Comparison

Frotz vs Eldrum

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

Head to head
About

Frotz

Experience classic text-based adventure games on your mobile device. Relive the golden age of interactive fiction with hundreds of free titles, supporting various game formats. Perfect for those who enjoy reading, thinking, and typing their way through immersive stories.

Highlights
  • Play hundreds of free interactive fiction games
  • Supports Z-Machine, glulx, and TADS formats
  • Relive classic text adventures
  • Modern interface with high-resolution fonts
  • Play on iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

[*Warning* Playing Frotz involves reading, thinking, and typing. If you just want to blow stuff up, this is not the app for you!] Burned out on all the new-fangled graphics and dazzling eye candy on your shiny new iPhone or iPad? Nostalgic for a simpler time? Then take advantage of those crisp high-resolution fonts to relive the glory days of the Great Underground Empire, or play any of hundreds of great works from the Interactive Fiction archive. Frotz lets you play hundreds of free works of Interactive Fiction (a.k.a. text adventure games) on your iPhone or iPad. Frotz plays titles written in the Z-Machine format (which was invented by Infocom and was used to produce classic text adventures from the 80s such as the Zork Trilogy, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and Trinity), as well as glulx and TADS formats. In the past couple of decades, text adventures have experienced a renaissance of sorts due to the efforts of a diverse Internet community of talented interactive fiction writers and fans. Many of these games are written using the same engine that powered Infocom's titles, thanks to the Inform compiler and authoring system created by Graham Nelson. NOTE! If you have suggestions for improving Frotz or encounter bugs, please go to the support link and report them. Frotz for iOS - Interactive Fiction at Your Fingertips

About

Eldrum

Embark on a text-based RPG adventure where your choices shape the narrative. Explore a world of warring factions, gather equipment, and develop your character. Discover secrets and multiple endings in this immersive interactive fiction.

Highlights
  • Text-based choices adventure RPG
  • Character building and equipment
  • Multiple endings
  • Over 8 hours of playtime
  • Secrets to discover
  • Supports phones and tablets
  • Accessible for blind/low-vision players
Features
Read full description

Try before you buy! Eldrum: Untold is free to try up to a certain point in the story where you’ll be offered to purchase the full game in order to continue. Eldrum: Untold is an immersive text-based RPG adventure, combining old school CYOA (Choose Your Own Adventure) features with modern twists. PLOT You wake up on a beach - shipwrecked, confused and traumatized. Follow the footprints and you will find a fellow survivor in the wilderness. She is a nomad, who seems to have endured the same traumatic experiences. Together, you embark on a quest for answers and retribution. As you venture through the world to discover the truth in this interactive fiction, you’ll gather equipment and forge your character. The lands of Tem Khiris are drenched in blood. You must figure out a way to survive in this world of warring states and rival tribes. Proceed with caution, for death lurks around every corner. Poor decisions will soon send you on a one-way trip to the Underworld. FEATURES - Nostalgic table-top RPG style - Many secrets to discover - Equip and build your character - Over 8 hours of playtime (Estimated, single play-through) - Multiple endings - Replay-ability with different play styles opening up different locations, NPCs and gear - Text based choices adventure RPG - Supports phones as well as tablets - Accessible to blind and low-vision players Choose wisely, your decisions matter! IN THE NEWS “A full-on RPG, complete with character progression, inventory management, and NPC interactions ... The character development and combat systems find that sweet spot between being too simplistic to matter and becoming a bloated distraction.” – Gamespace.com “Untold is a really solid and convenient package. It delivers feelings of grand adventure while allowing you to experiment and explore, and it does this pretty much all through text. It may not satisfy folks looking for a flashier, more action-packed experience, but Untold's restraint is exactly what makes it so impressive and refreshing.” – 148apps.com JOIN THE COMMUNITY https://discord.eldrum.com

Screenshots

Frotz3 screens
Eldrum4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Frotz at none against Eldrum's 3. Frotz also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.5.0). Eldrum's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (1.4K vs 251). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads 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. Eldrum sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Frotz asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Frotz against 4.7 for Eldrum. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Eldrum has 1.4K ratings behind it against 251, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Frotz's written reviews are positive against 86% of Eldrum's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Frotz ships an update every 5 months, Eldrum every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Frotz versus Eldrum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFrotzEldrum
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (251 ratings) — better4.7 (1.4K ratings)
Positive reviews90.8% of reviews — better86.4% of reviews
Number of ratings2511.4K — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.5.0
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB138 MB
Age rating9+12+
DeveloperCraig SmithAct None

Customer experience

Frotz

All ratings251 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral2.8%
Negative2.4%
Written reviews293 reviews
Positive90.8%
Neutral4.8%
Negative4.4%

Eldrum

All ratings1,437 ratings
Positive91.5%
Neutral3.5%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews302 reviews
Positive86.4%
Neutral6.6%
Negative7.0%

User reviews

Frotz

From 251 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent performance
  • 👍 Intuitive interface
  • 💡 Vast library of interactive fiction
  • 🚀 Seamless game importing
  • 👍 Helpful auto-complete and note-taking features

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • 🔧 Limited customization options
  • 🔧 Lack of map/note-taking tools for some games
  • 🔧 Difficulty browsing and downloading new games

Eldrum

From 1.4K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Immersive story and world-building
  • 🎨 Beautiful artwork and music
  • 🕹️ Engaging gameplay with meaningful choices
  • 🔍 Lots of secrets and replayability
  • 💰 Fair pricing model (one-time purchase)

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Lack of guidance/hints can be frustrating
  • 🕰️ Relatively short main story
  • 🤖 Combat system could use more depth
  • 🔄 Limited ability to revisit previous areas

Bugs and requests

Frotz

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes when trying to resume certain saved games
  • Inconsistent behavior when deleting or importing games

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for more modern interactive fiction formats
  • Implement cloud sync and cross-device save support
  • Improve game library management and discovery
  • Add more customization options for text display

Eldrum

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional softlocks/progression blockers
  • Typos and minor text issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • More content/story expansions
  • Ability to carry over progress/decisions to sequels
  • Additional languages (e.g., Russian, Spanish)
  • Improved inventory/save management

In-app purchases

None

Frotz

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Eldrum

One-time3
  • Upgrade from Basic to Premium$1.99
  • Basic$4.99
  • Premium$5.99

Questions

Is Frotz free?
Frotz is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Eldrum free?
Eldrum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Frotz or Eldrum?
Frotz is rated higher. Frotz averages 4.8 out of 5 from 251 ratings, while Eldrum averages 4.7 from 1.4K ratings.
Do Frotz or Eldrum have ads?
Neither Frotz nor Eldrum shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Frotz or Eldrum?
Frotz ships an update every 5 months, and Eldrum every 10 days. Most recently, Frotz was updated on September 24, 2026 and Eldrum on September 26, 2026.

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