This post was last updated on September 1, 2023
If the announcement of Diablo 4 has you ready to ready for more hack and slash adventure, we’ve got you covered. Barbarians, demon hunters, and necromancers alike may have to wait at least until November 2020 for the new installment to hit stores and digital shelves.
The good news? We’ve got plenty of RPG games set in a lot of wild worlds to help you brush up on your demon-slaying before Diablo 4 comes out. Get in on the action (and the loot) with the 11 best games like Diablo that’ll put the same hellish fire in your blood.
Best Games Like Diablo (Our #1 Pick): Grim Dawn
If Diablo’s gameplay was too easy for you, you’ll find the challenge you seek in Grim Dawn. Swarms of foes human and beast alike in this Victorian-inspired world will have you fighting for your life.
Grim Dawn is a nonstop action-adventure that will take you from demons and dungeons to armies of outlaw cowboys. This might not be the Wild West, but it’s just as chaotic, so watch your back. Don’t come crying to us if you’re struck down by a post-apocalyptic priest.
Grim Dawn features six different types of characters, and they all have incredible powers. With a dual-class system and customizable features, your character can defeat opponents using a skillset unique to that character’s type.
This game isn’t a linear path through set chapters and stories. We told you it’s chaos, remember? Your actions throughout the game will set the storyline, giving you a grimmer gameplay experience depending on your decisions—kind of like real life.
No matter how miserable you make yourself, though, the ending stays the same. If you prefer games with a lot of alternate endings, you might be disappointed.
You have to sift through massive amounts of loot to get gems (you know, the good stuff), so if you’ve got hot blood and thin patience, try something else.
If you’re looking for something like Diable, but a little more intense, Grim Dawn might be the answer.
Best Free Game Like Diablo: Path of Exile
Path of Exile has more RPG features than you could ever ask for. Plus, it’s updated so often that you’ll never run out of things to explore. What could be better?
How about this: it’s free. Yes, Grinding Gear Games thinks of your wallet suffering beneath your RPG obsession when you won’t. This is the only free game on this list, by the way.
Path of Exile isn’t just about the battles. Check out the fantasy art in this one! That is, if you have time with the fast-paced gameplay.
You’ll rarely encounter the same dungeon, loot, or enemies because the game randomly generates them. This one game gives you a lot of different experiences, so if you finish it before Diablo 4 comes out, just play it over again!
Your character’s league determines the game’s difficulty setting. Choose from 7 types of characters, each with 3 subclasses. Go beyond conventional models and set fusion skills to make your character the biggest and baddest they can be!
Path of Exile has a sprawling skill tree system for passive character refinements, too. It’s easy to feel like this system is too cumbersome, but it’s worth climbing the skillset branches when you beat down your enemies.
Path of Exile’s good vs. evil medieval storyline provokes some serious nostalgia for games like Diablo, but it’s a whole new experience. As in, it’s a fresh story every time you play it. Download it from Steam today (and share this one with your Diablo and free game-loving friends)!
Torchlight 2
Torchlight 2 comes closest to Diablo’s equally evil twin. You might mistake one for the other if you only glance at the fantasy world, armor and gear, and UI.
In this mining town setting, you excavate a precious ore known as Ember, which gives people and items magical properties. The game’s plot will have you digging for loot for hours, but if you’re looking for a cast of character types, you’re out of luck. There are only four—far fewer than other RPG games.
Torchlight breaks from Diablo with its MOD options. With these, you can manage your loot, increase missions and quests, and access other class options. You can even bring along a dog or a cat if you don’t want to be alone in the mines.
When you’re looking for games like Diablo, Torchlight 2 as close in plot and setting as you’ll get.
Titan Quest
If you want a break from hellish demons, Titan Quest takes you to a whole new setting: Ancient Greece. You won’t face devils of the underworld, but we promise titans pack just as much power. Unlike the real Titans, this game hasn’t been struck down by lightning or lethal fans.
Titan Quest was initially released in 2006 and climbed out of Tartarus in 2016 with a ten-year anniversary update. The cut scenes and buffering make it look like the granddad of more recent RPGs, but this game hasn’t reached boomer status quite yet.
Titan Quest isn’t some button mashing, spell casting free-for-all. You see each attack as it happens, and the redial system lets you change your attack direction to literally kick monster ass.
Titan Quest is a lot like Diablo in its story quest, character progression, loot escapades, and fantasy world adventuring. Customize your gaming experience with a custom level editor and choose from 8 classes where you can focus on two at a time.
The co-op features even let you play with a friend. You might need one for this game, so gather your team on Mount Olympus and descend like the gods you are.
One last thing—you’ll learn a lot about Greek mythology in Titan Quest. It’s way better than any textbook you’ve ever opened. Titan Quest is one of the more engaging stories for games like Diablo.
Din’s Curse
Diablo 1 & 2 had something unique. Eerie dungeon settings and creatures leaping out of the dark made things so intense, you had to stop and wipe the sweat off your palms.
Din’s Curse brings that intensity back from the dead. In this game, you venture through layers of dungeon levels when you battle enemies that jump out of the shadows. The graphics are dated, but the gameplay is on par with Diablo when it comes to loot and adventure.
The game features a robust class system, which means you can choose from seven classes that each have three skill trees. Or you can select a hybrid class and combine two skill trees for even more powerful punches.
Din’s Curse seems simplistic at first, but there is one thing we didn’t mention. If your townspeople die, you lose the game. You’re responsible for everyone’s lives now. No pressure.
Din’s Curse has been out for a while now, and it’s one of the best games like Diablo you can get your sweaty hands on.
