User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 237 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Negative: 27 out of 237

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
  1. 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 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 fortressDwarf 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 ;)
    Expand
  2. Nov 22, 2017
    9
    An incredibly complicated game that is certainly worth your time to master. For the entry fee of free fans of the RPG genre can immerse themselves in an entire world made from scratch specifically for every play-through.
  3. Dec 14, 2022
    7
    I have only played the game that was recently released, I have not played the previous ascii version. Its a very impressive game considering how small the team is, but it simply is not for me. Its clear that it has been the backbone of other games I enjoy more in this genre (Rimworld for example), but the original is not for me. Its not too difficult, and in quite a few ways I find itI have only played the game that was recently released, I have not played the previous ascii version. Its a very impressive game considering how small the team is, but it simply is not for me. Its clear that it has been the backbone of other games I enjoy more in this genre (Rimworld for example), but the original is not for me. Its not too difficult, and in quite a few ways I find it easier than other city management games. My main issue is that with all its depth its rather clunky. Trying to optimize a sick base or build walls of the same material just takes too much time. While i see how much is in there, and there are plenty of game mechanics I have not explored, all I see so far is how mundane it is. I'll probably return to give it another shot in a couple months. Its definitely good, but the user experience needs to be improved by a lot. If I want to build 4 simple houses, it shouldn't take me minutes to drag and click on what I need, it should take seconds. Expand
  4. Jan 5, 2023
    10
    This is a very particular sort of game. It's not user friendly. It's not going to make learning easy. It's not going to fire off a hundred flashing lights a second to keep your attention. But for those who can find appeal in one of the most intricate strategy management rpg, it contains hundreds of hours of bliss.
  5. Jan 13, 2023
    9
    Review só pra lembrar a nota que dei pro jogo:
    Jogo Incrível sendo na minha opinião o melhor jogo de criação de colônias (ou neste caso fortalezas) que existe hoje em dia, com uma profundidade extrema e possibilidades infinitas de acontecimento bizarros, hilários, tristes e sem noção.
  6. Feb 22, 2014
    9
    Dwarf fortress, one of the most fun and !fun! games ever. It seems that the majority of negative reviews are about the graphics and saying that they din't understand how to play after 5 minutes. I have played this game for a couple of years and i still don't get bored of it. Sure there is a steep learning curve, well more like a cliff but the gameplay and story is all that matters.And ifDwarf fortress, one of the most fun and !fun! games ever. It seems that the majority of negative reviews are about the graphics and saying that they din't understand how to play after 5 minutes. I have played this game for a couple of years and i still don't get bored of it. Sure there is a steep learning curve, well more like a cliff but the gameplay and story is all that matters.And if you have played this game and understand how to play i can almost guarantee that you will agree with me. Of course if you only have little time to learn this game you should not play it since its tutorial is next to nothing. The amount of content in this game is astonishing anywhere from discovering the circus and fighting clowns to chopping down trees and laughing as your fortress gets light on fire from armok knows what. I would give it a 10/10 if it was done but it is not and will not be for a long time. Expand
  7. Feb 7, 2014
    9
    I'm tempted to say Dwarf Fortress is the best game I have ever played. I have clocked up over 200 hours of play over the last 6 years.

    The interface is difficult to master, but well worth the investment. If you are used to games only having 4 buttons and an auto-aim then you might be best leaving Dwarf Fortress for the grown ups.
  8. Dec 8, 2022
    10
    Dwarf Fortress has long been a fantastic game, and this full release finally addresses what had long been the elephant in the room for this game: the graphics and interface. With this long-awaited update and release the game has become far more accessible and usable. Once again I've found myself loving the process of setting up my forts and the even more Fun process of seeing how it allDwarf Fortress has long been a fantastic game, and this full release finally addresses what had long been the elephant in the room for this game: the graphics and interface. With this long-awaited update and release the game has become far more accessible and usable. Once again I've found myself loving the process of setting up my forts and the even more Fun process of seeing how it all ends. A must-have game for any simulation game fan. Expand
  9. Dec 4, 2015
    10
    Dwarf Fortress: slaves of armok is one of the most amazing games i ever played, it has huge amounts of replayability, content, and endless FUN that it never ceases to amaze me. being a free game, theres absolutley no reason to not try this, however new players are suggested to take up guides on the official wiki or youtube. you dont really have to be perticulary intelligent to play this,Dwarf Fortress: slaves of armok is one of the most amazing games i ever played, it has huge amounts of replayability, content, and endless FUN that it never ceases to amaze me. being a free game, theres absolutley no reason to not try this, however new players are suggested to take up guides on the official wiki or youtube. you dont really have to be perticulary intelligent to play this, just passionate and patient

