Comparison

The Shadow Sun vs Neverwinter Nights

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

Head to head
About

The Shadow Sun

Embark on a dark fantasy adventure in this Western action RPG. Explore a detailed world, engage in real-time combat, and uncover an epic story filled with intrigue and danger. Customize your character and make choices that impact the narrative.

Highlights
  • Epic dark fantasy story
  • Visceral real-time combat
  • Deep character customization
  • Multiple quest solutions
  • Companion system
  • Extensive exploration
Features
Read full description

The ultimate Western action RPG has arrived on iOS! Embark on an epic dark fantasy in the grand tradition of great, story-driven RPGs from PC and console, created by veterans of the Neverwinter Nights, Baldur’s Gate, and The Witcher franchises. SLIDE TO PLAY - 4/4 “The Shadow Sun is one of the most captivating experiences I’ve had with a role-playing game in quite some time.” DIGITALLY DOWNLOADED - 4.5/5 “The Shadow Sun floored me from start to finish.” ARCADE SUSHI - 8.5/10 “If you’re a fan of RPGs at all, then The Shadow Sun belongs in your Games folder.” POCKET GAMER - 8/10 (Silver Award) “The Shadow Sun replicates a tabletop RPG experience almost perfectly - right down to the carefully crafted fantasy world in which it's set.” TOUCHARCADE - 4/5 “With a compelling story, plenty of content, and a character customization system that works, Shadow Sun succeeds in its goal as a Western RPG.” APP-S.RU - 4/5 “The Shadow Sun is one of the few truly great RPGs for the iPhone, iPad and in the absence of competitors could easily sit next to Baldur's Gate.” PORTABLE GAMING REGION “The Shadow Sun is pretty much what I imagine a “real” Dragon Age mobile game should be.” ** Featured in Apple’s Best New Games category! ** With The Shadow Sun, Ossian Studios brings together all its expertise from working with Dungeons & Dragons and The Witcher in order to create a deep, story-driven RPG experience for iOS. Prepare yourself for visceral real-time combat, a gorgeously detailed world to adventure in, complex characters to interact with, and an epic tale of an ancient city held within the grip of a mysterious plague. Enter a world that has felt an alien touch upon its sun. An ever-increasing shadow that creeps across the sun's brilliant face, with consequences that are only now becoming horrifically apparent... HOURS OF ADVENTURE • A 10-hour adventure where you explore the decadent imperial city of Shar and the exotic desert lands around it, delving into a story filled with intrigue, danger, and shocking surprises. • Explore over 70 unique areas and uncover 200+ unique items, hidden secrets, and ancient treasures. • A handy journal tracks your quests and a detailed codex notes new characters, places, and creatures you encounter. • An original orchestral soundtrack and amazing soundscape will immerse you into this dark fantasy world. TRUE ROLE-PLAYING • Create your own male or female character and customize their attributes and appearance. • Choose from among 30 attacks, spells, and skills to suit your favourite play style, and develop those abilities exactly how you want as the game progresses. • Solve quests in multiple ways and have new NPC dialogue options open up depending on your skills. • Ally with one of four companions to adventure alongside you, each with their own personality and abilities, and win their friendship or suffer their disapproval depending on your choices. • Adopt a faithful dog companion to fight by your side. UNIVERSAL APP Play on any of these supported devices, with graphics that scale with the device. • iPad 1, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Air, iPad mini, iPad mini with Retina display • iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s • iPod touch 3, iPod touch 4, iPod touch 5 * In-app purchases are purely optional! * The 3 starter packs are optional DLC that have extra content and quests, none of which are required to enjoy the game. The in-depth hint guide also provides a full walkthrough and gameplay tips, along with details on companions, secrets, monsters, and other helpful information. Visit our official site for more news and info about The Shadow Sun: http://www.ossianstudios.com/ Drop by our forums and talk directly with the development team: http://www.ossianstudios.com/forum/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OssianStudios Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OssianStudios YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/OssianStudios

About

Neverwinter Nights

Embark on a classic Dungeons & Dragons role-playing adventure with over 100 hours of gameplay. Explore the original campaign and six free DLC adventures, either solo or with friends across various platforms. Enjoy enhanced graphics and a re-engineered UI for mobile devices.

Highlights
  • Classic D&D RPG gameplay
  • 100+ hours of content
  • Six free DLC adventures
  • Cross-platform multiplayer
  • Re-engineered UI for mobile
  • Improved graphics with adjustable options
Features
Read full description

