Diablo sends you down into the dungeons under a cursed town, and the fun is in what the monsters leave behind. Any kill can drop gold or a better weapon, and you keep checking the floor for the item that changes your character. You choose a class at the start and spend points on new skills as you level up. Then you go back down for one more run, alone or with friends.
Plenty of games have copied that loop, on consoles from the PS1 to the Switch. These are the 23 games players recommend most to Diablo fans, ranked by how many different people named each one.
23 Games Like Diablo Where You Fight Through Dungeons for Loot
Dungeon Siege III (2011)
Dungeon Siege III is an action RPG seen from an isometric view, set in the pseudo-medieval kingdom of Ehb. You pick one of four heroes and dress them in armor and jewelry that change their abilities and traits. Obsidian Entertainment made it, with Chris Taylor, the inventor of the Dungeon Siege franchise, as an adviser. Critics praised its mechanics and graphics, especially the character models.
The big difference is the partner. A second hero fights next to you, run by the computer or by a friend, and in single player you can switch out that companion at any time. You also steer with the controller and press attack yourself, since the old automatic targeting and point-and-click are gone. Play it on PS3.
Shining Soul II (2003)
Shining Soul II is a dungeon crawling hack and slash for the Game Boy Advance, and it plays a lot like Diablo. You pick one of eight character classes and can raise your hero up to level 200. There are ten dungeons tied into a storyline, plus eight hidden dungeons for anyone who keeps going.
The big difference is the Soul. Next to your weapons you equip a Soul item, which charges as you defeat enemies and then unleashes massive damage on everything nearby. Multiplayer runs over a link cable, and it is very similar to that of Diablo, down to throwing items to a friend. Play it on GBA, or on Wii U.
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel (2008)
Sacred 2 is Diablo in a huge open world. It renders in full 3D but keeps the viewpoint of the old isometric games, and the loot runs deep: equipment can come with dozens of modifiers as well as sockets. Players call it a standard Diablo-style loot game. You pick your path at the start, and that choice decides your character's final goal.
The big difference is the horse. You can ride through the world and fight from the saddle, and each of the seven classes can unlock its own special mount through a quest. Its co-op lets you leave your own campaign, join a friend's game, then return to yours with the levels and items you earned there. Play it on PS3.
Gauntlet Dark Legacy (2000)
Gauntlet Dark Legacy takes the old arcade dungeon crawl and adds more to collect and more to choose from. It is an expansion of Gauntlet Legends with new levels and characters, including four new classes: the Dwarf, the Knight, the Jester and the Sorceress. You gather items inside the levels or buy them in the shop, and players describe it as Diablo-like.
The big difference is the pace. Each player has a turbo gauge for attacks that do damage over a wide area and can pierce through multiple enemies and walls. Two players standing next to each other can also fire a combination turbo attack together. Critics gave the console versions mixed reviews. Play it on PS2 or GameCube.
Champions: Return to Arms (2005)
Return to Arms is the sequel to Champions of Norrath, and it keeps the traditional hack-and-slash style: you kill monsters and complete quests to earn experience. Classes include the wizard, the cleric, the ranger and the warrior. Players rate it a great Diablo clone, just like the first one.
The big difference is the side you pick. You can serve Good and destroy the shards to rid the world of Innoruuk, or join Evil and gather the shards to bring the fallen god back. Online, up to three other players can join you. Critics liked it, though less than Champions of Norrath, and one reviewer said getting ripped apart by wild dogs made him regret wanting to be a lizard. Play it on PS2.
Warhammer 40,000: Inquisitor - Martyr (2018)
Inquisitor - Martyr moves Diablo into the grim far future. The camera looks down from above, you level up one of several character classes, and the game has been frequently compared to Diablo. You play a member of the Inquisition, a secret police force fighting Chaos worship and alien influence. Players sum it up as Diablo in the Warhammer universe.
The big difference is cover. You and the enemies both hide behind it, and the environments can be destroyed around you. Critics found the campaign a grind. Play it on PS4, where the Prophecy expansion adds a fourth class, the Tech-Adept, who summons robots to fight alongside him.
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance (2006)
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance swaps the demons for supervillains. You build a team of four from a roster of at least 23 playable characters, and you can recreate famous teams from the comics or make your own. Players who like Diablo call it a very similar style of game, and critics praised its simple but entertaining gameplay.
