If you’re new to the world of little bearded dudes, then you’ll likely be in the market for a Dwarf Fortress beginner’s guide. Thankfully, we’ve got some tips for you that’ll help you find your feet in this magnificent beast of a game. It’s not a huge secret that Dwarf Fortress is kind of hard to wrangle, and while it’s definitely gotten easier to deal with in recent years, it’s still a complicated affair.
Thankfully, there are loads of resources out there to help you, of which we are but one, and we’re going to give you some Dwarf Fortress tips that’ll help you make your brain work in the very specific way that the game requires. As there’s so much to do and so many individual ways to accomplish them in the game, a lot of these are more generalised than in other beginner’s guides for other games, but these tips should help you get the most out of the game anyway.
Dwarf Fortress Beginner’s Guide
If you’ve been playing Dwarf Fortress for a while already, then these tips won’t be a huge help to you. You might still get something from reminiscing about when you were just a baby Dwarf Fortresser (that’s not what people who play the game are called), but you’re all grown up now. That being said, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by the sheer, well, everything of it all, then hopefully, these tips will help you find the enjoyment in this incredible game.
Take your time
Dwarf Fortress isn’t a sprint; it’s an ultra-marathon through rugged terrain with regular taverns dotted along the course. You don’t have to know exactly what you’re doing to enjoy the experience, and with there being so many different things to learn and grasp, it’s a wall of knowledge that you might not feel like climbing. The only way to properly overcome that though, is just by playing the game. We’d expect the Steam release to include more tutorials and whatnot, but even if it doesn’t, just take your time exploring and experimenting, and it’ll all eventually click.
Don’t be afraid to start again
With that first tip in mind, you should expect the first couple of attempts to end in a flurry of “oh, I see what I should have done there.” They say that failure is the greatest teacher; we’re not sure who “they” are in this case, but they’re right. Dwarf Fortress is a game where you’ll start a fair few times again, and every time you’ll acquire more knowledge and you’ll do a little bit better a little bit faster. So, don’t be afraid to just throw in the towel and start again.
Build things with efficiency in mind
One of the easiest ways to make things a little smoother is to build all of the relevant things next to each other. If you’re going to have a bunch of wood in one area, make sure you put every relevant building in that area to save your dwarves from having to run around too much. They’ll thank you for it, and your game will go a lot faster too.
Don’t stress about the overall goal
While thinking ahead is definitely a huge boon in a game like this, try not to worry about an end goal. Your goal should just be to keep improving your little dwarf society until everyone is living the high life, so let someone else save the world while you and your dwarves just vibe until the end of time.
Make the most of multiple levels
Dwarf Fortress wants you to make the most of multiple levels, so do so. Build up and down as much as you can to bring multiple things closer together and make everything a little more seamless. Doing so will make it easier for your dwarves to get from one place to another, up everyone’s efficiency, and it’ll help you when building defences as well.
Use the internet
For a game like this, sometimes the easiest way to learn things is to seek out experts. While these Dwarf Fortress beginner’s tips might help you with the mindset, if you’ve got specific questions, then take the internet and ask them. Go to Twitch, YouTube, or just the forums and ask away. The Dwarf Fortress community adores their game, and they want to share it with the world.
