Have You Played... Din's Curse?

Have You Played? is an endless stream of game recommendations. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.

I'm not sure this place is worth saving. The townspeople are complaining about roaches in their food supplies, it never seems to stop raining and a couple of local idiots need a helping hand having wandered into the dungeon to grab some loot. I'd abandon the place if it weren't for the big ghostly fella who's keeping an eye on me. He's Din. I'm a reluctant hero. This is Din's Curse, my favourite action RPG.

That's just one of the randomised towns in Din's Curse. Every playthrough is different and every playthrough feels alive.

Imagine Diablo if the monsters could escape from the dungeon and attack Tristram. In fact, imagine Diablo if just about anything that was mentioned in a questline was actually happening in the world. Someone mentions a specific monster who has committed atrocities? That monster exists somewhere in the world and will commit more atrocities if you don't shove a sword into its face. Or perhaps a person, with a name and a job, needs you to gather some items so that he can create medicine for a family member. If you don't find the stuff in time, that family member will die and you'll have one miserable and perhaps resentful NPC on your hands.

Soldak's games can't compete with the slick polish of a Blizzard ARPG but the stiffness of the animations and occasional clutter of the screen fades into insignificance as soon as the dynamic nature of the world gets its claws into you. There is urgency - threats are active and growing - and there is life beyond your cursor.