Diablo 1 — How to Play
What it is
Diablo is the game that founded the action-RPG. You take a single hero down through sixteen dungeon levels beneath the cathedral of Tristram, killing everything in the dark, gathering loot, and descending until you face Diablo, the Lord of Terror himself. There are no acts and no open world — only the descent.
Getting the game
- The simplest way is GOG.com, which sells the original patched to run on modern Windows and bundles the Hellfire expansion free.
- DevilutionX, a free open-source rebuild of the engine, runs the game on modern PCs, phones and handhelds with widescreen and restored multiplayer — it needs the original game files from your GOG copy to run.
- There is no current console release; the 1998 PlayStation port is long out of print.
Choosing a class
Diablo has three heroes, joined by a fourth if you own Hellfire:
- Warrior — melee and armour; the forgiving first choice.
- Rogue — bow and balance; strong at range.
- Sorcerer — spells and fragility; powerful once geared.
- Monk — a staff-fighter added by the Hellfire expansion.
Starting out
- Install, create a character, and choose your class — every hero begins fresh in the ruined town of Tristram.
- Talk to the townsfolk for quests, then take the stairs down into the Cathedral.
- Clear each level, return to town to sell loot, buy potions and repair gear, then descend again.
- Keep Town Portal and Identify scrolls on hand, and save often — death in the dungeon is unforgiving.