This 2022 release is a remaster of the simulation game, focusing on construction, management, and roguelike elements. Available on Linux and PC (Microsoft Windows), it combines Role-playing (RPG), Simulator, Strategy, and Indie genres. Published by Kitfox Games and developed by Bay 12 Games, this edition enhances the original's deep gameplay with improved accessibility.

Core Gameplay

The gameplay centers around managing a colony of dwarves, each possessing simulated personalities, needs, and skills. Players oversee resource management, construction, defense, and the overall well-being of their fortress. Each game generates a unique world, presenting challenges ranging from aquifers to hostile creatures. The objective involves building a thriving civilization, with the understanding that eventual decline is part of the experience, providing lessons for future attempts.

Visual and Audio Enhancements

This remaster introduces visual and audio enhancements to the original, which was previously based on ASCII graphics. The updated graphics offer a more intuitive understanding of the game world. The user interface has been modernized to streamline interactions and improve the game's accessibility.

Faithful Preservation of Core Mechanics

While the visuals and interface have been updated, the core mechanics and depth of the original have been preserved. The complex combat model, featuring skills, body parts, material properties, aimed attacks, wrestling, and effects like pain and poison, remains intact. The detailed world generation, including animals and monsters (many randomly generated), dynamic weather patterns, and geological environments with rock and mineral types, continues to be a key feature.

What elements are preserved from the original?

The generated poetry, musical forms, instruments, and dances for the dwarves to practice and perform are also preserved.

Content and Changes

The remaster focuses on improving accessibility and presentation without sacrificing the depth and complexity of the original. No content has been removed, and the core gameplay loop remains faithful to the original vision.

Technical Improvements

The primary focus of this remaster is on technical improvements to make the game more accessible and visually appealing, while retaining the original's depth and complexity.