In the early 1980s, the cult game Rogue radically reinterpreted the RPG genre. Rather than trying to recreate the massive possibility space of tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, Rogue sought to strip them down to just a few core ideas. Plot, towns and NPCs were all removed or greatly reduced so that the player could immediately start exploring a procedurally generated dungeon. An entire sub-genre sprang up from this model, in which players challenge an endless variety of dungeons, dying suddenly, dying often, and sometimes finding an amazing piece of treasure.

In the mid-1990s, Diablo creators David Brevik, Max Schaefer and Erik Schaefer set out to create a roguelike, but design compromises crept in almost immediately. Their publisher, Blizzard, told them that their game had to operate in real time – serendipitously giving Diablo the frantic combat for which it is known. The designers also added other non-traditional elements to its roguelike core, such as character classes and multiplayer support. The result of all these design compromises is a strange and beautiful game, part roguelike, part hack-and-slash, and entirely addictive.

Diablo II represents a refinement and expansion of the original Diablo. All of the same core ideas reappear, but the UI and core loop are streamlined. Virtually every part of the game is greatly expanded, as well. Instead of four dungeons spanning 16 levels, Diablo II features dozens of sprawling dungeons, taking place across five large “acts”. Instead of a few dozen unique items to find, the loot tables contain hundreds of them. The frantic action of the first game reappears, as players hack their way through thousands of monsters and five extra-tough, unique bosses. Multiplayer returns, and raises the party size from four to eight players. Indeed, multiplayer is the place where the real magic of the game happens.