The big difference is the team. Up to four players can play at once in every version except the PSP, and the story has multiple possible endings depending on which optional missions you finish. Play it on PS2, PSP or Wii, on PS3, where it was a launch game, or in the 2016 re-release on PS4.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing (2013)
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing sends you monster hunting through a gothic-noir Eastern Europe in the 19th century. It mixes intentionally anachronistic humor and gadgetry into the folklore. IGN found it lacking in innovation but called it a solid game, and another review praised the lighthearted tone for helping it stand out from other games in the genre. Players name the series among the good Diablo-style games.
The big difference is how much of it there is. Two sequels followed in 2014 and 2015, and the Final Cut remaster joins all three into one big game. Play it on PS4 or Switch.
Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (2001)
Dark Alliance was the first Baldur's Gate on consoles, and it is a real-time hack and slash. The camera looks down from an isometric view you can rotate, and the rules come from Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition. You pick a dwarven fighter, a human archer or an elven sorceress, and players recommend it to anyone who likes Diablo-style games.
The big difference is the shared screen. A second player can join on the same screen, and the game splits the rewards in its own way: whoever makes the kill gets 60% of the experience, and whoever grabs the gold keeps all of it. Play it on PS2 or GameCube, or the 4K port on PS4 and Switch.
Dungeon Siege: Throne of Agony (2006)
Throne of Agony takes the Dungeon Siege series to the PSP and picks up where Dungeon Siege II left off. You choose one of three characters and steer with the analog stick, instead of clicking with a mouse like in the PC games. Players call it a Diablo-style action RPG.
The big difference is the partner. You take a companion along, and you can change them for a different fighting style whenever you like. Enemies are spread out across the map more than in Dungeon Siege II, and the ending makes you decide what to do with the Throne of Agony itself, a sentient throne of darkness you can use or destroy. Play it on PSP.
Torchlight II (2012)
Torchlight II is a dungeon crawler built the Diablo way, with randomly generated dungeons to explore and numerous types of monsters to fight for experience and loot. You choose one of four classes, and each class has 3 skill trees to pick from. Some weapons and armor only work for certain classes, which makes every new item worth a look.
The big difference is the company. The first Torchlight had no multiplayer, which was a near-universal criticism from critics and fans, and this sequel added it. It received mostly positive reviews. Play it on PS4 or Switch, where it came out in 2019.
Dungeon Hunter: Alliance (2011)
Dungeon Hunter: Alliance started as an iPhone game and was remade for PlayStation with a multiplayer mode added. You choose one of three classes and fight across 30 levels, some of them randomly generated, and after the story an Elite mode lets you level up to 75. Players call it a fun Diablo clone.
The big difference is how it shares the loot. Up to four players can join, and each one can only pick up items marked with their own color, which gives everyone an equal amount of loot. Critics called the gameplay generic and dated, and the Vita version got worse reviews than the PS3 one. Play it on PS3 or Vita.
Fat Princess Adventures (2015)
Fat Princess Adventures is a co-op hack-and-slash dungeon crawler for up to four players. You can switch between four classes at any time, Warrior, Mage, Archer and Engineer, and each has its own abilities and progression. Players describe it as a simpler, easier take on Diablo.
The big difference is the tone. This is a cartoon fairy tale, and the princesses guide you along the way, healing you and sometimes turning enemies into cake. Destructoid called it "an enjoyable distraction for hardcore fans of the hack-and-slash genre". Play it on PS4.
Dragon's Crown (2013)
Dragon's Crown looks nothing like Diablo at first. It is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up with six character classes, but you keep playing for the loot you pick up on repeated runs through its dungeons. Players say its loot works a lot like Diablo's. Each of the nine dungeons has two paths, the second unlocked after your first run.
The big difference is the fighting, which uses the moveset of classic beat 'em up games. The thief Rannie comes along to open treasure chests and doors. Critics praised the gameplay and art style, and it sold over one million copies by September 2017. Play it on PS3 or Vita, or Dragon's Crown Pro on PS4.
Titan Quest (2006)
Titan Quest is Diablo with a history lesson. Its gameplay is similar to the Diablo series, with real-time hack and slash combat against randomly generated enemies. You level up, spend points on fresh skills and trade gear with merchants in the towns. Critics praised it as a good example of the genre and criticized it for its traditional gameplay.
The big difference is the setting. Your own hero travels through the ancient world, from Greece to China, to defeat the Titans after they escape their prison. The monsters come from each region's myths, and their designs draw on the stop-motion work of Ray Harryhausen. Play it on PS4 or Switch, where it arrived in 2018.
Champions of Norrath (2004)
Champions of Norrath is a traditional hack and slash. You choose a race and skills at the start, then grow your character through an Ability Tree that lets you put points into several choices at once. The best gear often comes from the monsters, since the items enemies drop are sometimes much better than anything for sale in the shop. Players call it a great Diablo clone.
