With the 1.0 release of Dwarf Fortress on Steam that added graphics, mouse controls, and even a tutorial, it’s fair to wonder what else made its way to the longstanding simulation game. This is especially true for any new players who may have been drawn in with the introduction of so many new (and huge) quality of life features. So if you’re looking to for an experienced player to help you get over the learning curve or just some company in your lonely tunnels, do you have any multiplayer options?
Related: Dwarf Fortress is richly rewarding, if you can get over a mountainous learning curve – Review
Does Dwarf Fortress have multiplayer?
In short, the answer is no, Dwarf Fortress doesn’t have any multiplayer modes available in 1.0. It also seems highly unlikely the game will ever receive multiplayer in an update, either. In an announcement on Steam regarding the release of 1.0, Bay 12 did suggest that Dwarf Fortress will continue to grow in many ways over the years, stating that “this is just the beginning.” So, of course, nothing is ever completely ruled out. However, the game has been around for quite some time, and there’s been no indication that developer Bay 12 Games intends for it to be anything other than a solo experience.
For something that simulates a co-op experience, some Dwarf Fortress players have been known to share save files, allowing multiple players to work on the same fortress, albeit not simultaneously. There have also been more labor intensive ways to play (a limited version of) the game in a more standard, simultaneous co-op way in a browser. This, however, requires quite a bit of work, including paying for a server. This also only works with the old, non Steam version of the game, which means no mouse controls or graphics. There have (so far) been no reported attempts of the development of a mod or similar service that would add multiplayer to the more fleshed out Steam version of the game.
