Dwarf Fortress Steam Version officially dropped on December 6, 2022, and many modders immediately hopped on re-creating old mods and developing brand new ones. For those unaware, the original Dwarf Fortress was an ASCII-style game where most of the game’s elements were depicted with numbers and symbols. The new Steam version, however, enables players to easily install mods using the Workshop tab. Keep reading for our list of the best mods in Dwarf Fortress.
Best Mods for Dwarf Fortress (Steam)
In our Dwarf Fortress mod guide, we’ll cover mods for QoL enhancements, graphics, and total conversion mods (mods that change the base game of Dwarf Fortress).
Quality of Life Mods
Quality-of-Life mods, or QoL mods, improve the game’s base functions or mechanics to make it more straightforward. They can also streamline certain aspects of the game that players don’t find engaging or important.
- See-Through Smoothing Designations: This mod makes it so that you can see through walls when smoothing them.
- Audible Alerts: This mod creates audible notifications for significant events in your game so that you don’t miss anything.
- Interface Tweaks: This mod displays the hotkeys for different actions in the game. Not compatible with Ergonomic Hotkeys.
- Ergonomic Hotkeys: Players used to RTS games may enjoy Ergonomic hotkeys. Replaces old bindings with new keystrokes that can be easily pressed with your keyboard hand.
Graphic Mods
Graphic mods replace the sprites for the game’s items, creatures, and icons. Since Dwarf Fortress is a procedurally-generated game, this can result in vast unit variety.
- Squad & Burrow Icons: Adds new custom symbols to the military screen.
- Creature Graphics Extended: Adds new creature models for a total of 1,000,000 unique combinations.
- More arms and armor graphics: This mod includes additional armor and weapon sprites that will make individual characters stand out.
Total Conversion Mods
Total conversion mods enhance or change the base game of Dwarf Fortress.
- New Genesis: A complete overhaul mod that changes and adds many new elements, weapons, and items to the game. One of the more ambitious mods ported from the old game.
- Age of Man: What would Dwarf Fortress be without Dwarves? The Age of Man mod sets out to answer that question.
- Vvardenfell (Elder Scrolls Mod): The Vvardenfell mod sets out to make Dwarf Fortress more like Elder Scrolls by adding all the races and other content from the Elder Scrolls games.
- The Aeramore Expansion: This mod changes the Dwarf Fortress lore and adds new races, items, and secrets to the game. This mod was very popular in the old version of Dwarf Fortress.
How to Install Mods for Dwarf Fortress
To install mods for the Dwarf Fortress Steam Edition, click the mod links below to go to the Workshop, then click + Subscribe button on the mod’s page to download it. Restart your game, and select the Mod menu from the main screen to ensure the mod is installed correctly.
Did we miss a mod on the list? Let us know in the comments section below.
More Dwarf Fortress Guides:
What Do the Symbols on Items Mean in Dwarf Fortress? | How to Get Seeds | Where to Find Ore | How to Fix FPS | How to Upgrade Rooms | How to Raise and Train Animals | How to Craft Jewelry in Dwarf Fortress
