# A Dark Room vs Eldrum

The clearest difference is price: Eldrum at Free against A Dark Room's $1.99. Eldrum also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). A Dark Room's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and chart position (#32 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Eldrum is free to download; A Dark Room costs $1.99 up front. Eldrum sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. A Dark Room asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for A Dark Room against 4.7 for Eldrum. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.7K and 1.4K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of A Dark Room's written reviews are positive against 87% of Eldrum's.

A Dark Room ships an update every 2 months, Eldrum every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | A Dark Room | Eldrum |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-dark-room/id736683061/reviews)** | [4.7 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eldrum-untold-text-rpg/id1486667077/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.7K** | 1.4K |
| Positive reviews | **92.7% of reviews** | 86.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 100 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Amirali Rajan](https://appshunter.io/developer/736683064) | [Act None](https://appshunter.io/developer/1652633881) |

## What reviewers say

### A Dark Room

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-dark-room/id736683061)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Paid · Role Playing, #57 Top Paid · Adventure (US App Store)

Awaken in a mysterious world with a throbbing head and blurry vision. Follow the voices' instructions to survive and explore this text-based adventure. Experience a game free from ads, loot boxes, in-app purchases, and tracking, fully playable with VoiceOver.

**Highlights:** Text-based adventure, Survival mechanics, Exploration, Resource management, VoiceOver compatible, No ads or IAP

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Eldrum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/eldrum-untold-text-rpg/id1486667077)

Embark on a text-based RPG adventure where your choices shape the narrative. Explore a world of warring factions, gather equipment, and develop your character. Discover secrets and multiple endings in this immersive interactive fiction.

**Highlights:** Text-based choices adventure RPG, Character building and equipment, Multiple endings, Over 8 hours of playtime, Secrets to discover, Supports phones and tablets, Accessible for blind/low-vision players

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade from Basic to Premium | $1.99 | one-time |
| Basic | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Immersive story and world-building
- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and music
- 🕹️ Engaging gameplay with meaningful choices
- 🔍 Lots of secrets and replayability
- 💰 Fair pricing model (one-time purchase)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔍 Lack of guidance/hints can be frustrating
- 🕰️ Relatively short main story
- 🤖 Combat system could use more depth
- 🔄 Limited ability to revisit previous areas

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional softlocks/progression blockers
- Typos and minor text issues

**Requested features**

- More content/story expansions
- Ability to carry over progress/decisions to sequels
- Additional languages (e.g., Russian, Spanish)
- Improved inventory/save management


## Frequently asked questions

### Is A Dark Room free?

A Dark Room costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Eldrum free?

Eldrum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, A Dark Room or Eldrum?

A Dark Room is rated higher. A Dark Room averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2.7K ratings, while Eldrum averages 4.7 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do A Dark Room or Eldrum have ads?

Neither A Dark Room nor Eldrum shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, A Dark Room or Eldrum?

A Dark Room ships an update every 2 months, and Eldrum every 9 days. Most recently, A Dark Room was updated on October 16, 2026 and Eldrum on October 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*