Dwarf Fortress: 3 Open Source Clones Compared
DwarfCorp funds its (currently halted) development through Steam and itch.io sales, and its proprietary art, textures, and audio are excluded from the open-source release, so a full build requires supplying that content yourself. Project Porcupine was built explicitly as a tutorial/skeleton project for tile-based games with self-governing agents rather than a finished game, its current build is marked unplayable, and development has also halted. Veloren is the only actively developed option of the three, ships with its own complete original assets, and supports multiplayer.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- today
- Stars
- 2,391
- Contributors
- 115
- License
- gpl-3.0+
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoVeloren is an original game with its own assets and does not require original game data.
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- Multiplayer
Availability
- Status
- Playable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 3y ago
- Stars
- 628
- Contributors
- 26
- License
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoSource code is free to use and modify; proprietary content (images, textures, 3D models, sound, music) is excluded and redistributors must provide their own.
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
Availability
- Status
- Unplayable
- Platforms
- Windows, Linux, OSX
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Halted
- Last updated
- 2y ago
- Stars
- 325
- Contributors
- 112
- License
- GPL-3.0
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- NoProject provides its own base code and assets; no original game files required.
- Modding support
- YesSupports XML/Lua-defined furniture and highly customizable objects; designed as a skeleton for tile-based games with self-governing agents.
- Multiplayer
- —
| Title | Veloren | DwarfCorp | Project Porcupine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Playable | Playable | Unplayable |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux, OSX | Windows, Linux, OSX | Windows, Linux, OSX |
| Play in browser | No | No | No |
| Mobile | No | No | No |
| Project health | |||
| Development status | Active | Halted | Halted |
| Last updated | today | 3y ago | 2y ago |
| Stars | 2,391 | 628 | 325 |
| Contributors | 115 | 26 | 112 |
| License | gpl-3.0+ | — | GPL-3.0 |
| Compatibility | |||
| Requires original assets | NoVeloren is an original game with its own assets and does not require original game data. | NoSource code is free to use and modify; proprietary content (images, textures, 3D models, sound, music) is excluded and redistributors must provide their own. | NoProject provides its own base code and assets; no original game files required. |
| Modding support | — | — | YesSupports XML/Lua-defined furniture and highly customizable objects; designed as a skeleton for tile-based games with self-governing agents. |
| Multiplayer | Multiplayer | — | — |
| Preview | | | |
Frequently asked questions
Are the Dwarf Fortress clones on this page open source?
Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.
What license do these Dwarf Fortress clones use?
Veloren (gpl-3.0+); Project Porcupine (GPL-3.0).
Do I need to own the original Dwarf Fortress to play these clones?
Veloren, DwarfCorp, and Project Porcupine run standalone, no original files needed.
Which Dwarf Fortress clone is the most actively maintained?
Veloren is currently under active development, based on recent commit activity. See the "Development status" row above for every clone's current status.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Dwarf Fortress.