    the game simulates so much things and the amount of micromanagement allowed goes beyond any other game, if you love that, and got time.. you'll certainly never regret trying this
    Expand
  10. 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 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
    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 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.
    Expand
  11. 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.
  12. Dec 8, 2022
    10
    This game is only for intelligent people. If you have a low attention span, I'd recommend the game Call of Duty by Activision.
  13. Dec 11, 2022
    10
    Yep. Masterpiece.

    A whole underground world for you to discover. Deep and brilliant emergent game-play. Endless stories unfolding before you once you get past the initial learning curve. Get past it. You're in for something genuinely unique. A true labour of love, nearly twenty years in the making with more is being added all the time. Simply stunning.
  14. Jan 31, 2014
    10
    This game is only for the intelligent or those with a love of complex simulations. It's the most complex game ever created in terms of simulating events and behavior.

    The "Lazy Newb Pack" contains a tile overlay and utilities to better manage and understand the game (and make it look less arcane). If you have a short attention span or demand wonderful graphics, stick to the console.
    This game is only for the intelligent or those with a love of complex simulations. It's the most complex game ever created in terms of simulating events and behavior.

    The "Lazy Newb Pack" contains a tile overlay and utilities to better manage and understand the game (and make it look less arcane).

    If you have a short attention span or demand wonderful graphics, stick to the console.

    But, if you love games that are incredibly deep and surprising and never play out the same way twice, and don't mind a learning cliff, this is a truly astounding game.
    Expand
  15. Feb 26, 2014
    10
    Dwarf Fortress is a game unlike any other when it comes to its depth and complexity and it is such a unique gem that I have given a perfect score despite a couple of glaring deficiencies and the fact that the game is only roughly 1/3 complete as of right now. Dwarf Fortress is at its heart a procedurally generated fantasy world simulator with two modes of play. In adventure mode you playDwarf Fortress is a game unlike any other when it comes to its depth and complexity and it is such a unique gem that I have given a perfect score despite a couple of glaring deficiencies and the fact that the game is only roughly 1/3 complete as of right now. Dwarf Fortress is at its heart a procedurally generated fantasy world simulator with two modes of play. In adventure mode you play from the perspective of a single adventurer exploring the randomly generated world around you. Adventure mode is very rouge-like in feel and execution. The second more popular mode of play is fortress or dwarf mode which explores the same procedurally generated fantasy world but as seen through the filter of an extremely deep civilization simulator type game where you control the destiny of a fledgling dwarf settlement. The game models the world it creates down to the individual organs of the creatures which inhabit it. Everything from the motor peripheral nerves, circulatory and pulmonary systems to the indivicual bones, teeth and organs of each creature in the world is modeled and tracked in exquisite detail. Even the personalities and psychology of the individual dwarves is modeled and directly effects how they interact with one another and the world around them. The physical world itself is modeled in similar detail with dynamically generated climates, weather, geology, biomes etc. All of this creates some amazing emergent game play which ranges from epic sagas such as the hilarious tragedy known only as Boatmurdered to player generated masterpieces such as a working in-game calculator created from a complex system of water and gear driven logic circuits not to mention weaponized magma flinging mine carts and crazy doomsday devices that flood the entire region with lava or cave in the an entire city. Having espoused upon that which makes this game so amazing and unique its time to get to the down sides. The learning curve is more like a cliff... that is covered in spikes and has a load angry goblins at the top pelting you with boulders and burning oil. On top of the horrible learning curve is the worst user interface I have ever had the displeasure of using. Both of these problems are somewhat understandable given that the game is currently in early alpha development but they are so glaringly bad that they need to be mentioned anyway. Also as a work in progress the game is very buggy which is actually one of its charms sometimes. Bugs can create some truly hilarious behavior in a game this complex. Another draw back for many is the graphics which are very primitive even after installing the various graphic mods which are a major upgrade from the native ASCII graphics although it makes the game more like reading a book where your imagination fills in the imagery. Despite the circa 1980's graphics Dwarf Fortress will bring a modern computer's processor to its knees with all of the complex modeling that goes on and you need a pretty nice machine to run it properly in Fortress mode. All in all Dwarf Fortress is a unique and amazing gaming experience for those with the chops to tackle the learning curve and the God forsaken user interface. This is certainly not a game for everyone but for those seeking true depth and complexity none can compare to the beautiful and ingenious disaster that is Dwarf Fortress. Expand
  16. Aug 3, 2014
    10
    After playing this game for several hours, Carter81's mother was so impressed by my skills that she gave me her phone number, and now I'm his new dad.

