With the release of Dwarf Fortress on Steam and Itch.io, there are now two versions of the game, as explained by creator Tarn Adams. The Classic version is the Dwarf Fortress that we’ve known for years, while Premium is the version on Steam and Itch.io. But what are the differences between these versions?
Differences between Dwarf Fortress Classic and Dwarf Fortress Premium
The first thing you’ll spot between Premium and Classic is the price. Dwarf Fortress on Steam and Itch.io comes with a price tag. And beyond that, there’s a huge graphical update to justify the cost, with a brand new UI and engine. But besides the obvious graphical update, there are several changes that you should definitely be aware of in Dwarf Fortress on Steam and Itch.io:
- Almost every hotkey in the game has been changed, with some removed. Hotkeys in workshops seem to be gone. You’ll have to relearn all your hotkey combinations if you’re an experienced player.
- Brand new soundtrack, with dozens of new tracks, that still maintains the feeling of the original guitar riffs that haunted your old games and saves.
- The game has removed architecture, an annoying skill that meant you had to have a dwarf place all the materials in the build location for some buildings. This mainly affected things like furnaces and bridges.
- Burial works differently. You can’t just have random coffins lying around, and they need to be designated as a tomb using the zone menu.
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- Re-walling an area you’ve dug out will no longer leave an ugly blotch of revealed stone, meaning you can correct those little errors in digging without worry!
- Pauses for notifications, for the most part, are gone. They still remain for large events like mega beasts, and vile forces of darkness.
- Rooms and Zones have basically been merged. This makes a lot of sense.
- Steps have merged. No more upstairs, downstairs, and up & down stairs.
- Mason was replaced with Stonecutting.
- Jobs are done by everyone by default, you need to create new work details to change it to specific dwarves only doing it. This isn’t so much of an issue for things like mining, or low skill jobs, but as you grow your fortress you’ll want to put specifically skilled laborers doing work.
For more Dwarf Fortress news, guides, and info, check out Dwarf Fortress strange moods, how to deal with them, and what they mean on Pro Game Guides
Michael lives in the UK, but wishes he lived in Eorzea. A life-long gamer, Four years ago, he ditched a "real" job to write about video games for a living, and hasn't looked back. When not guiding players how to get the latest mounts, crafting recipes, and in-game goodies, he spends his time nurturing an unhealthy addiction to MMOs and gacha games.