Comparison

Naval Tactics vs The Elder Scrolls

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

Head to head
About

Naval Tactics

Command wooden ships in tactical Age of Sail naval combat. Engage in turn-based battles on a hexagonal map, outmaneuvering opponents with strategic fleet configurations and historical missions. Compete against friends or AI in this immersive board game experience.

Highlights
  • Age of Sail naval combat
  • Hexagonal map with Fog of War
  • Online asynchronous multiplayer
  • Historical missions
  • Custom sandbox missions
  • Single player vs AI
  • Simultaneous turn-based gameplay
Features
Read full description

"Be prepared to spend hours commanding your ships into glorious victory or crushing defeat." - SlideToPlay.com "The AI regularly cleans my clock until it gleams." - PocketTactics.com Hoist your sails and load the cannons as you embark for adventure on the high seas! Can you defeat your friends and best your enemies to become the Admiral of the Fleet? Naval Tactics: Captains of the Spanish Main is set in the Golden Age of Sail, where stout ships of wood were crewed by even stouter men. Nations at peace and at war engaged in naval actions on the high seas. Naval Tactics brings the proud tradition of great naval board games such as Wooden Ships and Iron Men to iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. TACTICAL WAR BOARD GAME From the hexagonal playing field to the potentially game changing Captain's Cards, Naval Tactics is a board game to its very roots. To succeed you will need to take your time, think three moves ahead, and mind the weather gauge! ONLINE ASYNCHRONOUS MULTIPLAYER Powered by the online system used by Starbase Orion, enjoy one of the best multiplayer experiences on the App Store with asynchronous, turn-based matches, real-time chat, unlimited number of concurrent games, automated match-making, and more! TRUE NAVAL COMBAT Naval Tactics prides itself on striving to capture the spirit of traditional naval combat in board game form. Configure your fleet using a variety of ships, from nimble Naval Cutters to massive Ships of the Line. Should you disable an opponent with bar shot or blast through their hull with double shot? Enterprising Captains will need to understand their vessels, their armaments, how they sail in relation to the wind, and the advantages of naval formations to best their fellows on the high seas. BALANCED COMPETITIVE PLAY Combining just the right amount of variety while maintaining a balanced engagement, Naval Tactics sets the bar for multiplayer naval combat on iOS. Choose your Captain's Cards, configure your fleet, outfit your ships, and embark on glorious battles knowing you will have to outwit your opponent to claim victory. HISTORICAL MISSIONS One cannot have a naval combat game without paying respect to the many true heroes who have shown their bravery on the seas. Live the Battle of Flamborough Head, the Constitution vs Guerriere, or the struggle at Trincomalee. More historical missions will be added in future updates! FEATURE SUMMARY • Age of Sail Naval Combat and Tactics • Hexagonal Map with Fog of War • Custom (Sandbox) Missions • Historical Missions • Simultaneous Turn-based Gameplay • Single Player vs AI • Top-notch Online Multiplayer • Pass-and-Play Multiplayer GUARANTEED PRICING While it is quite common for apps to become “free for a day”, Naval Tactics is not one of those apps. The standard price for Naval Tactics is $7.99 USD; it will never run a “free for a day” campaign.

About

The Elder Scrolls

Build and manage your own castle and dynasty across generations. Make crucial decisions, customize your stronghold, and send heroes on quests to protect your kingdom. Your choices shape your legacy.

Highlights
  • Build and customize your castle
  • Manage your dynasty across generations
  • Make impactful kingdom decisions
  • Train subjects and assign workstations
  • Complete epic quests with heroes
  • Equip heroes with epic gear
Features
Read full description

From Bethesda Game Studios, the award-winning developer behind Skyrim and Fallout Shelter, comes The Elder Scrolls: Castles – a new mobile game that puts you in control of your very own castle and dynasty. Oversee your subjects as the years come and go, families grow, and new rulers take the throne. BUILD YOUR DYNASTY Tell your story for generations - each day in real life covers the span of an entire year in The Elder Scrolls: Castles. Train your subjects, name heirs, and maintain order to help your kingdom flourish. Will you keep your subjects happy and ensure a long life for their ruler? Or will they grow discontent and plot assassination? MANAGE YOUR CASTLE Customize your castle from the ground up, adding and expanding rooms, placing lavish decorations and inspirational monuments, and even assign subjects to workstations to ensure your castle has the resources to thrive for years to come! RULE YOUR KINGDOM Make key decisions that impact your legacy. Will you risk a limited supply of food to aid a neighboring kingdom? How should a heated spat between your subjects be settled? Your choices determine if your rule will inspire prosperity or lead your castle to peril. COMPLETE EPIC QUESTS Create heroes, equip them with epic gear, and send them to battle against classic Elder Scrolls foes to collect valuable items and keep your kingdom growing.

