Dwarf fortress is a game about colony management. You start the game off by picking a settlement location (make sure to assess pros and cons of locations!). Then, you can set the skills of your seven starting dwarves. When you're done with this, you're ready to play the game. The only goal is to create and maintain a successful fortress/colony of dwarves. There will be trading, seiges, disasters, starvation, disease, and more disasters to try to stop you. You must overcome these and more for your dwarves to survive. This game is really too deep to explain in one post, so I will just give helpful beginner tips based on my mistakes.
1. Mines can flood. Don't dig into water if your miner can't get out.
2. Robbers will steal things unless (A) guarded by a dog or (B) in a locked room
3. Dwarves will do stupid things, like make gem encrusted barrels. Lock the dwarf in a room with only materials you want him/her to mess with.
4. Dwarves need food. Trapping animals isn't very reliable. Farm if possible
5. Cooks make dwarves happy
Discuss this incredibly fun game.
Lint:
http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/