Grim Tides vs Eldrum
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Grim Tides
Embark on a text-based, turn-based RPG adventure across a tropical archipelago. Build your character, engage in strategic combat, and captain your ship through a world of magic and mystery. Experience deep customization and a story shaped by your choices.
- Text-based storytelling
- Turn-based tactical combat
- Deep character customization
- Ship captaining and resource management
- Roguelike elements
- Offline play
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* CLASSIC SINGLE PLAYER RPG * Grim Tides delivers the soul of tabletop gaming on your phone. Build your character and explore a strange and dangerous archipelago in this story-rich turn-based RPG / dungeon crawler with roguelike elements. * IMMERSIVE FANTASY & TABLETOP EXPERIENCE * Explore a tropical world of magic, mysteries, and ancient secrets through immersive text-based storytelling. Every choice shapes your journey in an experience inspired by TTRPG classics like Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) and Pathfinder. * STRATEGIC TURN-BASED COMBAT * Master tactical battles against deadly enemies, challenging bosses, and conquer your own fear of the unknown. Every encounter could be your last, every choice carries weight. * DEEP CHARACTER CUSTOMIZATION * Choose from 7 distinct backgrounds and 50+ gameplay-changing perks. Craft your playstyle with weapons, armor, accessories, and consumables you loot and craft. * CAPTAIN YOUR OWN SHIP * Recruit crew, manage resources, and navigate treacherous tropical waters. Hunt bounties, complete quests, and uncover secrets scattered across the islands. * PLAY YOUR WAY * Four difficulty levels plus deep customization options. Optional permadeath for extra challenge. Play in quick sessions or lose yourself for hours. No internet connection required (offline). * FAIR & RESPECTFUL * No lootboxes. No energy timers. No predatory monetization. Just a complete RPG with some optional and unobtrusive ads, removable forever with one purchase, and purely optional goodies for those who wish to support the game further. * GRIM SAGA * A standalone prequel to Grim Quest and Grim Omens. Experience the mind-bending dark fantasy universe that spans 3 standalone games - pick your flair, no prior experience needed. Set sail, but beware: when the Dark closes in, your own mind is your worst enemy.
Eldrum
Embark on a dark fantasy text-based RPG where your decisions forge your path. Explore a war-torn world, uncover secrets, and shape your character's destiny through branching narratives and multiple endings. This immersive experience offers deep gameplay reminiscent of tabletop RPGs.
- Text-based choices adventure RPG
- Nostalgic table-top RPG style
- Character building and equipment
- Multiple endings based on choices
- Secrets to discover
- High replayability
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Dive into a dark, immersive world where your choices shape your destiny. Eldrum: Red Tide 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. Eldrum: Red Tide is a dark fantasy story about a former soldier who is searching for his family in a world ravaged by war. Your brother is gone without a trace. What happened to him? The answer to this question lies at the end of a long and dangerous journey. The world has changed. The place where you were born was burned to ash. People out there are struggling to survive. You are a shadow of your former self, having suffered grave injuries during the war. But the past is the past. What matters is the here and now. You have the freedom to shape your own destiny. There is always a choice. FEATURES - Nostalgic table-top RPG style - Many secrets to discover - Equip and build your character - Multiple endings that vary depending on your choices throughout the story - Replayability with different play styles opening up different locations, NPCs and gear - Text based choices adventure RPG - Supports both phones and tablets - Accessible to blind and low-vision players Eldrum: Red Tide is the second 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.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Eldrum at none against Grim Tides's shown. Grim Tides's advantage is ratings volume (1.6K vs 433). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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
Both are free to download. Grim Tides sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Eldrum sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Grim Tides against 4.9 for Eldrum. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 433 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Grim Tides's written reviews are positive against 95% of Eldrum's.
Grim Tides ships an update every 2 weeks, Eldrum every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Grim Tides | Eldrum |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (1.6K ratings) | 4.9 (433 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 88.7% of reviews | 94.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.6K — better | 433 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 260 MB | 198 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Monomyth d.o.o. | Act None |
Customer experience
Grim Tides
Eldrum
User reviews
Grim Tides
From 1.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great game
- 👍 Old school entertainment
- 👍 Fantastic game with depth
- 👍 Compelling story and world
- 👍 Engaging gameplay and combat
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
- 🔒 Paywall after initial free content
- 🔒 Slow progression and grindy at higher levels
Eldrum
From 433 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great story
- 👍 Immersive and engaging
- 🎨 Excellent visuals and atmosphere
- 📚 Detailed and well-written lore
- 🎮 Compelling gameplay with meaningful choices
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional combat balance issues
- 🕹️ Challenging combat system for some players
- 📱 Not optimized for larger screens (iPad)
Bugs and requests
Grim Tides
Reported bugs
3 issues- Difficulty escaping combat
- Inconsistent access to healing resources
- Progression-blocking bugs with quests and exits
Requested features
5 requests- More gear and item variety
- Ability to customize passive abilities
- Improved inventory and merchant UI
- More diverse dungeon layouts and enemy types
- Accessibility improvements for visually impaired players
Eldrum
Reported bugs
2 issues- Inconsistent enemy shield/evasion chances
- Difficulty spikes in certain encounters
Requested features
2 requests- Sound effects for combat
- More content and story expansions
In-app purchases
Grim Tides
- Remove Ads$5.99
- Thanks! (Cleric Item Pack)$14.99
- Thanks! (Knight Item Pack)$14.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- Thanks! (Mage Item Pack)$14.99
- Thanks! (Rogue Item Pack)$14.99
- Thanks! (Barbarian Item Pack)$14.99
- THANKS! (Manifestation Device)$29.99
Eldrum
- Upgrade from Basic to Premium$2.49
- Basic$6.99
- Premium$7.99







