Dwarf Fortress
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Dwarf Fortress
A dedicated renewal for an already-legendary video game, the 2022 release of Dwarf Fortress brings it to a level where the casually interested can finally dive in and Strike the Earth!
A worthy revision of the legendary settlement sim. Slightly less impenetrable, just as engrossing.
A graphical overhaul offers a gentler way of playing this vast, strange strategy game of staggering intricacy
Dwarf Fortress is a hobby more than a game at its highest levels. It’s something that has enough depth and complexity to devote a small part of your life if you want. Its community is devoted and their command over the mechanics of Dwarf Fortress allows them to do incredible things with this game. That being said, it may not be for everyone. The Steam Release lets you see whether or not this game is worth your time enough to get invested in truly understanding this game.
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.
This score comes with a huge side-serving caveat that it requires a serious revision over time, personally speaking. One suspects it will climb its way up closer to 10, if not a 10 itself, if it is indeed what it deserves. The score here is arrived at chiefly for the level of commitment required to even begin to understand what is possible in Dwarf Fortress and more a reflection of one's own lack of intellect rather than a mark against the game.
I think they’ve done it. This is the classic Dwarf Fortress experience but with nice graphics, some quality of life improvements, and more robust mouse support. Strike the earth! Don’t slip on the puke!
Dwarf Fortress is one of the most incredibly complex games to ever be released, with Bay 12 Games showing no sign of slowing down in the coming years. While the complicated menus and steep learning curve might be too much for some people, this game will be exactly what most colony management fans have always been looking for.
