Dwarf Fortress is one of the most complex and content-rich games ever made. It's astounding!
It's hard to know where to start, quite frankly. Perhaps with the legions of dedicated fans who've composed a fantastic wiki for one of the more arcane games out there. Perhaps with the incredibly detailed map creator, where no two worlds will ever be the same (and of course each playable map is executed in about 1/100th of the world). Perhaps with the variety of modes available, including Fortress Mode (the one I've really played a lot), Adventurer Mode (which is executed in roguelike fashion, and Legends Mode (where you explore the previous civilizations you've created to learn of the vast in-game-created history of your people). It's hard to know.
As opposed to a typical review, which would comment at length on the gameplay, on visuals, on lasting value etc, I'm going to do something different. Certainly, DF's visuals will be a turn off for many, and the city-builder-esque type of play may not suit everyone. Nor will the difficulty, quite frankly. So let me gloss all of that with one thought: Dwarf Fortress is about losing in interesting ways, about playing out the rise and eventual fall of the kingdom of dwarves, and about having a lot of fun while figuring it all out. In light of that, let me instead present a series of vignettes which I hope will both describe the game as played, indicate the absolutely incredible depth present here, and hopefully mark Dwarf Fortress as one of the greatest games of all time.
Vignette I: PURE SINGULARITY. "Inalacamade 1055, The Foundation of the Age"
At the outset of each Fortress Mode playthrough, you have the option (or requirement if you're new) to create a new world. DF's world creator system is by far the most complex world creator I've seen. From frosty mountain peaks and volcanoes to oceans and lakes along with deserts and forests, the entire world will be generated from scratch, through a series of computer-run equations which include the type of rock in given areas, physics of water (and magma) flow (so, for instance, canyon creation of water run through softer soils), rainfall patterns, climate, then forestation based on all of that, just as an example. Following that, you choose which tiny square in this gigantic world you want to play in, based on elevation, vegetation, primary rock composition, etc. Then the game creates for you automatically a whole history of your world, legends of your people, entire civilizations who've come and gone, as well as other in-game civilizations including Elves, Humans, other Dwarves, and the Goblin Hoards. It wouldn't be an understatement to say that where you choose to embark on your adventure will have as big an impact on your game as anything else you do in the aftermath.
Vignette II: PURE CONTROL. "Vabok Sokantis (aka Vabok Phrasedstake) Mayor"
DF is all about environmental resources. From the list of about 100 different rocks not to mention 100 different Gems, which are all set down per specific environmental factors, you'll have a brief glimpse of the importance of resources. As you might imagine, you won't have much of a civilization if you can't find the proper ores to smelt into your base metals like Iron, Bronze, Silver, etc. And of course encrusting your crafts with gems will go a long way in trade with other civilizations. But simply finding the stone you need will be the least of your worries, quite frankly. Dwarves will be your most important resource from beginning to end, and figuring out how to manage them well will take time, skill, and focus. Whether you have 7 or 200 dwarves, each will need to be put to work rather like the most complex beehive you can imagine: Miners, Wood Cutters, Masons, Cooks, Hunters, Farmers, Gem Cutters, Silk Weavers, Carpenters, Stoneworkers, Clerks, Soldiers (Marksdwarves, Hammerdwarves, Axedwarves etc), Guards, Engravers, all compose just a fraction of the jobs you'll need to administer to avoid starving, being killed by the Goblin Invaders, having valuable goods to trade, keeping dwarves happy, etc. With decades of experience, perhaps eventually your oldest and most vetted Dwarves may even become legendary in their labor, which will mean much more production of course. If you make it that far, that is.
Vignette III: PURE DEATH. "losing is fun"
In the 3 civilizations I've played so far at 100 hours total (and I'd still consider myself rather a newbie) one civ starved to death for lack of available food or farming technical knowhow), one never made it out of the gates (all the dwarves went crazy from lack of beer and water), and one was crushed at the hands of an epic Bronze Colossus who stormed my mountain right after I'd finally put down a very large goblin invasion. I'm telling you, it's a grand story every single time, and no two games will go quite the same route. New solutions to old problems tend to confront new problems with few good solutions but to watch it all crumble and try again with a bit more wisdom.
Vignette IV: PURE SANDCASTLE. "casual worshiper of Stristras Balanced the lives of Luxury"
A. The very ability to mine anywhere anything, to carve out whatever structures you want in any way is incredibly liberating. You want a grant dining hall? Design it however you want. Want a mosoleum worthy of the Egyptians, one that overlooks a vast valley though green-glass windows? Go for it. There's really no limit to what you can create if you embrace the power of creation.
B. In-game-machines. DF allows you to harness the power of the wind and waves to create electrical machines with enough simple components to allow you to design what you want. Some people have made computers with the components or machines that function in a circular manner such that they never stop. The possibilities are endless.
C. Trap Design. Again, with a specific set of buildable components, you imagination is the limit to what you can build to execute, torture, and all around demolish your enemies. Some have created fire pits, others colloseum-like arenas for soldier training or fights to the death, others traps to drown them in gushing water, as well as an assortment of impaling, dropping, crushing, starving, and other more simple means. It's like playing with Legos, but for grownups: you can make anything you want with the given pieces.
Vignette V: PURE FUNCTIONALITY. "Shorast Rhovadalath has created a Masterpiece!"
I've never played a game before where the visual representation is much better stripped down. With the vast amount of types of materials and objects, I can't even begin to imagine what a developer would do to represent 100 different types of ore, for example, rather than the #V*/X that DF uses. You can, with a little bit of play, look at any object (n, for example) and know not just what it is, but also what it is made of. So let's say that "n" stands for Chair and "red" stands for bauxite, then when you see n you know exactly what's going on. It's rather like in the Matrix, when Neo finally sees the flowing streams of information embedded in every substance. While the latest version of the game does include some designed images to represent objects in place of flowing signs, the effect is still pretty much the same: depth of information at a glance.
I could go on, really, I could. Not since Morrowind have I been this obsessed, this in love with any game. The vast technical knowledge needed, the time of experience required in play, the ability to create the kingdom that you envision, all of it is given to you in a game that presents itself with such modestly. All I can say is play it. Just give it a try, put in a few hours and see what you think. I won't claim its for everybody, but I can certainly say that this game is like no other out there, and that alone should require it a look.
RATING 10/10