and characters
  • Improved character management tools
  • Deeper integration with Elder Scrolls lore and characters

DREDGE

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on startup
  • Controller issues
  • Inventory/menu navigation problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Larger text and UI options
  • Cross-save between devices
  • More content and DLC
  • Minimap or navigation aids
  • Ability to walk around boat/town

In-app purchases

39 purchases

The Elder Scrolls

One-time39
  • Event Bundle$0.99
  • Pouch of Gems - 50% discount$0.99
  • Imperial Decoration: Discount$1.99
Show 36 more
  • Legendary Shield Spellbreaker$1.99
  • Legendary Axe: Warlock Butcher$1.99
  • Pouch of Gems$1.99
  • Event Bundle$2.99
  • Potions and Scrolls$2.99
  • Imperial Decoration$3.99
  • Witch-Hunting Reinforcements$4.99
  • Small Starter Bundle$4.99
  • Emperor's Pass (7 days)$4.99
  • Sack of Gems$4.99
  • Magical Craftsmen$5.99
  • Legendary Event Subject Bundle$6.99
  • Redguard Bundle: New Blood$7.99
  • Holiday Feast Bundle$9.99
  • Satchel of Gems$9.99
  • Potions and Scrolls$9.99
  • Dwemer Furnace Bundle$9.99
  • Emperor's Pass (14 days)$9.99
  • Magical Craftsmen$9.99
  • Weekly Bundle: Silversmith$11.99
  • Put Your Dukes Up - Discount$11.99
  • A Bit of Everything$11.99
  • Decoration Pack$12.99
  • But make it fashion - discount$13.99
  • Emperor's Pass (30 days)$13.99
  • Large Starter Bundle$14.99
  • Weekly Bundle: It's Adore-able$17.99
  • Imperial Coffer of Gems$19.99
  • Weekly Bundle : A Noble Path$19.99
  • Weekly Bundle: A Mage's Touch$19.99
  • Biggest Bundle (Big Discount)$19.99
  • Emperor's Pass (1 year)$19.99
  • Strongbox of Gems$19.99
  • Put Your Dukes Up$29.99
  • Weekly Bundle: Silversmith$29.99
  • Imperial Coffer of Gems$99.99
4 purchases

DREDGE

One-time4
  • Blackstone Key2 variants$0.99
  • The Pale Reach2 variants$5.99
  • The Iron Rig2 variants$11.99
Show 1 more
  • Base Game Unlock2 variants$24.99

Questions

Is The Elder Scrolls free?
The Elder Scrolls is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DREDGE free?
DREDGE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, The Elder Scrolls or DREDGE?
The Elder Scrolls is rated higher. The Elder Scrolls averages 4.6 out of 5 from 13K ratings, while DREDGE averages 4.3 from 1.1K ratings.
Do The Elder Scrolls or DREDGE have ads?
The Elder Scrolls shows ads; DREDGE does not.
Which is updated more often, The Elder Scrolls or DREDGE?
The Elder Scrolls ships an update every 2 weeks, and DREDGE every 3 weeks. Most recently, The Elder Scrolls was updated on September 24, 2026 and DREDGE on September 23, 2026.

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