Comparison

Silversword vs Avernum HD

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

Head to head
About

Silversword

Embark on a classic fantasy role-playing adventure in a world filled with evil. Assemble a party of heroes, master spells and skills, and explore vast lands with countless hours of gameplay. An expansion adds new challenges and content.

Highlights
  • 7 races with unique abilities
  • 12 classes with distinct skills
  • Over 400 unique items
  • 120+ spells, songs, and prayers
  • 220+ unique monsters
  • Nearly 70 different maps
  • Integrated automap and quest log
Features
Read full description

Forget Smaug, Voldemort or the White Walkers! The real bad guys are waiting for you in Silversword. Ready your sword and spells and prepare to face the evil. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The expansion "Rise Of The Dragons" is here! New maps, quests, creatures, items, skills and the mighty Dragoncaller class await you! Enjoy your stay in the Dragonlands! Hint: don't throw your rubies and diamonds away if you intend to enjoy the expansion. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Gamepro Award 87/100 Points! Over 100 hours of roleplaying fun! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "I got goosebumps while reading through the manual for the first time. iOS devs just don't make games on this scale. It's such a poetic app." All the best, Michael Lane Senior Writer | FreeAppsArcade.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Silversword is a mobile fantasy role-playing game which will take you to the mysterious lands of Tarnak, a world far beyond reality. Gather a band of brave heroes and face the evil that is about to destroy mankind. Silversword is a game in the style of The Bards Tale, Wizardry and Might & Magic - enjoy memories of old with new devices. Main Features: - None of the In App Purchases are needed to play through the game (I have to stress that again) - 7 races to choose from, each with it's own special abilities - 12 classes, each with it's own skills, virtues and flaws - over 400 unique items - 5 different magic runes to augment and enhance your items - over 120 spells, songs and prayers - over 220 unique monsters - nearly 70 different maps with different styles (dungeon, overland, swamp, city etc.) - guilds, shops, taverns, training halls, temples and many more interesting places to be - integrated automap + quest log - day / night cycle with different effects on your magic and the surroundings - fast travelling services - countless hours of interesting gameplay You can follow us on twitter, too. @silverswordinfo is your channel to get the latest news, cheats, and hidden secrets. Please note: The game has only limited VoiceOver functionality. Some screen elements (Minimap) can't be used by visually impaired people. If in doubt, don't buy. You have been warned. DON'T LIKE IT? No reason for giving a bad review. Your feedback is very welcome on our discord channel or via the support e-mail address. Most of the functions in the game were implemented because YOU wanted them :-) So feel free to spread your thoughts. You are a creator!

About

Avernum HD

Embark on an epic fantasy role-playing adventure in a vast underworld. Explore enormous environments, uncover a fascinating story, and make choices that lead to freedom or revenge. This game offers over 30 hours of engaging gameplay.

Highlights
  • Epic fantasy role-playing adventure
  • Enormous underworld world
  • Fascinating story with 30+ hours of gameplay
  • Three separate game-winning quests
  • Dozens of side quests and magical artifacts
  • Rich game system with spells and character traits
Features
Read full description

"Avernum: Escape From the Pit is an amazing game which will provide hours of fun. I would even go so far as to say it’s a nearly perfect example of a role-playing game." -AppleTell "8/10" - Inside Mac Games "Fans looking to get into the Avernum series will do very well with Escape from the Pit, and while the improvements beyond the game engine and visuals are relatively modest, there's still a lot to enjoy even if you've played through the game once before already." - GameBanshee "The game’s strong writing carries it through, and earns it a place among the greatest indie RPGs. 9.0/10" - Game Chronicles "It is a tribute to indie gaming as a whole that a game made by such a tiny team can swell into such an involving, engrossing and glorious fantasy epic. - 9/10" - The Digital Fix "If you're looking for a complex single player RPG and value content at the expense of visuals, don't miss this title. 8/10" - Impulse Gamer "Spiderweb Software have provided a vast world in which to get lost, and a hefty quest in which to sink your teeth, which will reward those who can overlook its lack of finesse with many hours of enjoyable adventure." - Indie Game Magazine "Take this one with you on car trips, use it to replace your TV shows on summer break, whatever. No self-respecting fan of RPGs should be without it." - Technology Tell Avernum: Escape From the Pit HD is an epic, indie fantasy role-playing adventure. It is optimized for the iPad and features an enormous world, a fascinating story, and 30+ hours of gameplay. Avernum is the first chapter in an epic tale, the story of imprisonment, rebellion, and the struggle for freedom against overwhelming odds. Avernum: Escape From the Pit features: Epic fantasy adventure in an enormous underworld. Huge outdoors and eighty towns and dungeons. Three separate game-winning quests. Seek safety, escape or revenge. Do just one of them or all three! Unique races and settings make Avernum different from any adventure out there. Dozens of side quests and hundreds of magical artifacts. Rich game system with over 50 spells and battle disciplines and a multitude of beneficial character traits to choose from. The Story: You have been banished to the underworld, never to see the light of day again. The surface is ruled by the cruel Emperor Hawthorne, master of the Empire. All of the known lands are subject to his brutal command. Everyone who speaks out, who misbehaves, who doesn’t fit in is cast into the dark, volcanic pits of Avernum, far below the surface. There, you are expected to die, a victim of starvation, horrible monsters, or simple despair. But not all of the Avernites have surrendered. With magic and steel, they are forging a new nation deep underground. You can join them and fight for safety. Or freedom. Or even, if you dare, revenge on the surface-worlders who tried to destroy you.

