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Tutorials

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This article is about the current version of DF.
Note that some content may still need to be updated.

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 basics of 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 Installation.

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, then search the wiki and don't hesitate to ask questions 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

From Caravan to Happy Dwarves - This is a flowchart showing approximately what sequence of actions players usually take when starting up a new fort.

For v50:

For v0.47:

For v0.40:

For v0.34:

For the old versions:

Specific Elements

These are not necessarily tutorials, but they can help out with specific parts of the game.

Basics of World Generation

Basics of Embarking

Feeding Dwarves

Mining and Minerals

  • The Non-Dwarf's Guide to Rock - A primer, explaining geology in so far as it is implemented in Dwarf Fortress. Note that DF geology is actually quite realistic, so knowledge of real world geology could make much of the game seem very familiar to you.

Defending Against Enemies

This is one of the most challenging aspects of the game, so if you feel confused even after reading all of this then you are not alone.

Adventurer Mode

Main article: Adventurer mode

Adventure mode tutorials are less common than for fortress mode. Also, some of the adventure mode wiki content is in sections on related pages, rather than on adventure mode-specific pages; the main page provides an overview with links to the sections or pages with more information.

Recommended tutorials and wiki articles

For v50:

For v0.47:

For v0.44: