Comparison

Avernum HD vs Pileus

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
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"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

Pileus

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Immerse Yourself in a Mystical Atmosphere! Join Mr. Gribson, who has long been asleep in the depths of an ancient forest. It’s up to you to help him escape! But beware of the spores—they are highly hallucinogenic, making you believe the local fauna is coming to life. Escape from the Depths of the Forest! Step into the role of a waking mushroom and try to make your way out of the dark woods! Pileus is a hardcore action-platformer where you must jump from one ancient mushroom cap to another while dodging vicious flies and pesky spiders! Features: - Character progression. - Unlockable side effects. - Interactive menu. - Play offline anytime. - Keyboard support. - No ads, no monetization-completely! If you encounter any issues, please send us a detailed description at Foxide_aid@outlook.com.

Screenshots

Pileus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pileus at $0.29 against Avernum HD's $9.99. Pileus also leads on update cadence (every 7 months vs every 17 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Avernum HD's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On ads and in-app purchases 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 Pileus $0.29 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Avernum HD ships an update every 17 months, Pileus every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Avernum HD versus Pileus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAvernum HDPileus
Price$9.99$0.29 — better
Rating4.7 (45 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews93.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings45 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 17 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size172 MB9 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSpiderweb SoftwareDenis Glebov

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

Pileus

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Avernum HD

No in-app purchases

None

Pileus

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Avernum HD free?
Avernum HD costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pileus free?
Pileus costs $0.29, with no in-app purchases.
Do Avernum HD or Pileus have ads?
Neither Avernum HD nor Pileus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Avernum HD or Pileus?
Avernum HD ships an update every 17 months, and Pileus every 7 months. Most recently, Avernum HD was updated on October 23, 2026 and Pileus on October 29, 2026.

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