You can play the original Diablo in your browser for free
Take a trip back to 1996 and hunt down the Lord of Terror in the shareware version of this beloved classic.
Behold, the Warrior of Diablo.
If you're feeling the urge for some retro gaming goodness, you can play the original Diablo in your browser right now. Developer Rivsoft lets you try the limited shareware version -- a bit like the classic version of Minecraft that Mojang allows you to access -- and people who own the original can play the whole game.
The game, which originally came out in 1996, lets you battle through 16 randomly generated dungeons before going to hell, where you take on Diablo. You move and attack by clicking the mouse, so it feels truly old-school.
The browser version is based on Diablo's reconstructed source code, so it includes all of the original game's "bugs and badly written code," according to the developers. The shareware version only gives you access to one of the game's three character classes (the warrior), limits dungeon access and stops you from chatting with many of the game's other characters.
If you have the files for the full game, which hit GoG in March, you can drag and drop DIABDAT.MPQ to allow full access.
The game spawned a sequel in 2000, and Diablo 3 came out in 2012. The third game was ported to Nintendo Switch last year, when developer Blizzard also announced multiplayer mobile game Diablo Immortal.
First published July 31 at 6:19 a.m. PT.
Update, 7:45 a.m. PT: Adds more detail.
