David Brevik’s Gaming History

David Brevik, the creator of the iconic action role-playing game (ARPG) Diablo, has a long and storied gaming history that predates the arrival of the IBM PC. Brevik grew up playing games like Lode Runner and The Oregon Trail on the Apple II, with one game that stands out as having a huge impact on him: the original Wizardry. Released in 1981 for the Apple II Plus, Wizardry’s influence can be seen in many of the games that followed.

Studying computer science at college, Brevik worked at numerous software and games companies before cofounding Condor, where he designed games like NFL Quarterback Club and Justice League Task Force. It was with Condor that Brevik pitched Diablo to then-publishers Blizzard Entertainment. After Blizzard acquired Condor and the studio was renamed Blizzard North, Diablo was released with the expectation of modest sales. Instead, the ARPG would become one of the most influential games of all time.

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Marvel Heroes and the Resurrected Community

Brevik left Blizzard in 2003 and has since designed games like Marvel Heroes and It Lurks Below. Today, Brevik is President of Skystone Games, which has published games such as Tiny Bookshop and Mistfall Hunter. But he took a break from searching for the next big hit to guide us through the isometric dungeon of his Steam library.

Brevik revealed that he’s currently playing an old game of his: Marvel Heroes, which he made in the 2010-12 range. An ARPG with the Marvel superheroes, Marvel Heroes was originally designed by Brevik, but he eventually left the company and the game went out of business. However, a dedicated community of fans stepped in and created a fan-made server, allowing players to continue experiencing the game as Brevik had originally envisioned.

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Other Games and Favorites

Brevik also shared his thoughts on other games, including Minecraft, which he’s been playing with his family and friends. He loves making all the different machines and giant contraptions for the server. Additionally, he mentioned that he’s been playing Eye of the Beholder, a classic game from 1991 that he loves/hates. The game’s ending, in particular, stands out as the ‘worst’ ending to any game he’s played, with a simple ‘Congratulations, you win!’ message followed by a quit to desktop.

Brevik also shared his Steam stats, with Marvel Heroes topping the list at 540 hours, followed closely by It Lurks Below and No Man’s Sky. He enjoys space games, like No Man’s Sky, for their exploration and combat mechanics, although he admits to not being a fan of the game’s story.

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EverQuest and a Gaming Legacy

Brevik also mentioned that he has EverQuest still installed, a game that he played for thousands of hours. He even plays the original EQ ’99, the old version of the game, and still goes back to play it regularly. He loves the unique experience of EverQuest, which is like trying to explain Star Wars to someone who wasn’t there in the theater for the first time.