How to Play "Dwarf Fortress" in Adventure Mode

Dwarf Fortress's graphics are made entirely out of ASCII characters.

Known for its imitation ASCII-style graphics and meticulous gameplay, Dwarf Fortress lets the player either build a fortress as an overseer or adventure out into a procedurally generated world. However, some players find the Dwarf Fortress user interface confusing because it relies on navigating expansive menus using only keyboard shortcuts and no mouse. In fact, just beginning an adventure may be intimidating. You must first generate a world to play in before doing anything else.

Instructions

1. Double click the Dwarf Fortress icon. Allow the introductory movie to finish.

2. Press the "Down" arrow on your keyboard until "Create New World Now!" is highlighted. Wait 5 to 10 minutes as Dwarf Fortress automatically generates a random world.

3. Press the "Enter" key when prompted. You will be returned to the title screen.

4. Press the "Down" arrow on your keyboard until "Start Playing" is highlighted. Press "Enter."

5. Press the "Down" arrow on your keyboard until "Adventurer" is highlighted. Press "Enter." Wait as Dwarf Fortress loads the world it just generated.

6. Press "Enter" twice to begin playing in Adventure Mode.

References

• Dwarf Fortress Wiki: Adventure Mode Quick Start

Resources

• The Dwarf Fortress Wiki: Main Page