Choose MicroTown
Choose MicroTown if you want an Early Access experience. On Steam, it's currently about 58% cheaper on the Steam Store. MicroTown launched in 2019.
MicroTown vs Dwarf Fortress
MicroTown and Dwarf Fortress both land in Strategy, Indie on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam. MicroTown (2019) is 3 years older than Dwarf Fortress (2022). Both sit near 95% positive on Steam (MicroTown: 322 reviews, Dwarf Fortress: 23,734). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Dwarf Fortress
Choose Dwarf Fortress if you want a Simulation experience. On Steam, it's the newer release (2022) and ships with the modern feature baseline. 23,734 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both MicroTown and Dwarf Fortress sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (94.1% vs 95% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 MicroTown |  Dwarf Fortress | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2022 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Early Access | Strategy, Indie, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, Linux |
| Steam Deck | Unrated | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | 23.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 94.1% positive (322 reviews) | 95% positive (23,734 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Snowy Ash Games | Bay 12 Games |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- MicroTown (2019) is 3 years older than Dwarf Fortress (2022).
- Both sit near 95% positive on Steam (MicroTown: 322 reviews, Dwarf Fortress: 23,734).
- MicroTown is currently ~58% cheaper on Steam than Dwarf Fortress (9.99 USD vs. 23.99 USD).
- Dwarf Fortress is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; MicroTown has no Deck rating yet.
MicroTown vs Dwarf Fortress — FAQ
- Which is better, MicroTown or Dwarf Fortress?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: MicroTown sits at 94.1% positive (322 reviews), Dwarf Fortress at 95% (23,734). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play MicroTown or Dwarf Fortress first?
- If you want chronology, MicroTown (2019) came out before Dwarf Fortress (2022). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are MicroTown and Dwarf Fortress similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Indie on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.