A Game of Dwarves

Mildly rewarding, but largely unremarkable. There are better options for the management- minded out there.

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In "A Game of Dwarves," you lead a prince on a mission to reclaim stolen land, overseeing a settlement's mining, exploration, and resource management. The game generates a unique world for each level, and as dwarves level up, they gain new skills and access to better resources. Protect your dwarves from dangerous creatures lurking in the depths while digging for valuable treasures.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

52%

Audience ScoreBased on 269 reviews

graphics7 positive mentions

story5 negative mentions

A Game of Dwarves offers a fun and light-hearted strategy experience, reminiscent of Dungeon Keeper, with a focus on building and managing a dwarven colony.
The game features a variety of building options and a tech tree that keeps gameplay engaging, allowing players to create unique underground fortresses.
It has a charming aesthetic and humor that adds to the overall enjoyment, making it a relaxing game to play casually.

The game suffers from numerous bugs and performance issues, especially during larger projects, which can hinder the overall experience.
Gameplay can become repetitive and lacks depth, with many players feeling that it doesn't hold up compared to other similar titles like Dwarf Fortress or Gnomoria.
The AI can be frustratingly unresponsive, leading to situations where dwarves fail to complete tasks or react poorly in combat scenarios.

story
34 mentions
12 % positive mentions
74 % neutral mentions
15 % negative mentions
The story in "A Game of Dwarves" is generally perceived as simplistic and often repetitive, with attempts at humor that fall flat for many players. While some find the campaign missions engaging and the lighthearted narrative enjoyable, others criticize the lack of depth and the presence of bugs that disrupt gameplay. Overall, the storyline is seen as a minor aspect of the game, with players often losing interest as the missions progress.
- “The story missions are quite extensive and become challenging, so there's plenty here to keep you busy for hours.”
- “Nice little story in the main campaign with a little humor, and I love the fact that you can just fire it up with no enemies and make your dream underground domain, or with enemies and train up your soldiers to defend the realm.”
- “The storyline is cute and lighthearted.”
- “Don't expect any story here, since it's just some lame attempts to be funny which feel like an even less exciting version of Magicka.”
- “The story gets abandoned somewhere in the middle; the game shows you a 'congratulations' cutscene just because the developers didn't feel like making any more levels. The graphics are ugly, and there's not even proper voice acting.”
- “Really disappointing, long unskippable cut scenes, difficult to control, laggy, and an annoying storyline that really limits your learning curve while you wait for it to get better... not what I hoped for at all.”
graphics
30 mentions
23 % positive mentions
67 % neutral mentions
10 % negative mentions
The graphics of "A Game of Dwarves" are generally described as simple and dated, with some players finding them unappealing while others appreciate their aesthetic charm and the variety of building materials available. While the game features a cartoonish art style that some enjoy, others criticize it for lacking depth and polish. Overall, the graphics are seen as a mixed bag, with a few players finding them adequate for the gameplay experience, while many express a desire for more sophisticated visuals.
- “There's an excellent variety of building materials with different stats and visuals and plenty of props and art objects.”
- “Despite the game having dated graphics, you can build some cool looking underground cities with the only real barrier being your own imagination.”
- “The graphics are simple yet aesthetically pleasing, and there are lots of small objects you can place to add details.”
- “The graphics are ugly as my ex-girlfriend's dead poodle after they've finally managed to extract the poor thing from the vacuum cleaner, and heck, there's not even proper voice acting.”
- “The graphics are ass; there is a crap ton of needless DLC, and the gameplay can be tedious in long bursts.”
- “The game uses ASCII graphics, so basically it's computer symbols colored to represent items.”
gameplay
28 mentions
14 % positive mentions
71 % neutral mentions
14 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a mix of interesting mechanics and tedious elements, with players engaging in resource management, building, and exploration. While some appreciate the clever mechanics and aesthetic customization, many find the gameplay repetitive, shallow, and lacking in excitement, with issues like poor AI and confusing navigation detracting from the overall experience. Overall, it offers a casual experience that may appeal to newcomers but fails to deliver depth for more seasoned players.
- “The gameplay still entertains me in the short bursts I play it in as I maximize profits, make interesting dwarf throne rooms, and other shenanigans ensue.”
- “The game has some pretty clever mechanics, where you have to continue to build dwarven items and decorate your hold the deeper you delve, otherwise your dwarves become unhappy.”
- “Additionally, the gameplay is quite enjoyable, balancing fortress management, with upgrades, mining, and building an aesthetically pleasing haven for your dwarves is very fun.”
- “Dwarf Fortress, but with repetitive, shallow gameplay, buggy AI, and writing only your classic Minecraft child would enjoy.”
- “Sadly, this game doesn't even bother to try to take the gameplay features of the genre and implement them.”
- “The gameplay gets stale pretty soon; there's nothing to hold you playing for more than a few hours.”
stability
16 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with many users reporting numerous glitches, bugs, and unfinished elements that detract from the overall experience. While some players note that the game runs smoothly on their systems with only minor issues, the prevalence of bugs and the lack of updates from the developer have left many feeling frustrated and disappointed. Overall, the game is seen as a mixed bag, with potential overshadowed by its technical shortcomings.
- “Buggy and abandoned even before the studio in charge went kaput.”
- “A bug-ridden mess of a game.”
- “Good concept and ok art style, but the end product is buggy, boring, and never updated.”
humor
9 mentions