    Thanks, Dwarf Fortress!
  17. Dec 7, 2022
    10
    I had long since played the Lazy Newb pack fan bundling of a tile set and utilities for the previous free version of Dwarf Fortress. Few other games I have played were both good a decade prior, and received solid improvements that entire time. It figures that one of the best games this year was mostly the work of two brothers with independent control. The new updates for the paid versionI had long since played the Lazy Newb pack fan bundling of a tile set and utilities for the previous free version of Dwarf Fortress. Few other games I have played were both good a decade prior, and received solid improvements that entire time. It figures that one of the best games this year was mostly the work of two brothers with independent control. The new updates for the paid version prevent the need for a third party pack just to make it minimally viable for a dedicated fan to play. Now, I could see it opening up the game to include those that are only semi-dedicated. Expand
  18. Oct 16, 2014
    10
    Difficult as hell and unimaginably complex. Dwarf Fortress makes you work for your fun. This is no "Press X to Win" casual game. Even the controls and UI require serious research and it will probably be a while until you get a successful fortress up and running. Fortunately, the community is wonderful and there are plenty of well written guides to get you started, but ultimately all theDifficult as hell and unimaginably complex. Dwarf Fortress makes you work for your fun. This is no "Press X to Win" casual game. Even the controls and UI require serious research and it will probably be a while until you get a successful fortress up and running. Fortunately, the community is wonderful and there are plenty of well written guides to get you started, but ultimately all the decisions are yours and the successes & failures of your dwarves are ultimately up to you. Expand
  19. Dec 9, 2022
    10
    Do not treat this game as an ordinary one that you will abandon forever in a week. Dwarves can be thrown as much as you want, but they will constantly evolve and give out new content that will make you come back. And this content will not be released for a year or two, but as long as the developer brothers are alive
    ------
    Не относитесь к этой игре как к обычным, которые вы навсегда
    Do not treat this game as an ordinary one that you will abandon forever in a week. Dwarves can be thrown as much as you want, but they will constantly evolve and give out new content that will make you come back. And this content will not be released for a year or two, but as long as the developer brothers are alive
    ------
    Не относитесь к этой игре как к обычным, которые вы навсегда забросите через неделю. Дворфов можно забрасывать сколько угодно, но они будут постоянно развиваться и выдавать новый контент который заставит вас вернуться. И этот контент будет выходить ни год, ни два а до тех пор пока братья разработчики живы
    Expand
  20. Dec 7, 2022
    10
    Game has a steep learning curve, but builds fantastic stories of failure. Easily one of the greatest games ever created.
  21. Jan 8, 2018
    10
    First you learn the UI/menus. Then you learn how to keep your dwarves alive for awhile. Then you learn how to make your fortress thrive. And then you realize you have to start thinking like a programmer in order to make the game run smoothly/efficiently. Which means you end up relearning the menus/UI all over again. Somewhere along the way, too, you realize Tarn Adams is a unique genius,First you learn the UI/menus. Then you learn how to keep your dwarves alive for awhile. Then you learn how to make your fortress thrive. And then you realize you have to start thinking like a programmer in order to make the game run smoothly/efficiently. Which means you end up relearning the menus/UI all over again. Somewhere along the way, too, you realize Tarn Adams is a unique genius, and that we're all lucky he decided to make this his life pursuit.

