If you’re craving a Diablo-like action RPG that can keep you busy for dozens (or even hundreds) of hours, Grim Dawn is one of the standout picks on Steam. Set in the dark fantasy world of Cairn, the game drops you into a grim scenario where humanity is close to extinction—and it’s up to you to fight back, rebuild, and help civilization survive.
Grim Dawn launched on Steam on February 25, 2016, and was developed and published by American studio Crate Entertainment. At its core, it’s a loot-driven ARPG built around customizing your character, hunting down stronger gear, and pushing into more dangerous areas packed with enemies and bosses.
One of the biggest reasons Grim Dawn remains so popular is its flexible class system. The base game includes six classes, and once you reach level 10, you can combine two of them to create your own hybrid build. That opens the door to a wide range of playstyles, whether you prefer charging into battles head-on, relying on magic, or mixing damage, defense, and utility to suit your approach. As you progress, you can access more than 250 skills, many of which are expanded through items and accessories you find along the way.
Loot matters here, and not just as random drops. Grim Dawn also includes a crafting system that lets you create unique items and improve your stats, giving you another way to fine-tune your build beyond pure luck. It’s the kind of system that encourages experimentation and replayability, especially if you enjoy trying new character combinations and hunting for the perfect setup.
The world itself is filled with danger. You’ll take on more than 200 enemy types, push through dungeons, and face off against bosses designed to test your build. Progress isn’t only about combat either. Grim Dawn features quests and player choices that can have consequences, adding an extra layer to how your journey unfolds. You can also work with different factions, but backing the wrong side can create new problems—up to and including elite enemies hunting you down.
For those who like co-op ARPGs, Grim Dawn supports multiplayer for up to four players, making it a strong option if you want to tackle dungeons and bosses with friends.
The reception over the years has been impressive. On Steam, the game has received more than 104,000 user reviews, with 93% rated positive. It also scores well on Metacritic, holding a Metascore of 83 and a user score of 8.4. Players frequently mention similarities to Diablo and Path of Exile, and many praise the gameplay, level design, exploration variety, and the creativity enabled by build customization. It’s also widely seen as highly replayable.
That said, it’s not perfect. Some players report bugs, and Grim Dawn can feel complex—especially for newcomers trying to understand all its interconnected systems. A few features also tend to split opinion depending on what someone expects from the genre.
As of the current promotion, Grim Dawn is listed at $2.49 instead of $24.99 until March 26, 2026, reflecting a 90% discount. Pricing history shows it has hit the same low price before during past sales, so it’s not unprecedented—but it’s still an exceptionally cheap entry point for a well-reviewed ARPG with a massive amount of content.
