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.
Avernum: Escape From the Pit vs Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny
Avernum: Escape From the Pit and Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny 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. Avernum: Escape From the Pit (2012) is 1 year older than Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny (2013). Avernum: Escape From the Pit scores higher on Steam reviews (92% positive) than Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny (44.1% 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 Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny
Choose Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny if you want an Adventure experience. Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny launched in 2013.
Both Avernum: Escape From the Pit and Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny 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
 Avernum: Escape From the Pit |  Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2012 | 2013 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, RPG | Indie, Adventure, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 92% positive (943 reviews) | 44.1% positive (136 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Spiderweb Software | United Independent Entertainment, Crafty Studios |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Avernum: Escape From the Pit (2012) is 1 year older than Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny (2013).
- Avernum: Escape From the Pit scores higher on Steam reviews (92% positive) than Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny (44.1% positive).
- Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny is currently ~0% cheaper on Steam than Avernum: Escape From the Pit (9.99 USD vs. 9.99 USD).
- Avernum: Escape From the Pit is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny has no Deck rating yet.
Avernum: Escape From the Pit vs Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny — FAQ
- Which is better, Avernum: Escape From the Pit or Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny?
- On Steam reviews Avernum: Escape From the Pit scores higher (92% positive) than Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny (44.1% 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 Avernum: Escape From the Pit or Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny first?
- If you want chronology, Avernum: Escape From the Pit (2012) came out before Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny (2013). 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 Avernum: Escape From the Pit and Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny 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.
- Does Avernum: Escape From the Pit run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Avernum: Escape From the Pit is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Realms of Arkania: Blade of Destiny doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.