    Perhaps this is a better endorsement: A couple of summers ago, i dropped a couple hundred bucks on a new GPU so I could play The Witcher 3. What did I spend the majority of my time playing instead? Dwarf Fortress.
    Expand
  22. Jun 17, 2020
    10
    The game might be a bit overwhelming at first but once you start to learn the mechanics it becomes extremely fun. The amount of stuff you can do and what can happen in the game is impressive and if you don't feel like leading a group of dwarves, you can always play Adventure mode, create your own character and explore the world
  23. Nov 30, 2018
    10
    Dwarf Fortress is a really artistic, creative, and fascinating experience which played an imperative part in the shaping of my taste in media over the course of my childhood. It taught me to have a very mindful relationship of the relationship between graphics and creativity. It excited the imagination phenomenally and continuously promised a wonderful and intricate fantasy world.
    From a
    Dwarf Fortress is a really artistic, creative, and fascinating experience which played an imperative part in the shaping of my taste in media over the course of my childhood. It taught me to have a very mindful relationship of the relationship between graphics and creativity. It excited the imagination phenomenally and continuously promised a wonderful and intricate fantasy world.
    From a purely mechanical perspective, Dwarf Fortress is extremely detailed, which leads to a fair bit of complexity and a steep learning curve. The game is not especially inaccessible, though, because one of the main features of the game is that it makes losing a fun, enjoyable, and rewarding experience. This notion of losing being "fun" is one of the central tenants of the game's design, and being exposed to this kind of mindset is a radically interesting domain to consider, especially since it is so often missing from nearly all other interactive media. The mechanical complexity and elegance of the general descent into losing Dwarf Fortress feels like a critical design component which belongs in every game.
    Aesthetically, Dwarf Fortress has a very unique style; its primitive graphics are made into a sort of art form, and the mechanical density and huge flurries of activities on the screen create a sort of hypnotic experience. The game has very detailed and fun bits of flavor scattered about its randomly generated narratives as well.
    Dwarf Fortress is one of the best video games of all time for many unconventional reasons, and I would recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat.
    Expand
  24. Nov 30, 2021
    10
    It is my favorite game, it's because of it's freedom, it's deep meaning for every little system.
  25. Jan 19, 2020
    10
    I honestly consider Dwarf Fortress to be symbol of games as a whole. It's stayed just under the mainstream of gaming for nearly a decade and a half, and has built an enduring community dedicated to watching ASCII graphics.

    I'm not good at Dwarf Fortress. I would never dare embark on an aquifer, and I religiously put points into swimming whenever I play adventurer for fear of drowning in
    I honestly consider Dwarf Fortress to be symbol of games as a whole. It's stayed just under the mainstream of gaming for nearly a decade and a half, and has built an enduring community dedicated to watching ASCII graphics.

    I'm not good at Dwarf Fortress. I would never dare embark on an aquifer, and I religiously put points into swimming whenever I play adventurer for fear of drowning in a brook. I don't know how to build a magma pump stack, refuse to touch perpetual motion generators, and cannot understand fortress schematics on the bay12 forum.

    Losing is fun is a phrase you'll see everywhere in this game, and I think I have my own interpretation of it.

    You build a fortress. You build some housing. You secure food and drink. You get migrants. With or without the help of external tools, you assign jobs to them based on skills or (more likely for me) based on whatever you need at the moment. You build up more and more. You withstand sieges and raids by fantastical and horrifying beasts. You develop everything a stereotypical dwarven fortress might want. Steel production is a little complicated, but a quick jaunt to the wiki will set you straight. You build a military and maybe subjugate a few towns or launch a couple raids. Congrats, you win.

