A Game Of Dwarves – Tutorial
Hello and welcome to this quick crash course in how to play A Game of Dwarves (hence aGoD), I'll quickly touch on the main aspects of the game, most if not all of this information can be reached in-game either in the tutorial missions or the Lessons tab on the world map.
Getting Started
Install the game in a normal steam fashion.
I'd recommend you start with the campaign since the first levels will teach you how to play the game in more depth than this guide. Once you feel familiar with the gameplay, feel free to head over to the "sandbox mode" custom games.
World Map
This is the word map. At this time you only have two levels to chose from, if you're a new player I'd suggest that you start with the tutorial (The Backyard) and later head on to the first real level (The Trial). Once you've completed the Trial, you will unlock the next zone and with that, more levels to play. The Lessons button down in the middle of the screen will bring up the Lessons menu that has in-depth information about the entire game.
Ingame User Interface
This is the in-game interface, below I'm going to explain the main features and their uses.
Order Bar
The order bar contains the five orders that you use to command your dwarves, you switch between these orders by left clicking on them or using the short cuts (1 – 5 by default).
Dig Order: The most common order, with this you mark orders for excavation. By left clicking on a block of dirt you select it, and if you have any digger dwarves, they'll head over to excavate the block. The order can also be used on resources in order to collect them. Clicking an already marked dirt block will remove the dig order.
Interact Order: The interact order is used to press buttons and interact with quest-related objects. This is a very neutral order state that allows you to click around and read tool-tips without accidentally digging out a block or selling an object.
Move Order: Left-click an object in your game world to uproot it and move it to another place. Note that not all objects can be moved, objects such as traps and quest-related objects are stationary.
Sell Order: This order is used to sell your unwanted objects. You regain a small amount of the resources you payed when building the item when selling it. You can also “sell” your dwarves banishing them from you settlement.
Teleport Order: Use the teleport order to quickly move your dwarves across large distances, handy when you're under attack and your military dwarves is at the other end of the settlement. The cooldown on the order increases if you teleport more than one dwarf at a time. Some enemy rooms have special teleport disruptions that keep you from dropping dwarves in advance.
Resource Bar
This is where you keep track of your resources. Resources that you don't have will not show up in the resource bar, so in the beginning of a level you'll only have a small amount of information here. Do note that this area only contains resources gathered from the earth, that you use when building objects. Other resources such as food and population cap can be found in the Dwarf Info.
Build Menu
You navigate the build menu by clicking on categories until you find the object you're looking for. The small icons above all objects indicates in broad strokes how “good” they are and what stats they affect.
Hemfort
The Hemfort menu represents the player's connection to the other dwarven clans, here you can trade resources and call for new dwarflings to come live in your settlement.
Tech Tree
If you build a researcher and a research bench, you'll eventually get tech points, you can spend these points to buy techs that improve your entire settlement. It's recommended that you always have at least some research going on in your settlement since several levels will get very hard without access to some objects or the ability to specialize your warriors.
Quest Log
Here you can see what quests you're supposed to do in order to complete a level. There are two main types of quests; Main quests, that need to be done in order to progress through the campaign, and king quests. King quests are voluntary but will give you rewards when you complete enough of them.
Quest Tracker
This is basically a summary of the quests you're currently doing.
Dwarf Info
The Dwarf Info Panel contains information about your dwarves and some of your resources. The tool icons represent your different dwarves (Prince, Military, Digger, Crafter, Researcher and Dwarfling) and shows how many of each you have. Should something go wrong with your dwarves, such as them being under attack or starving, the icon will flash. You can click a tool icon to instantly go to a dwarf of that type, and click again to cycle through your dwarves.
The Dwarves
Below follows a quick description of all the main dwarf types in the game.
Prince
This is the player's avatar in the game world, should he ever die it's game over and you have to restart the level or reload an earlier save. In the beginning of the game the prince is very vulnerable and needs to be looked after carefully, but as you progress through the game he will become more and more useful and independent.
Dwarfling
The Dwarflings are fresh dwarves from Hemfort, they can be specialized to any of the five main dwarves by spending 50 food. The Dwarfling will gain experience by doing nothing and he keeps his level when he specializes.
Digger
The most basic of your units. Use the digger to expand your settlement and gather resources. The higher level the digger is, the quicker he can dig.
Military
The basic military unit, not very strong but can keep the simpler enemies at bay, always have some military dwarves in your settlement so the occasional orc won't ruin you.
Crafter
Most of the objects you want to build need a crafter to be completed. It's not always necessary to have several crafters but having at least one is necessary.
Worker
You assign workers to your fertilization stones and plantations in order to gather food. Without a worker your settlement will eventually starve to death.
Scholar
Use scholars to conduct research that will improve you entire settlement. Once you've established a basic settlement with food and military dwarves you should probably look into getting some research going.
Tips and Tricks
- Navigate through the floors of earth using the R and F key instead of the slider.
- A high level dwarfling can quickly replace a lost dwarf minimizing your downtime.
- Make good use of the Trade Section in the Hemfort Menu.
- You can change the controls in the options menu.
- You need to assign Worker dwarves to fertilization stones in order to have them gather your food.
- Use the Interact order on crystals to complete quests and levels.
- Objects found in event rooms can be sold for great profit.