The big difference is the couch. Up to four players can play together, and with the Network Adapter the game went online. Gate Scrolls warp you back to the nearest shop to sell what you cannot carry, and rare items let you fuse a weapon with bonuses such as an elemental attack. Play it on PS2.
Darkstone (1999)
Darkstone is similar to Baldur's Gate and Diablo in gameplay style and themes. You pick a hero, quest across the four lands of Uma and go down into dungeons for the seven crystals that form the Time Orb, which you need to slay Draak in his lair. Players call it a cheap but fun Diablo clone, rough edges and all.
The big difference is the replay value. Quests for each new game are picked at random from 20 options, with different dungeon placement and land layouts. It has odd touches too: your character can die from hunger, and a cursed cloak can make you drop items at random until a shopkeeper removes it. Play it on PS1, where you control a single character.
Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade (2005)
Brotherhood of the Blade was a launch title for the PSP. It is a third person action RPG: you explore the world of Untaca, take quests for money and items, and kill a lot of monsters along the way. Players call it a Diablo-like, and no other PSP game ranks higher on this list.
The big difference is that it fits in your pocket. You pick a Knight, a Druid, a Berserker or an Alchemist, and other players can join you in co-op through the PSP's Ad Hoc mode. Critics gave it average reviews. Play it on PSP.
Victor Vran (2015)
Victor Vran is a Diablo-style action RPG with more moves. You play Victor, a demon hunter who comes to the city of Zagoravia to help fight off a demon infestation, and the combat mixes action RPG elements with reaction-based moves that let you dodge attacks. Players rate it one of the best Diablo-style games on PS4.
The big difference is that Victor has no character class. You build him by swapping weapon classes and demon powers freely, and each weapon class has one basic and two special attacks. Hex items make an area harder by giving its enemies buffs. It has co-op too. Play the Overkill Edition on PS4, or the Switch port.
Gauntlet: Slayer Edition (2015)
Gauntlet: Slayer Edition brings the arcade classic back as a co-op dungeon crawl for up to four players. You pick one of four heroes, Thor the Warrior, Thyra the Valkyrie, Merlin the Wizard or Questor the Elf, and each player takes a different one. The dungeons are partly fixed maps and partly procedurally generated, and players suggest it as a Diablo-like.
The big difference is the pace. One reviewer called it "simple, but not brainless" and "fun as hell". IGN praised the four-player co-op and criticized the repetitive gameplay. Play it on PS4.
Heroes of Ruin (2012)
Heroes of Ruin is the 3DS answer to Diablo, made by n-Space and published by Square Enix. It is an action RPG where you battle all kinds of enemies, and players call it a Diablo-style dungeon crawler, not amazing but a lot of fun. It is the only 3DS game on this list.
The big difference is the trading. Through StreetPass, a feature called Traders Network lets you trade items with other players. The shop buys your spare items for points, and you spend those on items you could not get any other way. SpotPass added daily challenges for a year after release. Play it on 3DS.
Alienation (2016)
Alienation comes from Housemarque, and it is Diablo with guns and an alien invasion. It is an isometric shooter where one to four players fight hordes of aliens through levels that get harder as you go. You choose from three classes, each with its own weapons and abilities, and level your soldier up to thirty. Players call it a fun Diablo-like shooter.
The big difference is the aiming. It is a twin-stick shooter, so you move with one stick and shoot with the other, and you upgrade your weapons with collectables called upgrade cores. Critics praised the twin-stick shooting and the co-op. Play it on PS4, where local co-op was added after launch.
Path of Exile (2013)
Path of Exile borrows heavily from the Diablo series, Diablo II most of all, and it has been described as its spiritual successor. You pick one of seven classes and fight your way back to Oriath, and every area outside the camps is procedurally generated. Items are randomly generated too, with special properties and gem sockets.
The big difference is the gems. Your skills come from gems you place in the sockets of your armor and weapons, and the gems gain experience and level up with you. It is free to play, and players point that out often. Play it on PS4, where it arrived in 2019.
Which one to play
There you have it, the whole list of games like Diablo. Some copy it closely, and others keep the loot and change the rest.
If you want the closest thing to Diablo II, start with Path of Exile or Titan Quest. If the loot is what you love, play Sacred 2 or Dragon's Crown. For co-op on one couch, try Champions of Norrath or Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance on PS2. For Diablo on the go, pick Untold Legends on PSP or Heroes of Ruin on 3DS. And for a younger player, Fat Princess Adventures is the gentlest start.
