The hack-and-slash, action role-playing gameplay of the Diablo series is so damn compelling. Constantly picking up loot drops, fighting against formidable creatures, and perfecting your character’s loadout is all part of the fun. However, when you’ve done all there is to do in Diablo, Diablo 2, and Diablo 3, you may be wondering if there are games like Diablo to play if you’re looking for something similar. Fortunately, you’re in luck, and we’ve got a complete list of games like Diablo for you just down below.
Also check out our Top 10 Best Loot-Heavy Games That Will Eat Up Your Time if you’re looking for even more suggestions.
Torchlight 2
Torchlight 2 is one of the strongest games like Diablo in this list of games, and while it doesn’t necessarily do anything new, it does almost everything very well.
Although Torchlight 2 is definitely superior, there’s also no reason you can’t start with the first game, which is also a pretty strong entry. Both games take place in a fantasy world where a mysterious ore called Ember can imbue people and items with magical power.
A mining boomtown known as Torchlight is nestled above a rich vein of Ember, drawing adventurers and all other kinds to it, seeking fame and fortune.
If you’ve played Diablo you’ll feel right at home with Torchlight 2, which uses a similar top-down action-RPG style. Dungeons are randomly generated, and you’ll have access to four different classes to choose from: Engineer, Outlander, Berserker, and Embermage.
Unlike a lot of randomly generated games, however, each dungeon in Torchlight is made up of “chunks” hand designed with special objectives or objects to interact with, as well as scripted events. So while each dungeon is random, the developers wanted to make things feel more purposeful or unique.
There’s plenty of loot to grab from enemies to change up your equipment, and you can periodically return to Torchlight to buy items or take a break. Even better, you’ll have a pet creature that accompanies you through the game to keep you company while you explore.
Marvel Heroes
If you’re a fan of both Marvel and are looking for games like Diablo, Marvel Heroes is the game for you. It’s a free-to-play action RPG that features a massive roster of characters to play as, with everyone from Spider-Man to Squirrel Girl.
There are over 100 different characters to choose from, as you travel through various locations in the Marvel Universe like Hell’s Kitchen, Avenger’s Tower, and Latveria.
The game features a typical ARPG combat system, with each character having various skills and abilities to use. You unlock skill points as your hero levels up which you can put into skill trees that generally focus on specific abilities of each character, like the Assault, Firepower, and Demolition trees for the Punisher.
Interestingly, the game also features raids, allowing groups of 10 players to take on a series of bosses and challenges. There’s a story mode to complete, as well as many optional activities and events.
While the game is free-to-play and has microtransactions, you can obtain pretty much everything by earning the in-game currency. Marvel Heroes might be a nice change of pace from the typically dark and fantasy themed settings of action-RPG like Diablo.
Path of Exile
Path of Exile is another title heavily inspired by Diablo, although unlike others it’s a free-to-play title on PC and Xbox One. You play as an Exile, cast away and struggling to survive on the island of Wraeclast. You need to gain power and the ability to take revenge against the people that wronged you.
Much like Torchlight, every area in the game, except for major encampments, is randomly generated. The developers, Grinding Gear Games, set out to make a Diablo style game, as they were frustrated by the lack of releases in the genre.
As you might expect, you play the game from a top-down perspective, with action-based combat. There are six classes to choose from, with each centered around one of three core attributes: strength, dexterity, and intelligence.
Path of Exile has an incredibly fast combat system that pits you against a wide array of enemy types, with loot and items also being randomly generated. You can slot different skill gems into your equipment to alter your skills in battle and provide stat boosts as well. Because of this, a big focus of the game becomes finding equipment that works well together and gives you the best advantage.
This game is definitely one of the best games like Diablo, and one that no fan of Blizzard’s series should miss. There’s plenty of content to dig into as well, since the game has received two sizable expansions at this point.
Titan Quest
Titan Quest has a big difference from most top-down RPGs, its setting. The game is set in Ancient Greece, having you do battle with mythical creatures and foes, and you’ll also be traveling to Ancient Egypt and Asia.
Gameplay is pretty standard for what you’d find in the genre, and you’re able to choose from weapons like swords, clubs, axes, staves, and more. After leveling up you’ll gain access to masteries, a skill tree system that lets you hone in on the abilities of your character.
There are eight total masteries to pick from, and you’ll be able to focus on two at a time, mixing and matching skills how you want.
Interestingly, Titan Quest also features co-op multiplayer that lets you join other players’ games and battle monsters together, even being able to exchange loot. The game also features a level editor with tons of different resources and options for players to build and share their own levels.
On top of these features, Titan Quest’s unique setting makes it one of the finest games like Diablo right now.
Borderlands
Borderlands may not be quite what you imagine when you think of games like Diablo, but there’s a ton in common between the two. The whole progression and gameplay loop of Borderlands is very Diablo-esque.
