This game is really great for its price and is basically a updated version of Dwarfs Fortress. Its really easy to get into and is very casual. The game also requires an activation for it on steam and the total download is about 1.4 GB/s. The game is really enjoyable and I can casually play it while doing other things at the same time. Also if you buy it now there's additional free content in the in-game shop which is pretty nice. The art style is interesting and the story is very humorous. This game is definatly worth the 10$ and i love it. There were some minor AI issues but its easy to overcome them and for such a cheap game its not that big of a deal. Definatly get this game if you're into games such as minecraft and strategy/management games.… Expand

If you're reading this hoping for a challenging sandbox survival game, look elsewhere. Enemies appear only in air pockets dug out by the player, and keeping a good supply of resources is just a matter patience of not getting careless along the way (forgetting to make farms). This is the fundamental problem with the game if you're looking for a survival challenge.

Aside of these problems a number of other major issues and a significant lack of polish plague the game.

[Combat]:
Enemies lack proper patch finding and will when encountered instead wildly teleport around the level until they find a dwarf to beat up. Your own dwarves cannot be controlled (aside from teleporting them) and soldier dwarves will simply bullrush your enemy they can patch-find their way to, even if they are on the other side of the level and have 1% of their maximum health available (no way to prevent this aside from sealing them in).
Enemies teleporting makes traps useless, and since you can't stop your dwarves from blindly rushing into battle the only factor is having more and higher level dwarves than the enemy monsters.

[Resources]:
Certainly better than the combat, but basic resources are surprisingly rare, while 'rare' resources when found can buy you immense quantities of these resources, which leads to situations where the best way to get "stone" is to find an unholy rock and sell it for a few thousand rocks. Unfortunately you also need to mash the "buy rock" button a few hundred times since you can only buy very small stacks. Aside from this you have a few minor issues like resources sometimes permanently disappearing from your resource tab if they reach 0.

[Graphics & Sound]:
The sound and graphics for the game are both nicely done and get the point across. Aside of a few minor issues designing a good looking dwarf fortress is both possible, fun and fairly easy to do.

[Summary]:
A few major design flaws and a severe lack of polish across the board prevents this game from reaching its full potential. Perhaps the game will change later on, but as the game is now I do not feel that I can recommend it to anyone. 3/10 (note that I consider 5 to be an average game)… Expand

"A Game of Dwarves" is a not likely to satisfy many players. It is not Dwarf Fortress, it is not Dungeon Keeper, it is not the Sims. What it is is a shallow, well meaning, half-game with very attentive developers. Unfortunately, no amount of developer forum interaction can make up for the thin gruel that they are working with. Gameplay is repetitive, the graphics are cutesy but not endearing, and so many design decisions seem to have been either bungled or not made at all. In the game's defense, it is priced at a very budget level ($10) and that certainly reduces any feelings of being ripped off. There is a game here to play, and I got a few hours of enjoyment learning the system, but once the newness wears off, most will move on to something meatier.… Expand

A Game of Dwarves is a fantasy city-building management sim in the same vein as old Bullfrog classics like Dungeon Keeper and Theme Hospital. In AGoD, you administer a clan of dwarves on a grand quest to rediscover ancient secrets of the old civilization and defeat a group of evil mages along the way. The game is developed by Swedish ZEAL Game Studio, who are quickly proving themselves a force to be reckoned with in the PC gaming industry with solid releases like this year's Starvoid and 2011's acclaimed arcade puzzler Dwarfs?!

Although AGoD may, at a glance, bring to mind Bay 12's cerebral masterpiece Dwarf Fortress, allow me to begin by dispelling that notion: AGoD is not DF with graphics. There simply is no comparison to be made between the two, other than the fact that both games have dwarves in them. If you buy into AGoD expecting the depth, breadth, and weight of DF, expect to be hugely disappointed. If, however, you can recognize the true inspiration behind AGoD and you enjoyed those old Bullfrog classics as much as I, strap on that mining helmet and get ready for a real treat.

So I've established that AGoD has dwarves in it. If you don't know what dwarves are by now, then you've probably been living under a rock for the past decade (or over a rock, as the case may be). Dwarves are short, stout, frequently grumpy creatures who live underground and enjoy mining the earth for shiny things. They love digging, they love hoarding gold, they love building grand structures, and they love to fight. Your task, as Prince, is to tend to your clan as they go about their daily lives doing all of these things.