Screenshots

Silversword4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Avernum HD at none against Silversword's 11. Silversword's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 17 months) and price ($5.99 vs $9.99). On rating, review sentiment, ads and iOS requirement 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

Silversword costs $5.99 and Avernum HD $9.99 up front. Silversword sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Avernum HD 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 Silversword against 4.7 for Avernum HD. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Silversword has 265 ratings behind it against 45, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 87% of Silversword's written reviews are positive against 93% of Avernum HD's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Silversword ships an update every 2 months, Avernum HD every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Silversword versus Avernum HD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSilverswordAvernum HD
Price$5.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.8 (265 ratings) — better4.7 (45 ratings)
Positive reviews87.2% of reviews93.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings265 — better45
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 17 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#200 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size186 MB172 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperMario J. GaidaSpiderweb Software

Customer experience

Silversword

All ratings263 ratings
Positive94.3%
Neutral1.5%
Negative4.2%
Written reviews179 reviews
Positive87.2%
Neutral3.9%
Negative8.9%

Avernum HD

All ratings41 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral2.4%
Negative4.9%
Written reviews136 reviews
Positive93.4%
Neutral2.2%
Negative4.4%

User reviews

Silversword

From 265 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Classic RPG experience
  • 👍 Engaging gameplay
  • 💎 Excellent value for money
  • 🎮 Nostalgic throwback to Bard's Tale
  • 🕹️ Challenging dungeon crawling

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🔍 Unclear game mechanics
  • 🗺️ Confusing navigation at times
  • 🕹️ Steep learning curve

Avernum HD

From 45 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great turn-based RPG
  • 👍 Excellent alternative to D&D
  • 👍 Massive world to explore
  • 👍 Huge amount of content
  • 👍 Fantastic game

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes
  • 🐛 Upside-down orientation on iPad Pro
  • 🐛 Difficulty selecting enemies in combat
  • 🐛 Frustrating pathfinding issues

Bugs and requests

Silversword

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Shop crashes on some devices
  • Inventory management issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • Expanded character classes and races
  • More detailed tutorials or guidance
  • Improved map and navigation features
  • Multiplayer or co-op functionality

Avernum HD

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Automatic party death at start of game
  • Compatibility issues on older iPads

Requested features

4 requests
  • Pinch-to-zoom functionality
  • Automatic saving during gameplay
  • More quick spell slots
  • iCloud save sync

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Silversword

One-time11
  • Bag of 10,000 Gold$0.99
  • Potion of Divine Restoration$0.99
  • Crystal of Safety$0.99
Show 8 more
  • Small Vault Expansion$0.99
  • Bag of 50,000 Gold$1.99
  • Parcel Service$1.99
  • Large Vault Expansion$1.99
  • Silversword Compendium$2.99
  • Bag of 100,000 Gold$2.99
  • Rise Of The Dragons$4.99
  • Bag of 500,000 Gold$4.99
None

Avernum HD

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Silversword free?
Silversword costs $5.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Avernum HD free?
Avernum HD costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Silversword or Avernum HD?
Silversword is rated higher. Silversword averages 4.8 out of 5 from 265 ratings, while Avernum HD averages 4.7 from 45 ratings.
Do Silversword or Avernum HD have ads?
Neither Silversword nor Avernum HD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Silversword or Avernum HD?
Silversword ships an update every 2 months, and Avernum HD every 17 months. Most recently, Silversword was updated on October 30, 2026 and Avernum HD on October 23, 2026.

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