Picking up new guns and weapons is the main focus of Borderlands, and there’s an absolutely absurd amount of loot to be found in the game. There’s also four, highly different, classes for you to choose between when you start the game.
Each one approaches the game differently, and each is a Vault Hunter on the alien planet of Pandora, searching for their fortune. Borderlands is well known for its weird and wacky characters, like Craptrap, the vulgar but lovable robot.
Borderlands is easily one of the most loot heavy games out there, but it’s a first-person shooter through and through. Although the gameplay may be significantly different from Diablo, if you’re looking for a robust loot system that can compare to the series, you might want to give Borderlands 3 a shot. It is, by far, the most polished entry of the entire series, and you can hop into the Tiny Tina expansion as well if you find yourself wanting more.
Destiny 2
Similar to Borderlands, Destiny 2 might not necessarily be the first game that comes to mind when you’re thinking of playing a game that’s kinda like Diablo. This is a first-person shooter game from Bungie, but it nails down that compelling looting grind that Diablo fans will surely enjoy.
It’s worth mentioning that Destiny 2 has since gone down the free-to-play route, meaning there’s hardly any barriers to entry if you’re looking to check it out for the first time. The gunplay continues to be the main highlight of Destiny 2, and you’ll find yourself easily sinking hundreds of hours running Strikes, Nightfalls, and Raids just to get your Power level higher and to hunt down the next Exotic gear for your collection.
Grim Dawn
Grim Dawn is made by Crate Entertainment, although it runs on the same engine as Titan Quest, which they licensed from the developer Iron Lore. The game is set in a dark fantasy world inspired by the Victorian Era, with the human race driven to the brink of extinction.
The world of Cairn is home to a fierce battle between two otherworldly powers, with pockets of humans scattered, watching and learning about the weaknesses of the two invaders.
Grim Dawn sticks more to the old style of Diablo I and II, opting for carefully crafted levels instead of randomly generated games like Diablo III or Path of Exile.
It’s a traditional hack-and-slash experience with plenty of loot, a crafting system, and improved physics over that of Titan Quest.
Grim Dawn also features a hybrid class system that allows you to mix and match abilities of its various classes like Necromancer, Inquisitor, Arcanist, and Occultist. If you want something that more matches the style of classic Diablo, then look no further than Grim Dawn.
Magicka 2
Magicka 2 is one of the games like Diablo the most in terms of gameplay style, although it does feature a loot system that gives you access to unlockable weapons and equipment. You play as a small, but powerful, wizard, exploring various dungeons and locations.
The real trick to Magicka 2 is its ambitious magic system, which lets you combine a variety of spells in quick button presses. The point of the game is experimenting with all these combinations and finding what weird and powerful attacks you can unleash.
There is logic behind the system, like combining water and fire to create steam, but there’s so many possibilities to take advantage of.
Of course, Magicka 2 isn’t just a single-player game, as you can bring up to three other friends along to really make things hectic. Because of its gameplay style Magicka can, at times, almost feel like a combination between the hack-and-slash genre and something like a twin stick shooter.
Still, it’ll definitely scratch that Diablo itch, and its magic system can be a heck of a lot of fun.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is based on the classic novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. It’s set in a Gothic-noir version of 19th-century Europe, casting you as son of the titular Van Helsing himself. The game doesn’t stick beat for beat with the novel of course, working in magic, monsters, and advanced technology.
A lot about Van Helsing’s gameplay matches the Diablo mold, with hack-and-slash focused gameplay, and a skill system that allows you to build your character in different ways.
It’s another game that features four-player co-op meaning you don’t need to go it alone, and there’s even a unique feature that lets you protect your hideout with different traps and defenses, to fend off waves of enemies.
There’s plenty here to appeal to fans of Diablo, and even two more games in the series if you find you want to keep going.
Victor Vran
Victor Vran sports a Helsing-inspired setting, casting you as the demon hunter Victor Vran who travels to the fictional city of Zagarovia. There he has to help the city’s inhabitants ward off a demon invasion of unknown origins.
Victor Vran is one of the games like Diablo most in its gameplay style, as it isn’t incredibly loot heavy. However, there’s still a moderate amount of equipment and weapons to be found that directly affect your character.
Each player starts as the same Victor Vran, but interestingly your class and skill set is determined by the weapon you choose to use. Demon powers offer further customization letting you level up and gain skills like blink or time bubble. Each area in the game also has a number of optional objectives to complete that offer extra rewards.
Victor Vran has a lot of customization you can make for your character, and its combat is a bit faster than some of the other games like Diablo. Combine that with the interesting mix of fantasy and science in its setting, and you have one of the more unique games like Diablo.
Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms
Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms puts a unique spin on fitting into the category of games like Diablo, and it features a dark aesthetic and story. Instead of playing as the hero you play as the Devourer, a powerful demon with the ability to travel between the living and the shadow world.
