Dwarf Fortress is a freeware roguelike/strategy game that's the most graphic thing without graphics that I've ever played. The game procedurally generates a unique world when you first install the game, which takes about 10 to 15 minutes. With that generation comes landmarks, history, cultures, etc.. Following the generation of the world you choose to play either Dwarf Fortress or Adventure mode.
Dwarf Fortress mode is the strategy game in which you start out with a small band of dwarves, choose a location in the world to start building, and then start assigning tasks, gathering materials, and expanding your fortress while on the lookout for things like goblin raids. The game does a good job of just throwing you into it without much of a tutorial, but thankfully people have written a lot of good introductory guides on the
Dwarf Fortress Wiki.
Adventure Mode is the roguelike portion of the game. You pick a race and either select "Play now," which starts you naked, skill-less, and in a random location, or you choose a starting region and a few starting skills. After that you're free to roam your world as you please. There is no main quest, but you can do anything from help mayors of random towns to laying siege to any settlement you come across. It's in this mode where the graphic descriptions of combat comes in, from breaking brains to limbs flying off in bloody arcs. It's wholesome fun that the entire family can enjoy!
The game requires a good computer; I'm on an AthlonXP 2.2GHz and it has to pause and load frequently.
The latest game can be downloaded from the
Bay 12 Games Website.
Jam it back in, in the dark.
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