If anyone out there is impatient for the upcoming mobile game Diablo Immortal, there are plenty of Diablo clones out there - including a few made by the developer that Blizzard contracted to create their controversial spin-off. But none of these clones look as distinctive and beautiful as Triskter Arts' MONOLISK, which was released on the Apple App Store and Google Play store this week.
The free-to-play game immediately sets itself apart from its competitors with its simple style, somewhat reminiscent of games like Monument Valley and Lara Croft Go. These aren't the only games that MONOLISK bears a resemblance to, however - its maps construct themselves as you walk in a way reminiscent of the 2011 indie game Bastion, and every single level is player-made, a la Mario Maker.
The game lets you choose one of five different classes and battle your way through your choice of player-created levels, called "shards," unlocking new equipment and spells as you progress. These unlocked items all take the form of cards, unlocked as part of card packs that look more than a little reminiscent of Hearthstone's packs when you open them.
For a player to publish their own shards, they'll need even more cards - a realm card and a shardstone of the same color. The enemies and objects players can place are also unlocked by cards, meaning that anyone who really wants to flex their creative muscles will have to play a lot of levels or shell out some cash.
But beyond all these gimmicks, the game plays exactly how you'd expect a Diablo clone to work: tap on enemies to attack, use unlocked skills to attack them better, and increase in power as you grab more loot.
Whether or not a game like this can succeed when it's centered around user-generated content is up for debate. It's newly-released, so there has been limited ability for players to figure out the best ways to use the toolbox they're provided with, but that may change with time.
At very least, the game looks pretty, and its familiar gameplay may help ease the pain of waiting for the next Diablo.