You have the ability to devour the souls of your enemies, actually putting them under your control as playable characters in the living world. Up to three enemies can be under your control at a time, allowing for a party of four.
There’s plenty of loot to be found in both worlds, and the ability to switch between the two really is the game’s biggest strength. Both the living and shadow world have their own secrets and quests, encouraging exploration on the player’s part.
Dungeon Siege II
Dungeon Siege is one of the other series that’s brought a lot of games like Diablo, and Dungeon Siege II is arguably the strongest entry in the series. Releasing in 2005, the second game made some big improvements on the first both graphically and gameplay-wise.
Dungeon Siege II revolves around fighting a war against the evil nation of Valdis, who you originally worked for as a mercenary. You create your character and build a party of four characters as you adventure, and there are four different skill paths to choose from; melee, ranged, combat magic, and nature magic.
The customization system is quite deep, with multiple options on how you want to pursue skills, or if you want to multiclass and build a hybrid character.
Fans of Diablo (and games like Diablo, for that matter) also won’t be disappointed, as there’s a ton of loot to be found in the game, with plenty of equipment to make your party stronger.
Bastion
Bastion may be quite a bit shorter than most games here, but it has Diablo-like elements while trying some incredibly original things. The entire game is framed around the voice of a narrator, walking through everything you do on-screen. You play as “The Kid,” wandering through a broken world destroyed by the Calamity and unraveling the mystery about it.
Bastion plays out from an isometric angle, and it’s one of the faster-paced games like Diablo. You can carry two weapons at any given time, which can be swapped out at various points throughout the game.
It doesn’t have quite the same loot focus as games like Diablo, but during each level you do collect special moves and health potions to use. Both of these function as kinds of “loot” in matches, providing a unique feel instead of just being able to buy whatever you want.
If you want a gripping narrative with Diablo-style gameplay, Bastion is a sure fit.
Divinity: Original Sin
Divinity: Original Sin is an interesting title, as it actually combines gameplay elements from multiple genres. It has the loot-heavy focus of games like Diablo, but combat actually plays out in a turn-based manner. You play as a pair of “Source Hunters,” whose job it is to hunt down traces of Source Magic in the world and eliminate it.
There’s a gripping narrative to be found in the game, and lots of exploration and item hunting. Combat, however, is probably the most interesting part of Divinity: Original Sin. While it is turn-based, there’s a big emphasis on using the environment.
Throughout the game, your arsenal of spells and abilities grows vastly, and you’ll need to do some experimentation to see how things combine or interact with the environment. You can even play in co-op mode with a friend if you want to bring someone along for the ride.
Original Sin is one of the great games like Diablo that scratches the itch, while simultaneously giving you a different kind of experience.
We’d be remiss not to mention Divinity: Original Sin 2 as well, which is a straight upgrade of the original game with an even more compelling story and improved combat mechanics. The role-playing possibilities feel truly endless here, allowing you to either go through the story as one of the pre-set characters, or an original character of your own creation.
We’d highly recommend going with one of the existing characters, and don’t forget to get Pet Pal.
Vikings – Wolves of Midgard
Vikings – Wolves of Midgard is one of the few action-RPG games like Diablo with a Norse mythology setting, and that alone sets it apart from the rest of the genre. At the start you’ll create your Viking warrior, outfitting them with different items of clothing, jewelry, and tattoos, then select a Deity which chooses your class.
The story takes place after Ragnarok, with you being the sole hero that can save the Viking world. There’s a moderate amount of loot but systems like crafting and stat points are kept streamlined so there’s more of a focus on combat.
During combat you’ll need to use a mix of basic attacks, dodges, and skills, with many of the game’s bosses having their own unique mechanics.
Vikings is relatively short, and it may feel fairly simplistic next to some of the more complex games of the genre. However, it’s unique setting makes it an interesting alternative.
DeathSpank Series
There are actually three games in the DeathSpank series with DeathSpank, DeathSpank: The Thongs of Virtue, and The Baconing. Each game in the series serves as a kind of lite, humorous take on the Diablo-style title.
There’s a wealth of different weapons and armor that you can equip, and combat revolves around chaining combos together. DeathSpank has a Justice Meter that, when full, can be used to unleash a devastating special attack on enemies.
Each game has various main quests and side quests to undertake, and there’s a degree of choice worked in that can change how the narrative plays out.
DeathSpank’s writing is generally good, and the more humorous take is a breath of fresh air compared to the usual dark and mature titles we get for the genre.
The games are a bit smaller than your usual games like Diablo, clocking in at roughly 9-15 hours each, but the bite-sized games might be a good change of pace.
And there you have our full list of games like Diablo if you’re looking for something similar. We’ll be updating our post soon with more games as they release, so be sure to check back in the near future.
Published: May 29, 2023 11:43 pm