Throne of Darkness
A brutal hack and slash dungeon crawler, Throne of Darkness has all the great qualities of an action RPG with a story you’ve never seen before. You’re looking at a samurai zombie RPG right here. In this game, you fight as a group of samurai warriors against a dark warlord who’s awakened the undead.
Most of the elements of Throne of Darkness seem like they’ve been ripped straight from the Diablo franchise. It has similar shrines, inventory, skill trees, and stats, which might bore you if you’re looking for a totally new UI experience.
What sets this game apart from Diablo and others like it is this: you don’t have to choose one class. You play as all seven at once.
Your samurai group has members of all classes, and you play as a sort of hive mind, using all their skills as you see fit. That’s versatility you can’t get from most games in any genre, never mind those set in a world like Diablo.
If you love Diablo play-alikes and Japanese themes, you’ll slice your way through this game. When it comes to games like Diablo, the setting of Throne of Darkness steps way outside the RPG box.
Darkstone
Darkstone is like the vintage cars and vinyl of gaming. Originally released on the PS1 in 1999, Dark Stone is the oldest title on the list. If you’re an old school Diablo player, jump on it.
It’s got all the fixings for an iconic hack and slash game. Destroy skeletons, goblins, and fire golems in combat to earn EXP and level up.
But you’d better be quick! The longer you play, the older you get, and you lose dexterity along the way. This might feel too real if you’re already in the world of adult pain and general dysfunction.
Darkstone is one of the few games that remembers women play RPGs, too. The game has 4 classes of women (amazon, thief, priestess, or sorceress) and 4 classes of men (warrior, wizard, monk, or assassin). No rigid gender roles here!
Collect all seven magical crystals to defeat the dragon and get your fix of vintage games like Diablo with Dark Stone.
Magicka 2
If you usually pick the necromancer, wizard, or monk in Diablo, Magicka 2 is your new obsession. But if you want diversity in your class system, you won’t find it here. There are no classes of characters at all. You just have one option—an all-powerful wizard with thousands of spells at your disposal.
You’ve got eight different elements for spells, and you can cast with up to five of them at once. The combination of these elements creates some rare and impressive spells that don’t totally ignore the laws of science. For example, water and fire still make steam.
Along the journey, you unlock artifacts that change the gameplay. You can get anything from health boosts to teleportation to laugh tracks. Hey, we never said all the artifacts were useful.
Magicka 2 features the same fantastical gameplay as Diablo but with tons more magic that will cast any top-level magician to the top spot.
You might want to find some friends for this one. Levels are difficult to beat without multiple players, and it’s easy to give up if you’re playing solo. You don’t have to share your loot, but if you want to survive, get a group.
If you’re looking for magic-heavy games like Diablo, Magicka 2 will set you exactly where you want to be.
Darksiders 3
Darksiders 3 has that classic angels vs. demons story like Diablo but lacks the side quests, character configuration, and item collection that slows down gameplay. If you like those elements, there are plenty of other games like Diablo that have them.
The upside to the lack of side quests is that you can plow through the game in about 14 to 16 hours. That’s a sliver of the time it takes to finish Diablo and games like it, and it’s great if you just want a quick action fix.
Melee attacks reign supreme in this game. You’ll have no problem defeating enemies if you play like your life depends on it. Learn their tells during timed attacks and you’ll win your way through the bad guys in no time.
The game only has one character, so don’t expect character types and classes here. All you have is the game’s heroine, Fury, who’s out to defeat the seven deadly sins. In Darksiders 3, you’re on an ambitious mission to rid the world of evil—a tall order for such a short game.
More recently, Darksiders II: The Deathinitive Edition was just released for the Nintendo Switch.
Sacred 2
For those who want more elaborate games like Diablo, try Sacred 2. It has sprawling maps and 600 side quests to complete. Don’t expect to get any sleep when you’re playing this one.
This is the button mashing, hammer smashing, and hacking off enemy limbs setting that you want from a gruesome game. But it’s not all serious—the dialogue has enough dark humor to carry you through to the next quest.
Oh, and there’s loot—lots and lots of loot. You may be too preoccupied with honing your player’s skills or exploring the expansive map to care, though.
Sacred 2 has six character options with upgradeable strengths and combat arts. You get everything from high elf to dragon mage. And how often do you get to play as a villain in an RPG? You can choose between good or evil and change your entire gaming experience.
As far as games like Diablo go, this one’s got everything you need. There’s only one real downside to Sacred 2: with all these added quests and game elements, you might want to give up before you finish the game.
Warhammer 40k: Inquisitor–Martyr
What happens when you mesh space warfare with Diablo’s top-down game style? Welcome to Warhammer 40K: Inquisitor–Martyr. If you need a break from Earth, try this game’s space world. In Warhammer 40k, you roam the galaxy tracking down those who oppose the God-emperor’s rule.
Only one of the three class categories can get you through each level without dodging every attack. The other two are pretty useless. If you want to get through the game, the armed and armored crusader is your best bet.
Warhammer 40k brings space exploration to you. Completing missions and side quests earn you currency so you can move into different star systems and advance through the game.
If you’re looking for great games like Diablo that add new age elements into the genre, Warhammer 40K has it all.
Do These Games Stack Up to Diablo?
Let’s be real – you might be waiting a long time for Diablo 4. Luckily, you’ve got plenty of action RPG games right here. They might not all be as good as Diablo, but these games will get your blood boiling with hellish fiends to fight and hold you over at least until November next year.
Each one has its own unique features and hack and slash action, so it’s hard to rate them all. Sometimes quality is up to personal preference, and that’s true here, too. Try a few from the list and make your own choice.
The real challenge is this: can you beat them all before Diablo 4 releases?
