Diabolical

About

As a criminal mastermind, choose a lair, rob a bank, hire a minion, and steal the world's largest ball of aluminum foil! Or, destroy the world. FINE.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

77%

Audience ScoreBased on 218 reviews

story26 positive mentions

graphics3 negative mentions

The game is filled with humor and clever writing, making it an entertaining experience.
Players can enjoy the freedom to choose their villainous style, with various options for character customization and decision-making.
It offers a lighthearted take on the supervillain genre, allowing for fun and absurd scenarios that can lead to memorable moments.

Many choices feel inconsequential, leading to a linear experience where player agency is limited.
The game is relatively short, leaving players wanting more depth and content.
Character development and relationships are underwhelming, with interactions often feeling flat and unimpactful.

story
124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
71%
8%
The game's story is described as charming and fun, with engaging characters and a humorous tone, but it suffers from linearity and a lack of meaningful player choices, leading to a feeling of railroading. While some players enjoyed the immersive experience and the ability to play through different villain archetypes, many felt that the plot was ultimately uninspired and that their actions had little impact on the overall narrative. Overall, the story offers a solid experience for a single playthrough, but lacks the depth and replayability found in other interactive titles.
- “This is a very fun and immersive story game.”
- “I really enjoyed this; it managed to make me feel like an actual supervillain (albeit a rather ridiculous one) while giving me a very fun story to read.”
- “This is an amazing game; it has a great story, many choices, and endings.”
- “The replay value is low and some of the parts of the story are skimmed through too quickly.”
- “Sadly, this game fails to take advantage of that and ultimately we're left with an uninspired story.”
- “Your actions don't really affect the story and it really pisses me off how you apparently are just a pathetic villain the entire story rather than being capable of becoming a true nightmare.”
humor
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised for its originality and cleverness, often eliciting genuine laughter from players. While some reviewers note that the game sometimes prioritizes humor over meaningful choices, the writing is described as entertaining and well-crafted, blending campy and irreverent elements effectively. Overall, players find the experience fun and engaging, with a mix of silly and darkly comedic moments that enhance the interactive storytelling.
- “Such a fun and funny experience.”
- “The writing in this game is phenomenal, with the humor being the strong suit.”
- “Diabolical is hilarious and well written and lets you decide what villain you would like to be.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
Overall, the game has low replayability due to its short story and quick pacing, with many reviewers noting that while it offers some branching paths, it doesn't provide significant incentive to replay. However, certain mechanics do allow for varied experiences, particularly in text-based segments, making it worth a try despite its limitations.
- “Diabolical is a text-based game with replayability and branching storylines.”
- “It's a fun mechanic and gives replayability to the game since there aren't enough points to cover all locked choices.”
- “It's worth giving a try, but don't expect massive replayability.”
- “The replay value is low and some of the parts of the story are skimmed through too quickly.”
- “It's worth giving a try but don't expect massive replayability.”
- “The story is short in comparison to many of their other works, and it just doesn't have the same replayability value.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game features no graphics, relying entirely on detailed storytelling and player imagination to convey the experience. This minimalist approach is appreciated by some, as it allows for a focus on narrative and choice without visual distractions.
- “No graphics, no mess, no fuss.”
- “Yes, even though there are no graphics, your imagination works just as well as the story gets explicitly detailed about the choices you make, what they do, and how it affects you.”
- “No graphics, just your imagination.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The gameplay is characterized by a text-heavy, zork-like experience that some players find lacking in action, which may detract from enjoyment. However, the mechanics offer replayability due to limited points that prevent players from unlocking all choices in a single playthrough.
- “It's a fun mechanic and gives replayability to the game since there aren't enough points to cover all locked choices.”
- “Not being a fan of Zork-like games, I didn't take a liking to all-reading, no-action gameplay.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers a variety of story and character development options that allow for at least three distinct playthroughs, providing players with ample opportunities to explore different narratives and character arcs, despite not being the longest in its genre.
- “There are enough different story and character development options for at least three playthroughs, which should be enough, even though it is not necessarily the longest CYOA game here.”
music
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a complete absence of music and art, leaving players with a stark and empty auditory and visual experience.
- “However, you should know that there is no music or art in here - I mean literally nothing at all.”
- “However, you should know that there is no music or art in here - I mean literally nothing at all.”