Digging and fighting isn't all dwarves are about, though. There are several job classes your dwarves can be assigned to, including workers to harvest food, builders to craft furniture, and scholars to research new technologies. You begin each level with a predetermined number of rotund candidates, and it's up to you to decide who needs to do what. Orders are given indirectly, meaning that when you place a new table, a craftsman dwarf will eventually make his way over and build it for you. Some dwarves will do things autonomously: Fighters will hone their skills on practice dummies (if you've built any for them), and workers will harvest food and replant crops without needing direct orders to do so. All administration by the player is handled at a macro level, although you can teleport dwarves directly to their destination should the need arise. This allows the player to focus his energies more on the exploration and discovery aspects of the game. Each map is rife with procedurally-generated mineral goodness, and the only way you can find the shiniest stuff is to search for it. Along with the gold and stone staples, your dwarves will eventually discover more rare elements that can be sold at high prices or used to craft advanced furniture and structures to ensure your clan's survival in the dangerous depths.

The dangers of digging too far beneath the earth are well-documented throughout fantasy literature. Orcs, goblins, gnomes, and evil moles await the poor unsuspecting digger dwarf at every turn, and you'll want a decent squad of warrior dwarves to keep everyone safe. From hammer-wielding shieldbreakers to bare-knuckled berserkers to dynamite-tossing grenadiers, there are plenty of roles your fighters can specialize in. In stark contrast to all this variety, combat in AGoD is unfortunately a rather uninspiring affair and occurs too infrequently to satisfy a player seeking lots of action in his dwarf game. Monsters dwell in predetermined areas that are clearly marked on each map with question marks, mitigating any real sense of imminent danger. The traps that can be researched and constructed throughout your citadel, while nifty in theory, feel a little half-baked in practice and often don't warrant the trouble you have to go through to make them. The developer has already stated that these things will be addressed in future updates, but for now it's far more efficient to just use your military units.

Speaking of the developer, ZEAL is definitely trying to live up to their name. They are extremely active in the community, and we've already seen a patch and a hotfix with a much-requested game feature thrown in for good measure. As a rule, I don't rate games on potential; but the eagerness and enthusiasm for AGoD exhibited by ZEAL thus far is borderline unprecedented, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for this title. I would love to see it attain the cult status of its predecessors, but only time will tell. And for $10, I'm more than happy to participate!… Expand

great game, great team behind the game. they actually listen to the fans on the forum and USE there suggestions. in the first couple weeks several big changes were made to the game after feedback was left and discussed along with several free additions to the game. its obnoxious how many people are hating because this isn't dwarf fortress, just because it has dwarves in the game and it has management mechanics DOES NOT mean it is DF. that is where the similarities end. this is a build game with some combat. if you like to build this is the game for you. if you are looking for something with heavy strategy and combat look elsewhere.… Expand

Don't get the complaints, this is one of the better minion management games I've seen since Evil Geniuses. The art style is nice even if it is simplistic, the tutorial teaches you all you need to know, it's true that you can't turn the camera up to look at the ceiling but you don't need to. Ever. Seriously, ignore the reviews complaining about that, you build in -layers- in this game. Just go up a layer, that's how it works.

I've seen some idiotic reviews outright complain that you can't build much above ground. Uh, duh? Do you complain about not being able to walk in Mario Kart? About not being able to knit in Street Fighter? This is a game about dwarves building subterranean kingdoms, -subterranean- -dwarves-.

The dwarves are a -bit- dumb, but I've encountered far dumber in the genre. I mean they're smarter than the Tropicans and the minions in Evil Geniuses, but not on par with the minions of Dungeon Keeper 2. They're just dumb enough that you have to manage them, but not so dumb that they'll screw you over or get themselves killed. If they're getting stuck and dying of starvation, it's because -you- messed up and trapped them.… Expand

There is potential here. Unfortunately I think that the decision to have more levels on the X-axis is the wrong decision. It makes the gameplay clunky and less engaging. I think that digging on only one level on the X-axis would have been better. The game is not entirely without merits though. The intro is great and the production values are good. If you like dungeon sims you might like this.

While pretty much every level feels similar to the previous, there is a strange attraction to go back and dig deeper. The threat of repetition looms overhead after your fourth dig, but never really hits home. All said and done, A Game of Dwarves is a fun game that will keep you pushing around your dwarven underlings for many a long hour. So start digging that Dwarven Kingdom, you know you want to. Read the whole review @ http://www.hookedgamers.com/pc/a_game_of_dwarves/review/article-980.html… Expand

I'm really disappointed in this game. Dwarves - proud builders of monumental Khazad-dum stone halls, unmatched smiths were diminished to some ugly digging moles (or rats if you like). Which dig, dig, dig and dig and dig again. Game is boooring and too plain compare to other strategic games with indirect-control. Building options are too limited, traps and doors are pretty useless, watching over dwarves is not fun at all.… Expand

the 58 user review is **** This game is amazing. Think dungeon keeper meets minecraft meets terraria. If you want to build ultimate bases, you can. If you want to build super army and fight foes, you can. It has MP support, but I havn't played it. I gave it a 10 to offset the BS review. I'd say it's a solid 8.5 easy. Would be higher than than that, but pay for DLC (but it also does eventually become free to play too)...pay for updates always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.… Collapse