Comparison

Blackwell 2 vs ScummVM

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

Head to head
About

Blackwell 2

Step into a 1973 Manhattan mystery as a medium and her spirit guide investigate a series of connected accidents. Uncover the truth behind an enigmatic killer's actions in this episodic adventure game.

Highlights
  • 1973 Manhattan setting
  • Supernatural mystery
  • Medium and spirit guide protagonists
  • Episodic story
  • Point-and-click adventure gameplay
Features
Read full description

The second game in Wadjet Eye's Blackwell mystery adventure series The year is 1973. The sound of a lone, ethereal saxophone drifts over the Roosevelt Island promenade, while a series of accidents plague a midtown construction site. The citizens of Manhattan take no notice of these events... but are they connected? Embittered medium Lauren Blackwell (aunt of Rosa Blackwell) and her spirit guide Joey Mallone are the only ones who believe that there is anything strange going on, and they are the only ones who can stop an enigmatic killer from striking again... This is the second in the series begun by "Blackwell 1: Legacy" (available now). The story is concluded in "Blackwell 3: Convergence" (available now), "Blackwell 4: Deception" (coming soon), and "Blackwell 5: Epiphany" (coming soon). Just Adventure - "I can't recommend this game enough. It has been one of the best gaming experiences I've had." Adventure Gamers - "There are some fine examples of adventure game writing here, and they clearly show the potential this series has." 3.5/5 Gamezebo - "Blackwell Unbound is a fun adventure worth clicking through." 3.5/5

About

ScummVM

Play classic graphical point-and-click adventure games and RPGs on your device. This application includes two playable demos and offers access to many more titles through its website. Enjoy a vast library of beloved retro games.

Highlights
  • Play classic adventure games
  • Play classic RPGs
  • Includes playable demos
  • Access to more games online
  • Open source software
Features
Read full description

ScummVM provides a way to play many classic graphical point-and-click adventure games and RPGs. The application is bundled with two playable demos, Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (DOS Demo) and The Secret of Monkey Island (DOS EGA Demo), both titles copyright of Lucasfilm Ltd. You can find more information, demos, and some free-to-download adventure games on our website. See also an up-to-date list here: https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Where_to_get_the_games Full documentation of ScummVM can be found at https://docs.scummvm.org/ Please visit our web forum where you can discuss the iOS version. https://forums.scummvm.org/viewforum.php?f=15 ScummVM is open source software available under the term of the GPL v3.0 license. The source code is available from https://github.com/scummvm/scummvm.

Screenshots

Blackwell 24 screens
ScummVM4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ScummVM at Free against Blackwell 2's $3.99. ScummVM also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 75 months) and review sentiment (88% vs 77%). Blackwell 2's advantage is chart position (#199 vs unranked). On rating, ratings volume, 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

ScummVM is free to download; Blackwell 2 costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Blackwell 2 against 4.8 for ScummVM. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 52 and 109 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of Blackwell 2's written reviews are positive against 88% of ScummVM's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blackwell 2 ships an update every 75 months, ScummVM every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Blackwell 2 versus ScummVM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlackwell 2ScummVM
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (52 ratings) — better4.8 (109 ratings)
Positive reviews76.7% of reviews87.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings52109 — better
Update frequencyEvery 75 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#199 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size231 MB176 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperWadjet Eye Games LLCEugene Sandulenko

Customer experience

Blackwell 2

All ratings52 ratings
Positive94.2%
Neutral3.8%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive76.7%
Neutral14.0%
Negative9.3%

ScummVM

All ratings106 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral0.9%
Negative2.8%
Written reviews33 reviews
Positive87.9%
Neutral9.1%
Negative3.0%

Bugs and requests

Blackwell 2

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

ScummVM

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • App crashes mid-game
  • Save feature does not save
  • Single-tap not registering as left click
  • Two-finger tap not registering as right click
  • Magic Keyboard touchpad not working
Show 5 more
  • Trackpad from new iPads not working
  • Cannot link OneDrive due to JSON response issue
  • Recently added games graying out
  • App crashes on second boot
  • External keyboard not working

Requested features

12 requests
  • Easier game search
  • Apple TV support
  • Gamepad key mapping support
  • Apple Pencil support
  • Magic Keyboard touchpad support
Show 7 more
  • Trackpad support
  • Change icon color
  • Support for Discworld Noir
  • DOSBox and FUSE support
  • NES interpreter support
  • Better iOS support for Grim Fandango & Escape From Monkey Island
  • More significant way to add games

In-app purchases

None

Blackwell 2

No in-app purchases

None

ScummVM

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blackwell 2 free?
Blackwell 2 costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ScummVM free?
ScummVM is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Blackwell 2 or ScummVM?
Blackwell 2 is rated higher. Blackwell 2 averages 4.8 out of 5 from 52 ratings, while ScummVM averages 4.8 from 109 ratings.
Do Blackwell 2 or ScummVM have ads?
Neither Blackwell 2 nor ScummVM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blackwell 2 or ScummVM?
Blackwell 2 ships an update every 75 months, and ScummVM every 4 months. Most recently, Blackwell 2 was updated on October 20, 2026 and ScummVM on October 27, 2026.

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