Hello and welcome to this quick crash course in how to play A Game of Dwarves (hence aGoD), I'll quickly touch on the main aspects of the game, most if not all of this information can be reached in-game either in the tutorial missions or the Lessons tab on the world map.
Getting Started
Install the game in a normal steam fashion.
I'd recommend you start with the campaign since the first levels will teach you how to play the game in more depth than this guide. Once you feel familiar with the gameplay, feel free to head over to the "sandbox mode" custom games.
World Map
This is the word map. At this time you only have two levels to chose from, if you're a new player I'd suggest that you start with the tutorial (The Backyard) and later head on to the first real level (The Trial). Once you've completed the Trial, you will unlock the next zone and with that, more levels to play. The Lessons button down in the middle of the screen will bring up the Lessons menu that has in-depth information about the entire game.
Ingame User Interface
This is the in-game interface, below I'm going to explain the main features and their uses.
Order Bar
The order bar contains the five orders that you use to command your dwarves, you switch between these orders by left clicking on them or using the short cuts (1 – 5 by default).
Dig Order: The most common order, with this you mark orders for excavation. By left clicking on a block of dirt you select it, and if you have any digger dwarves, they'll head over to excavate the block. The order can also be used on resources in order to collect them. Clicking an already marked dirt block will remove the dig order.
Interact Order: The interact order is used to press buttons and interact with quest-related objects. This is a very neutral order state that allows you to click around and read tool-tips without accidentally digging out a block or selling an object.
Move Order: Left-click an object in your game world to uproot it and move it to another place. Note that not all objects can be moved, objects such as traps and quest-related objects are stationary.
Sell Order: This order is used to sell your unwanted objects. You regain a small amount of the resources you payed when building the item when selling it. You can also “sell” your dwarves banishing them from you settlement.
Teleport Order: Use the teleport order to quickly move your dwarves across large distances, handy when you're under attack and your military dwarves is at the other end of the settlement. The cooldown on the order increases if you teleport more than one dwarf at a time. Some enemy rooms have special teleport disruptions that keep you from dropping dwarves in advance.
Resource Bar
This is where you keep track of your resources. Resources that you don't have will not show up in the resource bar, so in the beginning of a level you'll only have a small amount of information here. Do note that this area only contains resources gathered from the earth, that you use when building objects. Other resources such as food and population cap can be found in the Dwarf Info.
Build Menu
You navigate the build menu by clicking on categories until you find the object you're looking for. The small icons above all objects indicates in broad strokes how “good” they are and what stats they affect.
Hemfort
The Hemfort menu represents the player's connection to the other dwarven clans, here you can trade resources and call for new dwarflings to come live in your settlement.
Tech Tree
If you build a researcher and a research bench, you'll eventually get tech points, you can spend these points to buy techs that improve your entire settlement. It's recommended that you always have at least some research going on in your settlement since several levels will get very hard without access to some objects or the ability to specialize your warriors.
Quest Log
Here you can see what quests you're supposed to do in order to complete a level. There are two main types of quests; Main quests, that need to be done in order to progress through the campaign, and king quests. King quests are voluntary but will give you rewards when you complete enough of them.
Quest Tracker
This is basically a summary of the quests you're currently doing.
Dwarf Info
The Dwarf Info Panel contains information about your dwarves and some of your resources. The tool icons represent your different dwarves (Prince, Military, Digger, Crafter, Researcher and Dwarfling) and shows how many of each you have. Should something go wrong with your dwarves, such as them being under attack or starving, the icon will flash. You can click a tool icon to instantly go to a dwarf of that type, and click again to cycle through your dwarves.
The Dwarves
Below follows a quick description of all the main dwarf types in the game.
Prince
This is the player's avatar in the game world, should he ever die it's game over and you have to restart the level or reload an earlier save. In the beginning of the game the prince is very vulnerable and needs to be looked after carefully, but as you progress through the game he will become more and more useful and independent.
Dwarfling
The Dwarflings are fresh dwarves from Hemfort, they can be specialized to any of the five main dwarves by spending 50 food. The Dwarfling will gain experience by doing nothing and he keeps his level when he specializes.
Digger
The most basic of your units. Use the digger to expand your settlement and gather resources. The higher level the digger is, the quicker he can dig.
Military
The basic military unit, not very strong but can keep the simpler enemies at bay, always have some military dwarves in your settlement so the occasional orc won't ruin you.
Crafter
Most of the objects you want to build need a crafter to be completed. It's not always necessary to have several crafters but having at least one is necessary.
Worker
You assign workers to your fertilization stones and plantations in order to gather food. Without a worker your settlement will eventually starve to death.
Scholar
Use scholars to conduct research that will improve you entire settlement. Once you've established a basic settlement with food and military dwarves you should probably look into getting some research going.
Tips and Tricks
- Navigate through the floors of earth using the R and F key instead of the slider.
- A high level dwarfling can quickly replace a lost dwarf minimizing your downtime.
- Make good use of the Trade Section in the Hemfort Menu.
- You can change the controls in the options menu.
- You need to assign Worker dwarves to fertilization stones in order to have them gather your food.
- Use the Interact order on crystals to complete quests and levels.
- Objects found in event rooms can be sold for great profit.