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.
Avadon: The Black Fortress vs Avernum 2: Crystal Souls
Avadon: The Black Fortress and Avernum 2: Crystal Souls 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 4 years older than Avernum 2: Crystal Souls (2015). Avernum 2: Crystal Souls scores higher on Steam reviews (92.5% 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 Avernum 2: Crystal Souls
Choose Avernum 2: Crystal Souls if you want a Strategy and Adventure experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 92.5% positive across 201 reviews.
Both Avadon: The Black Fortress and Avernum 2: Crystal Souls 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 |  Avernum 2: Crystal Souls | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2011 | 2015 |
| Genres | Indie, RPG | Strategy, Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 5.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 82.6% positive (357 reviews) | 92.5% positive (201 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Spiderweb Software | Spiderweb Software |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Avadon: The Black Fortress (2011) is 4 years older than Avernum 2: Crystal Souls (2015).
- Avernum 2: Crystal Souls scores higher on Steam reviews (92.5% positive) than Avadon: The Black Fortress (82.6% positive).
- Avernum 2: Crystal Souls is currently ~40% cheaper on Steam than Avadon: The Black Fortress (5.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Avadon: The Black Fortress vs Avernum 2: Crystal Souls — FAQ
- Which is better, Avadon: The Black Fortress or Avernum 2: Crystal Souls?
- On Steam reviews Avernum 2: Crystal Souls scores higher (92.5% positive) than Avadon: The Black Fortress (82.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Avernum 2: Crystal Souls 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 2: Crystal Souls first?
- If you want chronology, Avadon: The Black Fortress (2011) came out before Avernum 2: Crystal Souls (2015). 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 2: Crystal Souls 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.