89 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it light and entertaining, while others describe it as painfully unfunny and poorly paced. While there are moments of campy charm and enjoyable voice acting, many reviews suggest that the attempts at humor often fall flat, making the overall experience feel less engaging.
- “Despite how complex it might all seem, it uses humor to keep things light and entertaining.”
- “It made for some hilarious guesses because the dialog is on a timer and forwards to the next box whether you click or not.”
- “The graphics and voice acting are simple but enjoyable, with a good sense of humor.”
- “Painfully unfunny and horribly paced.”
music
6 mentions
50 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally described as good and pleasant, but it suffers from repetitiveness, leading some players to mute it after a short time. While it enhances the experience initially, its lack of variety and occasional fading detracts from the overall enjoyment.
- “The music is good; the sound is nice.”
- “The music adds a nice atmosphere to the game.”
- “The soundtrack is engaging and enhances the overall experience.”
- “You can lose yourself in this game forever; too bad the music sometimes just randomly fades.”
- “The music got old even faster; I had to mute it within an hour or so of my first game and pull up something on iTunes just because it was so bland and repetitive.”
- “Underneath layers of bugs, muddy textures, and boring music, there are some good ideas.”
replayability
5 mentions
40 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
60 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability thanks to its expansive maps and diverse building options, though some players feel that the limited prince abilities and story progression may lead to boredom over time. While it can provide entertainment for a while, it lacks the depth of replayability found in other titles like Dwarf Fortress.
- “The game has tons of replay value due to the size of the maps and the vast array of different objects you can build.”
- “It's interesting for a little bit, but Dwarf Fortress has a lot more replayability; I doubt you'll get through the 'story' before it becomes too boring.”
- “The prince's abilities seem to be the only thing that could offer some replayability.”
- “It can kill some time, but there's little replay value.”
- “It's interesting for a little bit, but Dwarf Fortress has a lot more replayability. I doubt you'll get through the 'story' before it becomes too boring.”
optimization
4 mentions
75 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's optimization is a mixed bag; while it runs smoothly on various systems with minimal glitches, many users feel it requires significant improvements and express concern over potential abandonment by the developers. Some players suggest there are better-optimized dwarf-based games available, highlighting ongoing performance issues that detract from the experience.
- “In the 3+ years I have owned this game and the 100+ hours I have played, it was worth the 20+ dollars with few glitches and bugs. It runs smoothly on every PC and laptop I have played this game on.”
- “That being said, there is a lot of optimization needed which, unfortunately, may never happen since the word is the game has been abandoned by the devs.”
- “Also has performance issues which came from the game and not my system, which also puts me off.”
- “It's not a bad game, but in my opinion, it doesn't hold up in the current year. There are better dwarf-based games that have come out that offer better gameplay and fewer performance issues.”
- “That being said, there is a lot of optimization needed, which, unfortunately, may never happen since the word is the game has been abandoned by the developers.”
- “It also has performance issues that stem from the game itself and not my system, which is quite off-putting.”
monetization
4 mentions
25 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
75 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with rushed DLCs and multiple in-game purchases that many players view as exploitative microtransactions. Users express frustration over the perceived greed of the developers, calling for a boycott of such practices.
- “There are some DLC available for a game of dwarves, including both add-on packs (pets, ale pack, and space dwarves) as well as some in-game purchases for furniture.”
- “Hence the cash grab DLC rushed quickly out.”
- “Cash grab by greedy devs that should be boycotted.”
- “There are some DLC available for a game of dwarves, both add-on packs (pets, ale pack, and space dwarves) plus some in-game purchases of furniture available.”
grinding
3 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly due to the need to gather resources for building and decorating, which can become monotonous over extended play sessions. While the verticality of the design adds some interest, the overall mechanics and graphics do not compensate for the repetitive nature of resource gathering.
- “The graphics are poor, there is a lot of unnecessary DLC, and the gameplay can be tedious during long sessions.”
- “The only part of the game that is fun, the design and decoration of a dwarven stronghold, requires grinding for resources by digging.”
- “Verticality is interesting, but it makes building a bit tedious, and unfortunately, it otherwise just lacks very interesting mechanics.”
atmosphere
1 mentions
300 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The option for dark mode significantly enhances the game's atmosphere by reducing harsh lighting and allowing players to rely on ambient light sources like torches and braziers, creating a more immersive and atmospheric experience.
- “Enabling the option for dark mode, which disables the overly bright lighting seen in the screenshots, creates a nice atmosphere as the only source of light comes from the torches and braziers you build.”
- “The haunting sound design and ambient music perfectly complement the eerie visuals, immersing you in a world that feels both alive and unsettling.”
- “The rich, detailed environments and dynamic weather effects contribute to an atmosphere that draws you in and makes every moment feel unique.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, feeling a nostalgic bond reminiscent of classic titles like Dungeon Keeper, which enhances their overall experience despite any shortcomings.
- “These two simple facts, no matter how bad all the other things are, made me feel closer than ever to the golden past of games like Dungeon Keeper, more than any other game has in the past 20 years.”