Screenshots

Naval Tactics4 screens
The Elder Scrolls4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: The Elder Scrolls at Free against Naval Tactics's $4.99. The Elder Scrolls also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 24 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.2). Naval Tactics's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (78% vs 49%). On 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 Elder Scrolls is free to download; Naval Tactics costs $4.99 up front. Naval Tactics sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and The Elder Scrolls sells 39 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

The Elder Scrolls holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: The Elder Scrolls has 13K ratings behind it against 38, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of Naval Tactics's written reviews are positive against 49% of The Elder Scrolls's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Naval Tactics ships an update every 24 months, The Elder Scrolls every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Naval Tactics versus The Elder Scrolls: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNaval TacticsThe Elder Scrolls
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (38 ratings)4.6 (13K ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews — better49.2% of reviews
Number of ratings3813K — better
Update frequencyEvery 24 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.2 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size113 MB686 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperChimera Software, LLCBethesda

Customer experience

Naval Tactics

All ratings38 ratings
Positive81.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.4%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral4.3%
Negative17.4%

The Elder Scrolls

All ratings13,152 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral4.0%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews1,187 reviews
Positive49.2%
Neutral18.1%
Negative32.7%

Bugs and requests

Naval Tactics

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

The Elder Scrolls

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to select rooms without selecting characters
  • Accidental character movement due to poor UI
  • Inconsistent resource collection when game is closed

Requested features

4 requests
  • Multiple save files or restart option
  • More customization options for castle and characters
  • Improved character management tools
  • Deeper integration with Elder Scrolls lore and characters

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Naval Tactics

One-time1
  • Captain Arena Entry$0.99
39 purchases

The Elder Scrolls

One-time39
  • Event Bundle$0.99
  • Pouch of Gems - 50% discount$0.99
  • Imperial Decoration: Discount$1.99
Show 36 more
  • Legendary Shield Spellbreaker$1.99
  • Legendary Axe: Warlock Butcher$1.99
  • Pouch of Gems$1.99
  • Event Bundle$2.99
  • Potions and Scrolls$2.99
  • Imperial Decoration$3.99
  • Witch-Hunting Reinforcements$4.99
  • Small Starter Bundle$4.99
  • Emperor's Pass (7 days)$4.99
  • Sack of Gems$4.99
  • Magical Craftsmen$5.99
  • Legendary Event Subject Bundle$6.99
  • Redguard Bundle: New Blood$7.99
  • Holiday Feast Bundle$9.99
  • Satchel of Gems$9.99
  • Potions and Scrolls$9.99
  • Dwemer Furnace Bundle$9.99
  • Emperor's Pass (14 days)$9.99
  • Magical Craftsmen$9.99
  • Weekly Bundle: Silversmith$11.99
  • Put Your Dukes Up - Discount$11.99
  • A Bit of Everything$11.99
  • Decoration Pack$12.99
  • But make it fashion - discount$13.99
  • Emperor's Pass (30 days)$13.99
  • Large Starter Bundle$14.99
  • Weekly Bundle: It's Adore-able$17.99
  • Imperial Coffer of Gems$19.99
  • Weekly Bundle : A Noble Path$19.99
  • Weekly Bundle: A Mage's Touch$19.99
  • Biggest Bundle (Big Discount)$19.99
  • Emperor's Pass (1 year)$19.99
  • Strongbox of Gems$19.99
  • Put Your Dukes Up$29.99
  • Weekly Bundle: Silversmith$29.99
  • Imperial Coffer of Gems$99.99

Questions

Is Naval Tactics free?
Naval Tactics costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is The Elder Scrolls free?
The Elder Scrolls is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Naval Tactics or The Elder Scrolls?
The Elder Scrolls is rated higher. Naval Tactics averages 4.2 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while The Elder Scrolls averages 4.6 from 13K ratings.
Do Naval Tactics or The Elder Scrolls have ads?
The Elder Scrolls shows ads; Naval Tactics does not.
Which is updated more often, Naval Tactics or The Elder Scrolls?
Naval Tactics ships an update every 24 months, and The Elder Scrolls every 2 weeks. Most recently, Naval Tactics was updated on October 15, 2026 and The Elder Scrolls on October 20, 2026.

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