    That by itself is a great game. You get to see everything you build come together. Soon enough you've got millions in wealth. With judicious FPS management and enough time, you might see the passing of generations (Although admittedly it takes an insane amount of dedication given a dwarf's lifespan). You find the spoilery parts of the game and react accordingly.

    You won. But you also have been winning ever since the immediate fear of game over vanished.

    It's really easy to play it safe in dwarf fortress. Walls are indestructible. So are bridges. Build a simple gate out of the two as your sole entrance and you are impervious to sieges so long as you don't run out of food and drink. Spend the next few decades in-game making art and masterwork furniture if you want. What losing is fun means is that you do as much weird **** as possible and see what you can get away with.

    Do you want to build a palace out of solid gold? Sure, if you can find enough of it. Do you want to build a magma pump that floods the surrounding area? Sure, if you can provide it enough power to get the desired throughput. Do you want to get into niche industries that aren't really vital like gem encrusting, building a library, or industrialized mermaid ivory harvesting? Sure, although I don't think anyone had a functioning plan for mermaid ivory yet. Thankfully, some simple modding sidesteps the whole ethics issue.

    I suffered a really big setback last week in my latest fortress. I was trying to build a tower up to max height as a side project using the stone left over from another project, but wanted to modify it partway through to have more staircases up. Unfortunately due to completely preventable circumstances, my dwarves deconstructed part of the floor out of sync, causing part of the tower to collapse on one of my more prominent dwarves. A ton of stone fell two stories, crushing him to death immediately. Seeing their friend and pillar of the community be crushed to death shattered morale. Tantrums ensued, probably not helped by the fact that I had a big alcohol shortage due to wasting so much labor on the tower, combined with low water supplies due to a sudden siege. I essentially executed several troublemakers by sending them out to fight a besieging army. Sure, the fortress isn't lost, but my tower project faces a very, very big delay now. Several important dwarves are going to be haunted for the rest of their lives with constant flashbacks and trauma. I didn't get away with it.

    Losing is fun.
    Expand
  26. Oct 28, 2021
    10
    At first, after downloading the game, everything is confusing, especially the UI, the tile sets, and the mechanics but after that, the game is actually fun as you learn.
  27. Dec 8, 2022
    10
    The best, most detailed and deepest game ever created and probably will not be outmatched by anything for decades to come.
  28. Dec 9, 2022
    10
    Everything from the classic version there is to love. But now with a helpful tutorial for new players and an intuitive GUI and mouse support.
  29. Dec 14, 2022
    10
    Great version of the game that makes it a lot more accessible. If you haven't played this legendary game yet, now is the time to start.
  30. Oct 5, 2011
    10
    Dwarf fortress is a game with a very steep learning curve, poor graphics and a difficult to navigate menu. However once you can get past these flaws it is an amazing game simply because of how in-depth it is. every dwarf has all its organs and body parts monitored individually, leading to humorous moments when your dwarfs bites another dwarf and shakes him around by the front tooth. EvenDwarf fortress is a game with a very steep learning curve, poor graphics and a difficult to navigate menu. However once you can get past these flaws it is an amazing game simply because of how in-depth it is. every dwarf has all its organs and body parts monitored individually, leading to humorous moments when your dwarfs bites another dwarf and shakes him around by the front tooth. Even when you get past the basics the game still provides a good challenge as there is no goal, no 'You win' screen, whether it be Goblins, Famine, Flooding or simply your fort becoming so great your pc can not run it smoothly anymore you can not win which has led to a motto among the community of 'Losing is Fun'

    Overall, i'd say if you have the time to get past the rough flaws mentioned earlier you will not regret it, And since this game is still in alpha it is free and the developer is constantly putting out free updates
    Expand
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. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Dec 13, 2022
    91
    A truly masterful fantasy simulation.