Dwarf Fortress

 PC
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Kotaku
    May 8, 2019
    Dwarf Fortress is a brilliant game, but it will make you work to find that out.
  2. Polygon
    Dec 5, 2022
    It may, as it did for me, invoke a sense of anxiety as you feel unsure what it is you ought to be doing. But in following your instincts, stories will begin to arise, just as they do for a novelist when they sit down to write. Your base motivation (survive the winter) will be supplanted by something else as you respond to what unfolds before you — whether that be drunken cats or, in my case, a dwarf who struggles to find purpose in life. Your only role, then, is to see that story through.
  3. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Dec 7, 2022
    Dwarf Fortress is a long-term investment. Playing it is a skill that you need to hone, it requires research and planning. It’s almost a hobby in itself, demanding time and effort. Even in this much more approachable form, it still isn’t a game for everyone, but for a particular flavour of colony simmer, it’s catnip. It’s massive and messy and beautiful, and now I can put it down while I’m hyper-fixating on Star Wars or the next big Marvel drop, and not have to worry about starting over from scratch again when I come back to it later.

Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PC Game of 2006
20
#20 Most Discussed PC Game of 2006
28
#28 Most Shared PC Game of 2006

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 237 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 201 out of 237
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 237
  3. Negative: 27 out of 237
  1. sgt0pimienta
    Oct 23, 2011
    10
    Dwarf fortress is a game about telling a fantastical story in an imaginary, abstract world, it is amazing and it covers a lot of things aboutDwarf fortress is a game about telling a fantastical story in an imaginary, abstract world, it is amazing and it covers a lot of things about fantastical in a tolkien like way, a lot of fun, you get 3 game modes, the fortress mode in which you embark your dwarves to settle wild lands and have amazing adventures and a horrible death, where you get controll of 5 dwarves and build a fortress as the number increases to up to 200 dwarves.

    you must get miners, farmers, soldiers, woodcrafters, stonecrafters, masons, cooks, brewers, tanners, leatherworkers up to around 73 proffesions, evry dwarf is unique and has a mood, likes and dislikes things, every dwarf in this game is a living, breathing (and breeding) living, this game mode issn't for lazy people, seriously, you MUST learn to play it, its not like other cheap pick up and play games, wich mike make it awkward for the regular gamer, but with time and love, everyone can learn to play it easily.

    After looking at fortress mode you can go on adventure mode, where you take controll of one character of the world in its adventures, this mode is incomplete, crappy, and difficult to play but yet, fun, its incredible how many people play it because as incomplete as it is, it is AMAZING.

    Also, you get legends mode, where you can see the story of your world, because when you generate a world you must know you are not playing a level, it is a world, when your fiirst fortress dies, the world will stay there, and you can visit it again right where you left it in adventure mode, or reclaim your fortress, or build a new one, because the world goes on.

    That feature, generating a real world has cautivated the hearts of millions of people, because your world itself is a story that advances with you.

    Now, the game has ASCII graphics, wich means its made with symbols and letters, at first this freaks out everyone, and i mean EVERYONE, you must pull yourself together and drop your lazyness off so you can learn to play, but as i said, with time, and love, you can play this game in 2 days, it is amazing, how
    " " " "
    " D " " " "
    becomes a dog standing on some grass, how meaningless symbols become tunnels, caves and mountains, this game is as famous as minecraft, only that it issn't so talked about.

    You will freak out a bit at the beggining, use the magmawiki to understand the symbols and you'll see how those triangles adn green things become bushes and hills, i strongly recommend you use captnduck's tutorial on youtube ;)    … Full Review »
  2. Carter81
    Apr 3, 2015
    0
    One of the worst interfaces in gaming history.

    This game is pure hype, with too many people who never played it pretending like it is a    One of the worst interfaces in gaming history.

    This game is pure hype, with too many people who never played it pretending like it is a masterpiece.

    If only there were more of a focus on the interface, it would be a better user experience.

    Nuff said.    … Full Review »
  3. vorpalsponge
    Jul 6, 2011
    9
    Dwarf Fortress is a game about stories. "Losing is fun." is the motto because of the many ways your dwarves will meet their demise; but all ofDwarf Fortress is a game about stories. "Losing is fun." is the motto because of the many ways your dwarves will meet their demise; but all of those ways will come with a story to tell.

    Dwarf Fortress has a steep learning curve and an enormous return on investment. You direct the actions of an initial 7 dwarves to establish a new fortress in a procedurally generated world of rich background and realistic landscape. As you strike the earth to find minerals and stone to make crafts and weapons from, you will encounter many challenges, create treasure troves, become a bustling center of trade, and fight off the hostile savages of the land (e.g. goblins, elephants, dragons, oh my!). Your fortress will grow to make clothes from plants and wool, raise livestock, create fantastic mechanical contraptions like pump stacks, danger rooms, gladiator pits, and hallways of death filled with traps. The only limit to your fun is your imagination.

    And when you want a break from your fortress, you can jump into Adventure mode and play a wandering hero, collecting followers, defeating epic beasts and terrorizing creatures of the night; all of this in the same rich world generated fresh and especially for you. Go from a peasant to a legendary hero in the same detail and variety as your fortress's experience.    … Full Review »
See all user reviews »