Dwarf Fortress

 PC
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

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  1. Fatmandu
    Feb 10, 2023
    0
    Man the graphics are some of the worst ever...looks like a 1980 game AVGN would rage at. And its too complex IDK what is going on.
  2. KrillerBomb
    Dec 19, 2022
    0
    Unnecessarily complicated and overwhelming, takes too long to figure out to truly be fun. More time consuming than anything, without making much progress whatsoever.
  3. 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 masterpiece.

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

    Nuff said.
  4. Burgerdude8
    Nov 12, 2013
    0
    One of the most overrated "games" of all time. The interface turns away the majority of gamers, which is why this game isn't a big success. The graphics are also non-existent. At least Minecraft HAS graphics.
  5. CorDharel
    Dec 27, 2014
    0
    The game sucks hard. I invested many hours to learn it because people always tell how awesome and complex it is. I sit there with my dwarfs, have no clue what they actually want, the game explains nothing and you need to figure out every little piece of information by yourself. After much ingame time nothing happened, maybe one goblin thief came in and stole something unimportant,The game sucks hard. I invested many hours to learn it because people always tell how awesome and complex it is. I sit there with my dwarfs, have no clue what they actually want, the game explains nothing and you need to figure out every little piece of information by yourself. After much ingame time nothing happened, maybe one goblin thief came in and stole something unimportant, whatever. I know the game creates thousands of background story points while creating the world but I have not seen anything of it in my games. I feel like this whole "complexity" that people see is just the **** interface. I have given up on it because the game does not give you either challenge nor reward, it just sits there and you whonder what to do with it while trying to figuring out while some people love it so hardcore.… Expand
  6. stesproject
    Dec 20, 2022
    0
    I don't understand how can be fun something so complicated, complex, huge and overwhelming.

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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. GameSpew
    Jan 3, 2023
    90
    Dwarf Fortress is, initially, a little daunting. Not because it’s inaccessible, but because you just know that it’s going to turn into a real time-sink. Is it the prettiest game around? No, but it’s wonderfully, ridiculously deep and a sheer joy to play. If you’re prepared to put the time in, Dwarf Fortress will drag you into its depths and you won’t regret it for one second.
    Read full review
  2. Launcher (The Washington Post)
    Dec 15, 2022
    100
    Dwarf Fortress is a storytelling engine as much as it is a game, spitting out associations and facts and details that you can shape into a coherent and specific narrative. This is also what we do to our own lives, personifying random events so that they feel significant rather than a matter of chance. Life isn’t usually a satisfying narrative. It isn’t so much that “Dwarf Fortress” is a perfect simulacrum of life, but that it shines a bright light on the human tendency to look for meaning in everything. I care about my dwarves because the stories I make up about their lives are also the ones I make up about my own.
    Read full review
  3. GameStar
    Dec 13, 2022
    91
    A truly masterful fantasy simulation.
    Read full review
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