Developed by Bay 12 Games, Dwarf Fortress is a roguelike indie video game that was designed to bring players into a fascinating settlement management experience. It is definitely a lifetime project that was originally brought to life in 2003 and has continued to evolve into a legendary simulation over the years. Get ready to spawn in a randomly-generated geometry world full of continents, oceans, and islands to test your survival skills with a civilization of versatile dwarfs. Feel what it’s like to manage a colony of diminutives, on-surface and underground against all the challenges coming your way – be it flooding, lava, ferocious beasts, starvation, or even madness putting your colony at risk of existence. Venture into a unique open-world gameplay to explore the geology, flora, and fauna of the environment to map your survival and adapt to unpredictable conditions. All of this beautiful pixel graphics experience is now available to experience at the latest game release on Windows. Unfortunately, unlike older editions, the latest Dwarf Fortress does not have support for macOS. However, this should not be feared as we are going to show how it can be launched on macOS regardless! Read our article below to learn how.
System Requirements
| Minimal | Recommended |
|---|---|
| OS: XP SP3 64-bit or later | OS: XP SP3 64-bit or later |
| Processor: Dual Core CPU – 2.4GHz+ | Processor: Dual Core CPU – 4GHz+ |
| RAM: 4 GB | RAM: 4 GB |
| Video card: 1GB of VRAM: Intel HD 3000 GPU / AMD HD 5450 / Nvidia 9400 GT | Video card: 1GB of VRAM: Intel HD 3000 GPU / AMD HD 5450 / Nvidia 9400 GT |
| Storage: 500 MB | Storage: 500 MB |
Play Dwarf Fortress on Mac with Parallels
As Dwarf Fortress is light on the hardware, Parallels Desktop can be a solution. This is an application that allows for Windows virtualization on Mac with the full support of DirectX and GPUs. In simpler terms, what this means is that it allows you to install Windows 10 on Mac with just a couple of clicks and switch between MacOS and Windows instantly. So you will be able to run Windows, install Steam, and enjoy the Dwarf Fortress game on Mac just like on a regular PC.
Please note that not all games are supported by Parallels. Several conditions must be met for the game to be playable.
Your Mac must exceed minimum system requirements for the game; meeting them is not enough. Generally speaking, you will need an iMac Pro or a Mac Pro to run demanding games. Some MacBook Pro and iMac models are also suitable; they must have an Intel processor, a discrete graphics card and at least 16 GB of RAM. If your Mac has an Apple Silicon chip (such as M1, M2, M3), you may experience issues playing modern games.
Games that require DirectX 12 are currently not supported by Parallels.
AppsOnMac recommends using Parallels’ free trial feature to determine whether you can run the game or not if you’re uncertain.
Play Dwarf Fortress on Mac with cloud gaming services
If you have an old Mac or it cannot satisfy the Dwarf Fortress game system requirements, there is an easy solution. Cloud gaming services will be happy to provide you with sufficient computing power – though not for free, of course. All you need is a browser or a small client program and a good internet connection starting from 15 MBit/s. There are several great platforms that provide these services, among the best are Boosteroid, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and Nvidia GeForce Now.
As Boosteroid has Dwarf Fortress in its game library, it is an excellent choice for those seeking to try the game out.
Play Dwarf Fortress on Mac with BootCamp
Note: Mac computers with new Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3 Pro, or M1, M2, M3 Max) currently do not support BootCamp. In this case, please, use the options above to run Dwarf Fortress on Mac
This method is simple but time-consuming. If your Mac meets all the system requirements above, you can play Dwarf Fortress on Mac by installing Windows. You need to set up a dual boot of Windows and Mac via BootCamp. This is an application that allows users to choose the system to work in on startup, however, you won’t be able to switch between systems like in Parallels. You will need to reboot your machine every time you want to switch from Mac to Windows and vice versa. Remember that Mac is just a computer, in the end. And while newer Macs have their own special Apple Silicon chips that cannot run Windows, older Macs are very much similar to computers that run Windows, they have Intel processors, compatible RAM, disks, and other components. So you can install Windows on an older Mac by allocating no less than 64 GB of disk space (to be able to run Windows and a couple of games) and following these steps:
For OS X El Capitan 10.11 and older
For MacOS versions prior to OS X El Capitan 10.11 you will need to create a bootable Windows USB.
- Download this Windows ISO file.
- Open Boot Camp Assistant (Go to Applications > Utilities).
- Define the Windows partition size and choose the Windows ISO file you’ve downloaded.
- Format the Windows partition and go through all Windows installation steps.
- When Windows boots for the first time follow on-screen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers)
Play Dwarf Fortress Classic instead
The original version of Dwarf Fortress, now known as Dwarf Fortress Classic, can be played on Mac without any issues. You may download it for free from the official website. Should you need help with the installation process, refer to this guide on the Dwarf Fortress Wiki.