Dwarf Fortress has been in development for over the last 20 years, becoming one of the most complex world simulations out there. However, because of this, many players speak the praises of the game and its uniquely expansive systems. Due to this long-running development and wealth of options in how to play, many players can be confused about where to start.
There is an abundance of ways to play Dwarf Fortress once you get established. But first, you’ll need a fortress of your own. Here’s all you need to know about the Dwarf Fortress early-game tutorial and how to get started in Dwarf Fortress.
How to get started in Dwarf Fortress
The Fortress game mode is this game’s claim to fame, going on to inspire titles like RimWorld, Going Medieval, Dungeon Keeper, and many more. There are a variety of extensive guides that players can draw from, but this is an attempt to simplify those to help you get started with ease.
How to find a good starting spot
When you’re starting out, you’ll want to make sure that you’re choosing a friendly location that won’t cause you problems while you get used to the systems. Some of the properties of the area should include:
- Shallow and Deep Metals
- Warm temperature
- Woodland or Heavily Forested so you have wood resources
- Serene or Calm biome
- No Aquifers, otherwise you risk underground floods
- Clay or Soil for farming ease
After this, you can select “Play Now!” to immediately start your game with the base equipment and supplies. If you want to customize the gear you start with and your Dwarve’s skills, you should select the “Prepare” option. Until you get used to the game, it might be best to use the suggested baseline gear and randomized skills by selecting “Play Now!”
Once you’ve spawned your Dwarves around the starting Wagon, you should look around the area and become familiar with the resources and layout of the land. Look around for water, plants, and any minerals that are easily available. Knowing where to find these things will create fewer headaches when you need to help your Dwarves with their crafting and personal needs.
Begin building your fortress
To start, you’ll need to begin digging a home for your Dwarves in the earth, starting with a staircase that leads into a hallway. To build a staircase, you should click the mining tool and then the icon for stairs. First, click on the top level of dirt, then use the mouse wheel to scroll down a level before clicking again, creating a staircase. You can zoom in and out by pressing “Ctrl” and using the mouse wheel.
Now on the lower level, you’ll need to click the mining symbol before clicking on any space that you want your Dwarves to hollow out. This can be used to create hallways and rooms that can be converted into storage and bedrooms, two important features you’ll need to have to keep your Dwarves healthy.
It’s important that you get your supplies and Dwarves underground where it’s safe. To do this, you should create storage areas by using the Stockpile selection tool on your bar at the bottom of the screen. Highlight an area where you want to store items, then press “Accept.” For your first storage areas, select “All” items to be kept in it just to get your supplies out of the elements above.
Once you’ve done that, you should focus on creating bedrooms for each of your starting Dwarves, as proper rooms will keep them happier than sleeping on the ground. To do so, you’ll need a Carpenter’s Workshop to make doors and beds.
You can build a Carpenter’s workshop by selecting the tool on the bottom toolbar that looks like a hammer hitting three blocks. This is how you’ll build new workshops and place items, so become familiar with its options. Click “Workshops” and then “Carpenter” before placing the workshop in a room with enough space.
With the Carpenter’s workbench, you’ll need to create new tasks to make as many beds and doors as you have population for your Dwarves’ rooms.
Create a meeting area and trash heap
It seems that by default, the Dwarves will hang outside around the wagon when they’re idle. Being out in the elements can negatively affect them if they’re attacked or the weather gets dangerous. Instead, creating a meeting spot will give them a place to hang out when not busy with work.
Create a 5×5 meeting area, with the potential for expansion, on a second level below the earth. To label this zone as a place for your Dwarves to relax and socialize, select the green square with a Dwarve’s face in the middle of the bottom toolbar. Click “Meeting Area” and highlight the room you created for your Dwarves to go to.
You should also create a separate area for your corpses and other refuse away from your fortress’s main entrance. Create a 5×5 stockpile location for all rotting materials outside of your base and away from the entrance. Once you’ve done this, make sure that you adjust your other stockpiles to not include any corpses or rotten food.
Next, you’ll need to create a 1×1 area and zone it as a garbage location. Fortunately, one tile can hold all of the garbage. You may want to create more as you get further in the game to keep your Dwarves from taking too long of a trip.
Becoming food sustainable
While you’ll start with some food and water, you’ll need to ensure that you have a steady way to replenish this or your fortress will be dead and gone before you know it. You’ll want to make sure that you build at least a 5×5 plot to farm in, preferably near your stockpiles to make transferring resources easier. Make sure you have room to expand the plot as your population grows.
One of the most suggested crops to grow to ensure your civilization is fed are Plump Helmets and Quarry Bushes.
Other options for emergency food supplies include hunting and butchering animals, which requires a Butcher shop. You can create traps in the Carpenter’s workshop that can also be used for this.
The Dwarves can also gather plants from the surrounding area and use those to feed their population in times of need. While you’ll likely have plenty of food once you get your farm going, it’s good to have other options in your back pocket.
Where to get drinks
The first resource you’ll need is water, which can be located on the top part of the land. You’ll need to specify it as a “Water Source” from the zones screen. Without alcohol, however, your Dwarves will become irritated and slow their work.
You’ll first need a brewer before you can create a still, however. Go into your unit’s work orders by clicking on the image of a single hammer on the bottom left toolbar. This will open up the “Labor” menu used to dictate what each Dwarf does with their time. Select “Add new work detail” in the top right corner and then select “Brewing” in the farming section.
Now you can build a Still, given that you’ve got all the necessary supplies. Go back to the build section and select the “Farming” tab and then “Still.” You should dig a 3×3 area that’s connected to a close farm plot.
To brew drinks, you’ll need to create a task for them as you would with the Carpenter’s workshop. You’ll also need barrels to store the alcohol and plants to make it from, with barrels being craftable by the Carpenter.
How to begin trading
Make a 5×5 room somewhere near your entrance and build a trading depot. This will allow caravans to park their stuff and begin trading with your settlement. If you’re unsure what to export at the start, consider crafting something in excess and selling it, while importing whatever you need more of. According to different wikis, Gems and crafted goods work as good starter exports.
Once a caravan arrives, be sure to mark all the goods you want to sell and the ones you want to buy by clicking on the Trading Depot. You’ll only be able to trade when you’ve got a broker, as seen in the next section. Be warned that you shouldn’t sell wood to elves, especially wood boxes filled with other things, or they’ll become angry at you.
The caravan will always want to make a profit off of you, and allowing them to do so will ensure that they come back with more on their next trip through the area.
If you’re unsure what to purchase, consider some food or alcohol while you’re working to get your farm and still working. This will likely be the hardest resource to find until you become self-sustainable, so trading to meet your needs early in the game is smart.
Assigning Administrators
Once you get some migrants and your settlement starts to bulk up, you’ll need some help running things. Click on the image of a crown to bring up your “Nobles and Administrators” menu. From here, you’ll need to assign at least three of the positions to make your job easier.
These positions include a manager to queue work orders, a bookkeeper to allow you to maintain inventory counts, and a broker to allow you to trade with a caravan. Some of the suggested Dwarves for these positions include:
- Manager: Expedition leader
- Bookkeeper: Expedition leader
- Broker: Anyone except for same as a bookkeeper
Once you’ve got these basic amenities, you can begin to further explore the world of Dwarf Fortress. From here you can build a hospital or a food prep area, fill your rooms with Carpenter furniture, and hone your trading skills. Regardless of how you explore the world, remember that part of the fun is failing and learning to try again with everything you’ve learned.
There are hundreds of guides across the internet that will help you further take advantage of this fantastical and complex game world.
