Choose Dwarf Fortress
Choose Dwarf Fortress if you want a Simulation experience. 23,734 Steam reviews back the pick.
Dwarf Fortress vs Beyond The Walls
Dwarf Fortress and Beyond The Walls 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. Dwarf Fortress (2022) is 2 years older than Beyond The Walls (2024). Beyond The Walls is currently ~71% cheaper on Steam than Dwarf Fortress (6.99 USD vs. 23.99 USD). 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 Beyond The Walls
Choose Beyond The Walls if you want an Action and Casual experience. On Steam, it's currently about 71% cheaper on the Steam Store. Beyond The Walls launched in 2024.
Both Dwarf Fortress and Beyond The Walls sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Dwarf Fortress |  Beyond The Walls | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Action, Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | 23.99 USD | 6.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95% positive (23,734 reviews) | 7 reviews |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Bay 12 Games | Pear vs Apple |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Dwarf Fortress (2022) is 2 years older than Beyond The Walls (2024).
- Beyond The Walls is currently ~71% cheaper on Steam than Dwarf Fortress (6.99 USD vs. 23.99 USD).
- Dwarf Fortress is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Beyond The Walls has no Deck rating yet.
Dwarf Fortress vs Beyond The Walls — FAQ
- Should I play Dwarf Fortress or Beyond The Walls first?
- If you want chronology, Dwarf Fortress (2022) came out before Beyond The Walls (2024). 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 Dwarf Fortress and Beyond The Walls 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.
- Does Dwarf Fortress run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Dwarf Fortress is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Beyond The Walls doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.