Comparison

The Salt Keep vs Eldrum

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

Head to head
About

The Salt Keep

Embark on a text-based adventure in a fantasy world where a struggling merchant uncovers a dangerous mystery. Make choices, collect items, and level up your character to navigate a world shaped by industrial decline and feudalism.

Highlights
  • Text-based interactive fiction
  • Choose Your Own Adventure mechanics
  • RPG elements with leveling
  • Item collection and equipment
  • Percentage-based challenges
  • NPC interaction
  • Exploration of secrets and missable areas
Features
Read full description

The Salt Keep is a text adventure (think interactive fiction with Choose Your Own Adventure and RPG mechanics) and should feel familiar to fans of classic gamebooks and fantasy fiction in general. - THE STORY - Set in a high fantasy world with low fantasy stakes, the character-driven story of The Salt Keep follows a struggling merchant named Doyle who stumbles into a life-or-death mystery. During the last legs of a months-long journey as a traveling salesman, Doyle stops in the seemingly deserted village of Cardwyke to meet a friend who has promised to help keep him financially afloat, but what he finds is even more dangerous than the crushing weight of debt. - THE SETTING - The world of The Salt Keep should be familiar to any fan of fantasy — it has breastplates, and swords, and other fun stuff like that — but is shaped by the vaguely industrial and creeping decline of feudalism. Sprawling merchant conglomerates and faceless business structures pull the levers of power as much as the dukes and knights. The world is meant to be both a reflection of traditional fantasy settings (the England-coded sword and sorcery and D&D-style locations we're used to) and an answer to some of their most frustrating tropes. It's not a world of prophesied heroes doing Great Man Theory or of grimdark anti-heroes exposing the essential evil of humanity, but of ordinary medieval schlubs trying to survive within alienating and oppressive political systems. In other words, it's not a world a character like Doyle has any hope or intention of changing; he only means to survive. - THE GAMEPLAY - The Salt Keep is a text-based game, so the action is described through text and the player navigates and makes choices via button inputs. Through these basic mechanics, you'll be able to: - Guide Doyle through the village and the towering keep that looms above it as he searches for a means of escape. - Collect items and discover their uses. - Equip gear to improve Doyle's ability scores. - Succeed or fail at percentage-based challenges. - Earn experience and level up based on those challenges. - Talk to and work with NPCs to make progress. - Uncover secrets and missable areas. - Risk grievous bodily harm. Despite the prevalence of choices and risks, there is no chance of death or dead-ends. The story always moves forward. In turn, you'll change the outcome of Doyle's story (as well as those of the NPCs) not just through the things you choose to do, but through the things you fail to do, and the things you choose to ignore. - THE DEMO - If you want to spend some time in the world of The Salt Keep before you commit, you can play a demo in the browser here: https://smallgraygames.itch.io/the-salt-keep The demo includes the prologue and first chapter of the game, and any progress you make can be transferred to the full version. - CONTACT - To be notified of updates on the game or future games, consider following on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/smallgraygames Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/smallgraygames Screenshots were created using screenshots.pro.

About

Eldrum

Embark on a dark, immersive text-based RPG where your decisions dictate your fate. Experience D&D-inspired gameplay, strategic turn-based combat, and branching storylines in a richly crafted, grimdark world. Explore, uncover secrets, and forge your own path to one of multiple endings.

Highlights
  • Branching storylines with multiple endings
  • D&D-inspired gameplay mechanics
  • Strategic turn-based combat
  • Rich, dark, and immersive world
  • Exploration with secrets and side quests
  • Atmospheric audio and evocative imagery
Features
Read full description

Dive into a dark, immersive world where your choices shape your destiny. Eldrum: Black Dust is a gripping text-based RPG that combines the depth of D&D, the strategic gameplay of CRPGs, and the narrative freedom of CYOA gamebooks. Key Features: - Branching Storylines: Every decision matters in this grimdark adventure, leading to multiple endings. - D&D-Inspired Gameplay: Experience the depth of tabletop RPGs in a mobile format. - Turn-Based Combat: Engage in strategic 2D battles reminiscent of classic CRPGs. - Rich, Dark World: Explore a meticulously crafted universe filled with moral ambiguity and tough choices. - Immersive Experience: Vivid text descriptions enhanced by evocative imagery and atmospheric audio. - Exploration: Roam the desert city and its surroundings, uncovering secrets and side quests. Eldrum: Black Dust brings the essence of traditional gamebooks and CRPGs to your fingertips, with a modern twist. Whether you're a fan of Choose Your Own Adventure stories, D&D campaigns, or simply looking for a deep, narrative-driven experience, this game offers hours of captivating gameplay. Our commitment to accessibility shines through - Eldrum: Black Dust is proudly created by a studio recognized for developing the Best Mobile Game for Blind Users (AppleVis Game of the Year 2020). Embark on your journey through the dark and unforgiving world of Eldrum today. Every choice you make, every path you take, will leave its mark on the Black Dust. What tale will you weave, and which of the multiple endings will you unlock? Eldrum: Black Dust is the third game in the Eldrum series. The games' stories are linked and there are references between the games, but they can be played in any order. Download now and start your grimdark adventure!

Screenshots

The Salt Keep4 screens
Eldrum4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Salt Keep at none against Eldrum's 1. The Salt Keep also leads on price ($4.99 vs $8.99) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.4). Eldrum's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and ratings volume (159 vs 14). On rating, ads 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 Salt Keep costs $4.99 and Eldrum $8.99 up front. Eldrum sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Salt Keep asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Eldrum holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Eldrum has 159 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of The Salt Keep's written reviews are positive against 92% of Eldrum's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

The Salt Keep ships an update fortnightly, Eldrum every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
The Salt Keep versus Eldrum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThe Salt KeepEldrum
Price$4.99 — better$8.99
Rating4.7 (14 ratings)4.9 (159 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews92.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings14159 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#164 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB186 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperSmall Gray Games LLCAct None

Customer experience

The Salt Keep

All ratings14 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

Eldrum

All ratings159 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews51 reviews
Positive92.2%
Neutral3.9%
Negative3.9%

Bugs and requests

The Salt Keep

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Eldrum

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Voiceover issues with health display
  • RNG-heavy combat

Requested features

3 requests
  • More cities and activities
  • Ability to improve fighting skills
  • Clarity on save system

In-app purchases

None

The Salt Keep

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Eldrum

One-time1
  • Mount Karnak DLC$4.99

Questions

Is The Salt Keep free?
The Salt Keep costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Eldrum free?
Eldrum costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, The Salt Keep or Eldrum?
Eldrum is rated higher. The Salt Keep averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while Eldrum averages 4.9 from 159 ratings.
Do The Salt Keep or Eldrum have ads?
Neither The Salt Keep nor Eldrum shows ads.
Which is updated more often, The Salt Keep or Eldrum?
The Salt Keep ships an update fortnightly, and Eldrum every 3 days. Most recently, The Salt Keep was updated on October 21, 2026 and Eldrum on October 20, 2026.

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