Comparison

Avernum HD 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

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.

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

Neverwinter Nights4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Avernum HD at 4.7 against Neverwinter Nights's 4.0. Avernum HD also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (93% vs 61%). Neverwinter Nights's advantage is update cadence (every 7 months vs every 17 months) and chart position (#58 vs unranked). On price, 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

Avernum HD costs $9.99 and Neverwinter Nights $9.99 up front. Neverwinter Nights sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Avernum HD asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Avernum HD holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Neverwinter Nights has 264 ratings behind it against 45, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Avernum HD's written reviews are positive against 61% of Neverwinter Nights's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Avernum HD ships an update every 17 months, Neverwinter Nights every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Avernum HD versus Neverwinter Nights: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAvernum HDNeverwinter Nights
Price$9.99$9.99
Rating4.7 (45 ratings) — better4.0 (264 ratings)
Positive reviews93.4% of reviews — better61.0% of reviews
Number of ratings45264 — better
Update frequencyEvery 17 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#58 — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size172 MB2.8 GB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperSpiderweb SoftwareOverhaul Games

Customer experience

Avernum HD

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

Neverwinter Nights

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

User reviews

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

Neverwinter Nights

From 264 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

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

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

None

Avernum HD

No in-app purchases

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 Avernum HD free?
Avernum HD costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Neverwinter Nights free?
Neverwinter Nights costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Avernum HD or Neverwinter Nights?
Avernum HD is rated higher. Avernum HD averages 4.7 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Neverwinter Nights averages 4.0 from 264 ratings.
Do Avernum HD or Neverwinter Nights have ads?
Neither Avernum HD nor Neverwinter Nights shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Avernum HD or Neverwinter Nights?
Avernum HD ships an update every 17 months, and Neverwinter Nights every 7 months. Most recently, Avernum HD was updated on November 1, 2026 and Neverwinter Nights on November 11, 2026.

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