Eschalon: Book I vs Avadon: The Black Fortress
Eschalon: Book I and Avadon: The Black Fortress 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. Eschalon: Book I (2009) is 2 years older than Avadon: The Black Fortress (2011). Eschalon: Book I scores higher on Steam reviews (86% 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.
Side-by-side comparison
 Eschalon: Book I |  Avadon: The Black Fortress | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2009 | 2011 |
| Genres | Indie, RPG | Indie, RPG |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 86% positive (264 reviews) | 82.6% positive (357 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Basilisk Games | Spiderweb Software |
Side by side
- Both share Indie, RPG on Steam.
- Eschalon: Book I (2009) is 2 years older than Avadon: The Black Fortress (2011).
- Eschalon: Book I scores higher on Steam reviews (86% positive) than Avadon: The Black Fortress (82.6% positive).
- Eschalon: Book I is free; Avadon: The Black Fortress is paid (9.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Eschalon: Book I vs Avadon: The Black Fortress — FAQ
- Which is better, Eschalon: Book I or Avadon: The Black Fortress?
- On Steam reviews Eschalon: Book I scores higher (86% positive) than Avadon: The Black Fortress (82.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Eschalon: Book I is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Eschalon: Book I or Avadon: The Black Fortress first?
- If you want chronology, Eschalon: Book I (2009) came out before Avadon: The Black Fortress (2011). 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 Eschalon: Book I and Avadon: The Black Fortress 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.
- Is Eschalon: Book I free?
- Yes — Eschalon: Book I is a free-to-play Steam title. Avadon: The Black Fortress is paid (9.99 USD).