Neverwinter Nights is a classic Dungeons & Dragons RPG— enhanced for iOS! Explore 100+ hours of gameplay including the original campaign, plus six free DLC adventures. Play solo or team up with friends for a grand adventure across the Forgotten Realms. DEVICE RECOMMENDATION Optimized for iPads Recommended for iPhones with screen sizes of 6 inches or larger CONTENT Neverwinter Nights (Classic Campaign) Shadows of Undrentide (Free DLC) Hordes of the Underdark (Free DLC) Kingmaker (Free DLC) ShadowGuard (Free DLC) Witch’s Wake (Free DLC) Adventure Pack (Free DLC) FEATURES Re-engineered UI for iPads and iPhones - Virtual joystick and context sensitive button makes gameplay easy - UI Scales automatically or can be set to your liking Cross-Platform Multiplayer - Adventure with friends! - Cross-play support includes compatibility with mobile, tablets, computers and consoles - Join persistent worlds, with community-run campaigns and up to 250 players Improved Graphics - Pixel shaders and post-processing effects make for cleaner graphics and visuals - Adjustable contrast, vibrance, and depth of field options STORY CONTENT: Neverwinter Nights (Original Campaign) You find yourself at the center of intrigue, betrayal, and dark magic in Neverwinter Nights. Journey through dangerous cities, monster filled dungeons and deep into uncharted wilderness in search of the cure for a cursed plague ravaging the city of Neverwinter. Shadows of Undrentide (Free DLC Expansion) Another adventure begins in the updated expansion, Shadows of Undrentide! Charged by your master to recover four ancient artifacts, travel from the Silver Marches to unravel mysteries of a long-dead magical civilization. Hordes of the Underdark (Free DLC Expansion) This expansion continues the adventure started in Shadows of Undrentide. Journey into the ever-more bizarre and hostile depths of Undermountain to challenge a gathering evil. Three Premium Modules (Free DLC) Discover over 40 hours of new Dungeons & Dragons adventures across the Forgotten Realms in these premium modules for Neverwinter Nights: - Kingmaker - ShadowGuard - Witch’s Wake - Adventure Pack LANGUAGES - English ©2020 Beamdog. ©2020 Wizards of the Coast LLC. All Rights Reserved. Wizards of the Coast, Dungeons & Dragons, Neverwinter Nights, and D&D are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC. Hasbro and its logo are registered trademarks of HASBRO, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Screenshots

The Shadow Sun4 screens
Neverwinter Nights4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: The Shadow Sun at $0.99 against Neverwinter Nights's $9.99. The Shadow Sun also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (75% vs 61%). Neverwinter Nights's advantage is chart position (#132 vs unranked) and ratings volume (259 vs 62). On ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

The Shadow Sun costs $0.99 and Neverwinter Nights $9.99 up front. The Shadow Sun sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Neverwinter Nights sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Shadow Sun holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 62 and 259 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of The Shadow Sun's written reviews are positive against 61% of Neverwinter Nights's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Shadow Sun ships an update every 3 months, Neverwinter Nights every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
The Shadow Sun versus Neverwinter Nights: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Shadow SunNeverwinter Nights
Price$0.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.5 (62 ratings) — better4.0 (259 ratings)
Positive reviews75.1% of reviews — better61.0% of reviews
Number of ratings62259 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#132 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.1 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size797 MB2.8 GB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperOssian Studios Inc.Overhaul Games

Customer experience

The Shadow Sun

All ratings62 ratings
Positive82.3%
Neutral12.9%
Negative4.8%
Written reviews257 reviews
Positive75.1%
Neutral8.9%
Negative16.0%

Neverwinter Nights

All ratings259 ratings
Positive72.6%
Neutral8.9%
Negative18.5%
Written reviews400 reviews
Positive61.0%
Neutral13.0%
Negative26.0%

User reviews

The Shadow Sun

From 62 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Engaging story and gameplay
  • 🎨 Impressive graphics and atmosphere
  • 💰 Good value for the price
  • 🕹️ Smooth and responsive controls
  • 🔍 Enjoyable exploration and side quests

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🕹️ Clunky camera and navigation
  • ⏱️ Game felt too short for some
  • 🔍 Lack of mini-map or waypoints

Neverwinter Nights

From 259 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Smooth gameplay
  • 👍 Faithful port of the classic game
  • 🚀 Runs well on older devices
  • 👍 Brings back nostalgic memories
  • 🚀 Impressive amount of content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes when learning spells
  • 🐛 Multiplayer issues with CD key
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
  • 🔍 Cluttered UI, small text
  • 🐛 Inability to install premium modules

Bugs and requests

The Shadow Sun

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes when saving or entering certain areas
  • Inventory and equipment issues
  • Compatibility problems on older devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Multiplayer or co-op mode
  • More character customization options
  • Larger open world and expanded content
  • Improved UI and quality-of-life features

Neverwinter Nights

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when saving game
  • Companions/summons behaving erratically
  • Inventory and loot management issues
  • Pathfinding and character movement problems
  • Incompatibility with certain iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Controller support
  • Improved camera controls
  • Chinese language support
  • Ability to move UI elements
  • Autosave and backup save options

In-app purchases

4 purchases

The Shadow Sun

One-time4
  • Hint Guide$0.99
  • Warrior Starter Pack$0.99
  • Rogue Starter Pack$0.99
Show 1 more
  • Mage Starter Pack$0.99
10 purchases

Neverwinter Nights

One-time10
  • KingmakerFree
  • ShadowguardFree
  • Witch's WakeFree
Show 7 more
  • Adventure PackFree
  • Wyvern Crown of Cormyr$2.99
  • Pirates of the Sword Coast$2.99
  • Infinite Dungeons$2.99
  • Heroes of Neverwinter$2.99
  • Darkness Over Daggerford$4.99
  • Tyrants of the Moonsea$4.99

Questions

Is The Shadow Sun free?
The Shadow Sun costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Neverwinter Nights free?
Neverwinter Nights costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The Shadow Sun or Neverwinter Nights?
The Shadow Sun is rated higher. The Shadow Sun averages 4.5 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while Neverwinter Nights averages 4.0 from 259 ratings.
Do The Shadow Sun or Neverwinter Nights have ads?
Neither The Shadow Sun nor Neverwinter Nights shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Shadow Sun or Neverwinter Nights?
The Shadow Sun ships an update every 3 months, and Neverwinter Nights every 7 months. Most recently, The Shadow Sun was updated on October 12, 2026 and Neverwinter Nights on October 13, 2026.

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