[giraffe_lady]

I don't think so really. In those others you mentioned early drops (or other random choices like altars) can have a big impact on which direction your build goes. CoQ also has a more traditional rpg approach to quests which is completely different from the others and adds to the repetition. I think ToME is probably its closest relation, also having an overworld, skill trees you can plan out in advance, reliably placed towns & npcs. And it also has a goofy relationship to permadeath.

[Karrot_Kream]

Good point yeah. I never played ToME but have read discussions about permadeath in ToME. Maybe I should turn off permadeath next time I play CoQ.