First off, I must say that the learning curve is ENORMOUS. It's more like a learning wall.
Secondly, I must say that once you get over that learning curve, you won't be able to stop.
<a href="http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/Main_Page" target="_blank">http://dwarf.lendemaindeveille.com/index.php/Main_Page</a>
This is the wikipedia, which you will need.
<a href="http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/" target="_blank">http://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/</a>
This is where you go to download it.
And now, about the game!Do you like dwarves? Do you like strip mining planet earth? Do you having an army and having them decimated by bloodthirsty fire imps, goblins, various demons, and elephants? Have you ever tortured your sims in various Sim games? Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wonder what it would be like if they actually lost it?" Do you like watching them actually lose it? Would you like to watch the ensuing chaos as they tear their breathern apart in their anger, destroying precious statues, and killing every animal they see? I've seen a dwarf knock another unconcious in his rage WHILE ON FIRE, slowly breaking his bones when he was laying prone on the ground. Then he threw himself into my magma pool, and burned up into a nice crispy bit. The funny thing is, I'm pretty sure he went crazy because I had killed one of his cats, which he had about... twenty of. Quite attached he was.
Madness???
THIS... IS... DWARF FORTRESS!
You make a fortress and command it in every day life, just trying to survive. You grow food, brew drinks, make various supplies such as armor and weapons, hollow out a mountain in multiple levels (you can dig straight down), catch and butcher animals, or tame them and make them your pets, and generally do everything and anything you've ever dreamed of.
Don't be discouraged by the ASCII graphics--I didnt like them, but suddenly they just... clicked for me, and now it's simply amazing.
Don't be discouraged by the huge learning curve. As they say, losing is fun! You can visit your old fortresses in adventure mode, or you can set out to reclaim it again anew, just in case you made some bad decisions and all of your dwarves died of thirst during the winter when all of the water froze and you didn't have enough brew to go around. Whoops.
Just a word of warning. Don't look into the eyes of the elephants!