Dwarf Fortress

Dwarf Fortress is a refreshed version of a game developed since 2002, that combines elements of RPG, management simulator and strategy. It was developed by Bay 12 Games, the studio behind the original Dwarf Fortress Classic - one of the first games to be purchased by the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the inspiration for such productions as RimWorld, Prison Architect and Minecraft. The new version of the title was published by Kitfox Games and was released on Steam and itch.io.

Plot

Just like in the original, the action of the game was set in a fantastic, randomly generated world. Here we also take control over a group of seven fearless dwarves or we play as an adventurer, wandering alone through the land full of secrets and dangers.

Game mechanics

As Dwarf Fortress is a refreshed version of the well-known title, it contains all the game modes from the original: Fortress, Adventurer and Legends. The first and the most popular one allows us to generate our own, unique world, in which we take control over a group of dwarves fighting for survival. We help our heroes in establishing a fortress and developing the colony, while protecting them from various dangers. The game ends when the last member of the team is killed.

This game is inspired by roguelikes, so we have to show a good tactical sense and observe all signs of discontent from the dwarves, so that our civilization could last as long as possible. We must also remember about the regular supply of food and beer, as well as provide assistance in repelling the attacks of foreign civilizations, wild creatures and even the dead. Each loss teaches us something, we can learn from each one, which will make the game easier the next time we try... or at least until another threat thwarts our plans.

Each world has its own set of randomly generated animals and monsters, in each there is also a unique type of poetry, musical forms, instruments and types of dance. Just like in the original, the game allows us to create a variety of buildings, produce valuable items (in total, more than two hundred types of rocks and minerals can be found in the game) or manage the nobility. The title also allows us to track weather changes, wind strength and air properties. Proper management of our colony will result in the development of a unique dwarven culture, rich in libraries, temples, taverns, various goods and much more.

In the next game mode - Adventurer - we play as a single hero, who can freely explore the world created by us. In this mode, we take control over one of the available characters (dwarf, human, elf, and even goblin or animal). During our journey we can recruit other units (including dwarves, who live in our abandoned fortresses), explore various locations and hunt or avoid numerous dangers by following the footprints and animal tracks. In this mode we have also introduced the original nemesis system, thanks to which we have a chance to meet our opponents from previous games.

Legends mode allows us to learn the history of the world and the most important events that took place in it.

Technical aspects

This game features 2D graphics in pixel-art style (although the older, original ASCII mode is also available). Several music artists (including Dabu) worked on the unique soundtrack, matching the changing seasons and additional sound effects.