Dwarf Fortress: How to Increase Happiness

Well, nobody said mining for hours and living underground exposed to heavy metals would be easy. The amount of content and mechanics in Dwarf Fortress shows that if you work on a game for 20 years, you’ll get great results. Anyhow, managing a dwarf fortress is like taking care of a living organism. So here’s how to increase happiness in Dwarf Fortress. You’ll need to learn these kinds of things to succeed.

Dwarf Fortress Happiness Tips

You don’t need to worry about increasing the happiness of your dwarves. Focus on keeping them from getting stressed out or depressed. The same difference. Living underground isn’t for everyone, and apparently some dwarves can’t adapt to that either in the Dwarf Fortress universe. You can increase happiness in Dwarf Fortress by following these steps.

  • Nothing beats a well-fed belly and a cold beer to quench your thirst. Feed your dwarves quality food and drinks, and they’ll be less sad. Happy heart, full belly.
  • See, I don’t like furniture shopping, but I like having nice furniture in my home and room. It’s the same for dwarves. Make sure they have some nice furniture in their bedrooms and meeting rooms. You can help the dwarves focus on the good things in life by engraving the walls and having statues.
  • Like real humans, dwarves enjoy their own privacy in their bedrooms. You should give your dwarves their own rooms and free stuff. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it.

  • You can retire or disable a dwarf if they’re stressed so they can take a well-deserved break. You can make or break the psyche of your dwarves with it.

  • No one should have to go through losing a loved one. There’s only one certainty in life: we all have an expiration date. The dwarves do too. Build a graveyard and coffins for your dwarves so they can be properly buried.
  • Build temples, libraries, and taverns to boost your dwarves’ happiness. Yes, this game thinks of everything.

That’s just a fraction of what you can do to keep your dwarves happy. You’ve got to check on your dwarves’ needs, feelings, and dreams from time to time, just like every human. Don’t let your guard down if you’re more likely to be sad or stressed than others.

Author: Joanna Mendoza