Frequently Asked Questions
What is this?
DwarfCorp is a single-player 3D colony management sim in which you lead a colony of capitalist Dwarves to profit and conquest. It features mining and resource management, building, magical research, farming and combat.
How do I contact you?
Email us at dwarfcorpgame <at> gmail <dot> com.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dwarfcorp
Is the game still in development?
Yes, and faster than ever before. We are improving, polishing and expanding the game every day.
When will the game be done?
We are targeting Steam Early Access and itch.io on September 25th 2017. We will continue updating and supporting the game for as long as it takes to be complete.
Is the game free/freeware/open source?
While the game is in development (before September 25th 2017), it is free. We find it easier to distribute and test this way. After September 25th, 2017, you will be able to buy the game on Steam and itch.io. After that time, we will stop providing free development builds of the game on our website. Other than that, nothing about the licensing, trademarks, copyright or other intellectual property of Dwarfcorp will change.
We have also decided to keep the game open source even after the game is released for the benefit of the indie games community — does that mean the game will be free? No. While the game is open-source (that is, its source code is available for free online) the trademarks, characters and artwork remain ours.
Can I get the game on Steam/itch.io (the digital game distribution service from Valve)?
If you were a backer on the Kickstarter, you should be able to use your Steam key to download a copy of the game from Steam. This copy will auto-update as we upload new builds. When the game is released, this copy will also auto-update (for free) to the newest version. We generally upload builds to Steam less often than to our website so that we can ensure they are well-tested.
You will be able to download the game from both Steam and itch.io once the game is commercially released.
What platforms does the game run on?
The game is available for Windows, Mac and Linux PCs. We have no plans at this time to expand to other platforms.
Does the game have multiplayer?
At the moment, DwarfCorp is a singleplayer experience only. Perhaps we can add multiplayer features in the future.
What other distribution methods will be available when the game releases?
Right now, the only two methods we have lined up for getting the public release are Steam and itch.io. We may look at other distribution methods (including on our own website) as we get closer to release.
The game doesn’t work on my computer.
We’re sorry. Please see our github issues page and post the details of your problem, and we will try to solve it. The game is still under active development and we haven’t worked out all the kinks yet.
I am a backer. When will I get (X) reward?
- Steam keys — you should have them right now. Ask us if you think you need one.
- Physical rewards — T shirts, posters, and postcards were all mailed in 2013. If you don’t have one, please let us know (along with your current address).
- Physical copies — Unfortunately, since we need to focus on getting the game done before producing physical copies for backers, these will not be available until after Q4 2017.
- Soundtrack — Available right now through itch.io.
- Creative Rewards — We are actively working on getting most of these into the game.
- Credits — your name should be in the credits right now.
What about stretch goals?
Some of the stretch goals are well underway and already done (animal husbandry, graveyards…) and some are quite a ways off. We need to get the game’s main features in good enough shape before we finish these.
Why is it taking so long?
Making games is very hard. Making games as a hobby while you have a full time day job is even harder. That said, things are moving much faster now than they have in a long while. We’re working as quickly as we can to finish this game in the best way we know how.
How is this any different than <insert game here>?
DwarfCorp is heavily inspired by Dwarf Fortress from Bay 12 Games. It’s safe to say that this kind of game is now a genre. There are at least a dozen games in the same genre either under development or for sale right now. Keep in mind we’ve been quiety developing DwarfCorp since 2012, when this was not as apparent. When we started development, the original idea behind DwarfCorp was to make a 3D viewer for Dwarf Fortress. This quickly evolved into making our own fully-fledged game.
While DwarfCorp provides a lot of familiarity to fans of the genre. it also has some quirks that provide extra oomph. It has a much quicker playstyle than most games in the genre, and features a unique art style.
Are you looking to hire anyone?
At the moment we have everyone we need. However, if that changes, we will post something.
I am a developer. How do I contribute code/art/etc. to your project?
We are only accepting contributions from our team and contractors at the moment. However, if you have an idea for how to improve the game and have the technical know-how to do so, feel free to fork our repository and make a pull request. So long as the contributions meet our software license we can accept them.