Dwarf Fortress Launches on Steam; World's Most Complex Strategy is Here
In a few hours, an upgraded version of the iconic Dwarf Fortress will debut on Steam. This is one of the most anticipated launches on the service.
Today, Dwarf Fortress, the revamped version of the iconic indie game from Bay 12 Games will debut on Steam.
- The game will be unlocked on Steam most likely around 6am PT.
- A ton of players are waiting for the game - Dwarf Fortress is followed by more than 123 thousand people on Steam.
- Such a result makes Dwarf Fortress the 13th most anticipated game on Valve's platform.
The first reviews are positive
Three reviews of the Steam release have already appeared on the web:
- Multiplayer.it - 95/100
- Twinfinite - 4.5/5
- PCGamer - 84/100
As you can see, the first reviews of the commercial version are very positive. Reviewers praise the improvements that make the game more accessible without losing what made the original unique.
The old versus the new Dwarf Fortress
Original release of Dwarf Forfress takes the form of a free game that has been in development continuously since 2002. The first alpha version was released in 2006, and until now the developers have been living off the voluntary donations of fans.
The version on Steam will be a paid product. Compared to the original, the biggest change is expected to be a friendlier interface and isometric 2D graphics (for purists, however, the ASCII mode will also be available). We will also get an extensive soundtrack and support for mods within the Steam Workshop.
At the same time, the release of the commercial edition will not affect the free original, which will continue to be developed. Importantly, the mechanics and content itself will remain the same for both versions - they are to be improved in parallel.
Great joy for players
The release of the Steam version should please many gamers. Dwarf Fortress is insanely elaborate. The game simulates the smallest details of managing a dwarven fortress and the surrounding world to such an extent that each session is radically different from the previous one, and the game does not get boring even after a dozen years. So far, however, the old-school execution has been a barrier that many players have not been able to overcome. Admittedly, there were mods that improved graphics, but what the Steam version will offer will be much better and more polished.
How complex the game is is best shown by the fact that in preparation for the release of the commercial version, the publisher company Kitfox Games has published a series of video tutorials for beginners on YouTube, which total about six hours! Below you can watch the first episode in this series.
