IMHO.

Avadon: The Black Fortress vs Avernum: Escape From the Pit

Avadon: The Black Fortress and Avernum: Escape From the Pit both land in Indie, RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Indie, RPG on Steam. Avadon: The Black Fortress (2011) is 1 year older than Avernum: Escape From the Pit (2012). Avernum: Escape From the Pit scores higher on Steam reviews (92% positive) than Avadon: The Black Fortress (82.6% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.

Which should you pick?

Choose Avadon: The Black Fortress

Choose Avadon: The Black Fortress if it matches what drew you to this matchup. Avadon: The Black Fortress launched in 2011.

Choose Avernum: Escape From the Pit

Choose Avernum: Escape From the Pit if you want a Strategy experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 92% positive across 943 reviews.

Both Avadon: The Black Fortress and Avernum: Escape From the Pit sit in Indie and RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.

Side-by-side comparison

Avadon: The Black Fortress vs Avernum: Escape From the Pit — Steam metadata comparison
Avadon: The Black Fortress — Steam game coverAvadon: The Black FortressAvernum: Escape From the Pit — Steam game coverAvernum: Escape From the Pit
Released20112012
GenresIndie, RPGStrategy, Indie, RPG
PlatformsWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows, macOS
Steam DeckDeck PlayableDeck Playable
Price9.99 USD9.99 USD
Steam reviews82.6% positive (357 reviews)92% positive (943 reviews)
MultiplayerSingle-player onlySingle-player only
DevelopersSpiderweb SoftwareSpiderweb Software

Side by side

Avadon: The Black Fortress vs Avernum: Escape From the Pit — FAQ

Which is better, Avadon: The Black Fortress or Avernum: Escape From the Pit?
On Steam reviews Avernum: Escape From the Pit scores higher (92% positive) than Avadon: The Black Fortress (82.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Avernum: Escape From the Pit is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
Should I play Avadon: The Black Fortress or Avernum: Escape From the Pit first?
If you want chronology, Avadon: The Black Fortress (2011) came out before Avernum: Escape From the Pit (2012). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
Are Avadon: The Black Fortress and Avernum: Escape From the Pit similar?
They overlap on Indie, RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.