Behold, Diablo is fully playable in your browser

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses an open-source project called Diabloweb that allows users to play the original Diablo game and its expansion Hellfire in any web browser with good performance and controls. The project is based on another open-source project called DevilutionX, which made Diablo run well on modern operating systems.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Diabloweb Project

1. What is the Diabloweb project?

• Diabloweb is an open-source project published on GitHub that allows users to play the original Diablo and its expansion Hellfire in any web browser.
• It is based on the DevilutionX project, which made Diablo run well on modern operating systems.
• The developer of Diabloweb, d07RiV, modified the code to remove dependencies and expose the minimal required interface with JavaScript, allowing the game to be compiled into WebAssembly.
• Event handling, especially in the menus, had to be modified significantly to fit the JavaScript model.

2. How does one set up and play the game using Diabloweb?

• To play the game, users need to visit the Diabloweb website, upload the DIABDAT.MPQ file from the Diablo install directory, and then they can start playing.
• There are three above-board ways to source the DIABDAT.MPQ file:
  • Own a physical copy of the original game
  • Purchase the game on GOG and install it, then pull the file from the installation directory
  • Use the shareware release of Diablo and pull the SPAWN.MPQ file, which allows trying the game but not the full version

3. How does the game perform using Diabloweb?

• The author played the game for about half an hour using the MPQ from the GOG version without any issues on Firefox on a Mac.
• The game is obviously primitive compared to more recent entries in the series or even Diablo II, but it is still an addictive blast to play.

[02] Comparison to Newer Diablo Games

1. How does the original Diablo game compare to newer entries in the series?

• The original Diablo game is primitive compared to more recent entries in the Diablo series, such as Diablo II.
• However, the author still found the game to be an addictive blast to play, despite its age and simplicity compared to newer Diablo games.