v0.31:Tutorials

Of course, instead of trial and error you could also just read the wiki...

Dwarf Fortress started as a pretty complex game back in the days when it was 2D and barely had a quarter of the features it has now. It's easy to get overwhelmed when you first fire it up. Don't worry though, following a tutorial is a very easy way to learn the game in an afternoon.

Don't worry if you don't understand why you do things on your first run, even after reading the tutorial's explanation. If one particular thing bugs you, try starting a new fort and skipping it, then seeing what goes wrong! Especially in the current version, trial and error is great way of having lots of fun.

Installing and running the Game

If you have not installed the game yet see Template:L.

Learning Fortress Mode

Most of the tutorials were written for the older (40d) version of Dwarf Fortress. But nonetheless, they are still helpful. If you get stuck within a specific aspect of the game search the wiki and don't hesitate to ask in the forum.

The following Tutorials will walk you through world generation, embarking with your 7 dwarves, game basics, and building a full-fledged fortress.

Recommended tutorials and wiki articles

For DF2010:

• Bentgirder. A good, mostly-complete tutorial.

• Template:L

• From Caravan to Happy Dwarves. A minimalistic, but great, diagram (maybe for players with a bit more experience).

• Jumping Into Fortress Mode. An outline of main concepts, though it lacks any technical help.

Still for the 40d Version but really great for the beginning:

• The legendary video tutorials by Captain Duck.

• The Complete and Utter Newby Tutorial for Dwarf Fortress with lots of screenshots.

• Indecisive's illustrated fortress mode tutorial.

• A quickstart guide

• "What should I build first?"

Specific Elements

Basics of world generation

• World generation
• Map legend

Basics of embarking

• Location
• Biome
• Alignment
• Embark
• Starting build

Feeding Dwarfs

There are several ways to feed your dwarves. Your initial supplies will run out, but fishing and plant gathering are easy ways to get additional food in a starting fortress. The default embark group starts with a fisherdwarf; you'll need a fishery workshop to clean the fish your fisherdwarf catches, to make them edible. It is very important to have enough Template:L for your dwarves, so building a still is almost a requirement during the first year. Caravans bring some drinks, but not enough.

To ensure sustenance when the fortress grows, farming is the most reliable way. Above-ground farm plots are easy to set up (if you have soil on your map), but require seeds that can be obtained from gathered plants or by trading with humans or elves. Underground farms require mud (easily made with water) and are trickier to set up, but you'll have seeds to plant there. Buying food from traders is a way to prevent shortages.

See also:

• Irrigation and Farming
• Meat industry
• Fishing
• Gathering plants
• Trading for food
• And not to forget: Alcohol

Defending against enemies

• Military design
• Armor and Weapons
• Sparring

Adventure Mode

Currently the only tutorial for Adventure Mode is the Template:L guide. Adventure mode is significantly less complex than Fortress Mode though.