RimWorld took inspiration from Dwarf Fortress. New gameplay of the Steam version of the dwarf building game now shows reverse parallels.
Dwarf Fortress is coming out on Steam. Someday. Developer Bay 12 Games says time is subjective. And by all means, fans might be feeling the wait by now; after all, the release announcement came in 2019.
But the developers are not at all idle: not only has the development of the original been going on for 19 years, but the Steam version is also making visible progress. The developers shared fresh gameplay on YouTube, which also shows off the new user interface (UI). And the new atmospheric soundtrack is really catchy!
Connoisseurs of the build-up-survival hit RimWorld will probably click their tongues in appreciation. Not only does the UI of Dwarf Fortress appear clean and tidy in its current state, with the complex controls remaining comparatively clear. The overall style is also reminiscent of an escalated version of RimWorld. Best see for yourself:
How Dwarf Fortress and RimWorld are connected
Dwarf Fortress is a true veteran of the building genre. The game has been in development since 2002 and is known for a graphics style that is all characters. ASCII wherever the eye looks! Controls with awkward keyboard inputs! Gasp. Nevertheless, it is loved by fans for extreme complexity and exciting stories with unexpected twists and turns that arise between the dwarves.
Developer Tynan Sylvester of Ludeon Studios drew inspiration from Dwarf Fortress and took the art design from Prison Architect. From this he developed RimWorld, which in turn lives strongly from the stories between colonists. And also the construction of a huge base, the fight against all kinds of dangers and, last but not least, the repeated failure are strongly reminiscent of Dwarf Fortress.
By the way, RimWorld was a great success and is still going strong three years after its release.
Build-up hit RimWorld breaks Steam record and has more players than ever
Now it’s Dwarf Fortress’s turn again: 2019 followed the announcement that the building game will be released on Steam. With mouse controls! And real graphics! The graphics are strongly reminiscent of RimWorld, among other things because they also rely on square grids. Those who find this look hard to get used to should rather keep their eyes off the original, which exudes the charm of an Excel spreadsheet:
Get a taste for the original? Slaves to Armok 2: Dwarf Fortress is free to play and should remain so. On the official websitethe latest version is available for download. With Mods the Matrix hacker experience can also be transformed into quite respectable graphics.
The Steam version, which by the way also appears on Itch.io, is supposed to cost around 20 euros. A release date is still not known.
What do you think about Dwarf Fortress? Are you looking forward to the Steam version, do you prefer to stay with the (modded) original or is it all too crass for you? Feel free to write us your opinion in the comments
