best order to play the avernum series

[The Jasper Mage]

I think I own all the avernum games, but I haven't played them all. But I have an itch. what is the best order to play them in do you recon?

[Twistor]

These threads may answer your question.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/208400/discussions/0/1457328927847272970/

https://steamcommunity.com/app/208400/discussions/0/133259227511222226/

https://steamcommunity.com/app/208400/discussions/0/606068060835829290/

https://steamcommunity.com/app/208400/discussions/0/483368526586309780/

[Strangerhand]

Avernum: Escape from the Pit is a remake, a second remake, of a game entitled Exile: Escape from the Pit [1995; Win3.x, Mac].
https://www.mobygames.com/game/exile-escape-from-the-pit
That one is abandonware now, but you can play the Win3.x version great via DOSbox with Windows 3.x setup on it. Exile: Escape from the Pit has two sequels, subtitled: Crystal Souls [1995] and Ruined World [1996] respectively.

Exile: Escape from the Pit was remade for the first time, entitled Avernum [2000; Win, Mac].
https://www.mobygames.com/game/avernum
It's right now available for digital retail sale at Good Old Games, and works just fine, no prob, on my Win10, x64 computer.
https://www.gog.com/game/avernum_the_complete_saga
Also includes Avernum 2 thru 6 and also Blades of Avernum.

Then came more recently Avernum: Escape from the Pit [2011; Win, Mac, and some other crap platforms, whatever], Exile: Escape from the Pit remade a second time.
https://www.mobygames.com/game/avernum-escape-from-the-pit
This is available for digital retail sale at Good Old Games and here at Steam. Currently it has two sequels with the same subtitles as the Exile sequels.

[Twistor]

The old Exile games are actually freeware. No need to go to pirate abandonware sites - they give it out for free themselves.

https://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/exile/winexile.html

This game is now free to play.

[Strangerhand]

Originally posted by Twistor:

The old Exile games are actually freeware. No need to go to pirate abandonware sites - they give it out for free themselves.

https://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/exile/winexile.html

This game is now free to play.

Ah! Thanks for the correction, I'd forgotten that Spiderweb Software, Inc., the makers and property-holders, had given it away, e.g., declared it Freeware, not Abandonware, thanks!

By the way: Abandonwares are not pirated; only (currently) Commercial software can be pirated.
But that's an entirely other subject. And in either case: Public Domain, Freeware, or Abandonware, Exile: Escape from the Pit is free of charge, it's yours! What a great deal! hehehehehehe Now also buy Avernum and Avernum: Escape from the Pit. They're worth every penny, in each case hehehe

[Twistor]

Originally posted by Strangerhand:

Originally posted by Twistor:

The old Exile games are actually freeware. No need to go to pirate abandonware sites - they give it out for free themselves.

https://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/exile/winexile.html

Ah! Thanks for the correction, I'd forgotten that Spiderweb Software, Inc., the makers and property-holders, had given it away, e.g., declared it Freeware, not Abandonware, thanks!

By the way: Abandonwares are not pirated; only (currently) Commercial software can be pirated.
But that's an entirely other subject. And in either case, Public Domain, Freeware, or Abandonware, Exile:Escape from the Pit is free of charge, it's yours! What a great deal! hehehehehehe Now also buy Avernum and Avernum: Escape from the Pit. They're worth every penny, in each case hehehe

I see, we could hold up a healthy debate about the technicalities of the various -wares but this is probably not the place for that.

Exile series is great. It's a rare gem from the wild west era of computer games. But it's also mightily outdated, so if you can even run it, your first foe will be the user interface. That is, unless you're well-versed with 80s and 90s adventure games with typing commands.

The Avernum remakes and the present re-remakes make the games way more approachable and in my opinion they keep the magic and atmosphere from the originals aflame.

[UncleYar]

The easy path would be to play the latest series of Avernum remakes starting with the 2012 title, in the forums of which you are currently posting. The story is one of the best thing about Avernum games so I can't imagine why you'd like to play them out of order.

If you hate automated quest logs, Morrowind-style fast travel and having a big world map which spoils even "secret" plot locations, you might want to skip the remakes and go with the original series of Avernum games[www.avernum.com]. You'll have to set your screen to 800x600 resolution though, and your keyboard needs to have a keypad.

Check out my review of this game to know how to fix a graphics bug some people are experiencing, and for reasons why you might prefer the older series.

Unlike other people I haven't played the original Exile games, so I can't comment about them.