Choose Dwarf Fortress
Choose Dwarf Fortress if you want a Simulation experience. 23,734 Steam reviews back the pick.
Dwarf Fortress vs Gnomes
Dwarf Fortress and Gnomes 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 3 years older than Gnomes (2025). Both sit near 95% positive on Steam (Dwarf Fortress: 23,734 reviews, Gnomes: 1,327). 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 Gnomes
Choose Gnomes if you want a Casual game with Steam Leaderboards, Camera Comfort, and Custom Volume Controls. On Steam, it's currently about 58% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,327 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Dwarf Fortress and Gnomes sit in Strategy and Indie on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Steam reviews are nearly tied (95% vs 95.7% positive), so genre fit is the cleanest tiebreaker — scroll the table for the feature-by-feature view.
Side-by-side comparison
 Dwarf Fortress |  Gnomes | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2022 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Indie, Simulation | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, Linux | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | 23.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 95% positive (23,734 reviews) | 95.7% positive (1,327 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Bay 12 Games | DYSTOPIAN |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Indie on Steam.
- Dwarf Fortress (2022) is 3 years older than Gnomes (2025).
- Both sit near 95% positive on Steam (Dwarf Fortress: 23,734 reviews, Gnomes: 1,327).
- Gnomes is currently ~58% cheaper on Steam than Dwarf Fortress (9.99 USD vs. 23.99 USD).
- Both are Deck Playable.
Dwarf Fortress vs Gnomes — FAQ
- Which is better, Dwarf Fortress or Gnomes?
- On Steam reviews the two are nearly tied: Dwarf Fortress sits at 95% positive (23,734 reviews), Gnomes at 95.7% (1,327). The choice usually comes down to genre fit and the platform features each one supports — see the comparison table above.
- Should I play Dwarf Fortress or Gnomes first?
- If you want chronology, Dwarf Fortress (2022) came out before Gnomes (2025). 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 Gnomes 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.