Dwarf Fortress
analyzed 2026-08-17 · sample of 837 English reviews across the whole review history
Players most often talk about the gameplay itself, with 24.7% of sampled reviews mentioning it and the large majority of those being positive. They describe a management sim with unique mechanics and a living world, though some call it "hilariously frustrating". The learning curve is the most common criticism: 13.6% of reviews bring it up, and negative mentions outnumber positive ones by about two to one. One player notes it is "a learning curve so steep you need to take mountain climbing gear and a mentor to learn it". The interface draws similar complaints, with 47 of 82 UI mentions being negative, including "the interface is kind of a nightmare". The game's strengths are consistently praised. Graphics, addictiveness, world, story, and replayability all skew heavily positive, with 46 of 54 graphics mentions positive and all 22 replayability mentions positive. Players cite the depth of detail, the evolving map, and the narrative generated by the game. The developer conduct and mod support also come up favorably. Bugs and stability are recurring negatives, with 23 of 25 bug mentions negative and 11 of 12 stability mentions negative; one review mentions "Too many crash to desktop". Performance is also criticized, with 8 of 13 mentions negative. Opinion splits on difficulty, with 18 positive and 13 negative mentions, and on controls, where negative mentions slightly outnumber positive ones.
numbers checked against this report's stored data · quotes copied verbatim from reviews · plain text is the language model's own wording
Aspects
share of sample, axis to 30% · ± is the sampling uncertainty around each share
- positive
- mixed / neutral
- negative
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gameplay
169 positive · 22 negative · 13 mixed · 3 neutral
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If you are looking for a good management game with lots of unique mechanics and a living breathing world giving a new experience each play, Dwarf Fortress is a classic from which pretty much all other colony games on steam spawned from.
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So in-depth and hilariously frustrating! FU giant chinchillas!
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The Wereskink that showed up unexpectedly in my nice, well ordered fortress turned out to be more dangerous than it seemed - you know you're having fun when the mayor imposes an export ban on coffins.
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learning curve
34 positive · 69 negative · 3 mixed · 8 neutral
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DF, if you haven't played the original, has a learning curve so steep you need to take mountain climbing gear and a mentor to learn it. But it is strangely enjoyable and addicting colony sim.
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I tried it years before and my teensy brain couldn't comprehend the mechanics or the ASCII graphics, but what I could figure out was so good.
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I've spent more time watching videos and reading wiki articles on how to play than actually playing.
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ui
27 positive · 47 negative · 8 mixed · 0 neutral
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A constant stream of alerts and notifications going off to the point that you either stop paying attention to them or you spend most of your game time pausing so you can look through all the alerts to see if something of actual importance happened.
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Room for a lot of QoL improvements still, but feels quite approachable with the aid of the wiki.
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To make matters worst, the interface is kind of a nightmare.
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graphics
46 positive · 5 negative · 1 mixed · 2 neutral
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Bought this updated beauty and it was love at first strike of the earth.
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Glad the game now has graphics, makes navigation easier.
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The familiar feel to the awesome graphics and Ui (I grew up in the 80’s/90’s), the depth of each character, the systems of which I have only seen the tip of the iceberg, you name it.
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addictiveness
47 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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But it is strangely enjoyable and addicting colony sim. There is definitely some automation items lacking that would offer some QoL, like assigning pastures by animal type, and some logic around slaughtering animals so you don't have to manually pick them.
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Overall a thoroughly addictive game.
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Dwarf Fortress on Steam: Where productivity goes to die and dwarves go to thrive.
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content amount
28 positive · 10 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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I would say the variety in raw materials, crafting objects, lore, etc. keeps things interesting.
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I love overall the level of details that are in the game and what you can do from farming to creating crafts. Giving this a thumbs up!
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But what you should know, what you need to know is that the level of depth of the game has no parallel.
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difficulty
18 positive · 13 negative · 3 mixed · 2 neutral
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It's like Minecraft, if Minecraft was a full-fledged medieval simulation and also a masochist's paradise.
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This game will test you, it will frustrate you, and it will mark all over you and your best ideas before destroying everything you worked on.
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It's as clunky, difficult, and incredible as everyone claims
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world
27 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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… of seven dwarfs who look to start a new home somewhere in a procedurally generated planet that isn't just a world, but a deep, rich history full of kingdoms rising and falling, each with thousands of individuals, each with their own individual history, filling in the background of how your …
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Then the map actually evolves over time with new kingdoms and villages coming into existence, which may either threaten you or trade with you.
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Multi-depth universe built into a 2D plane in a polished manor.
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price value
21 positive · 5 negative · 2 mixed · 0 neutral
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There is a lot to do here, and it's easily worth the $30.
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Best 30$ I have ever spent! 1000s of hours of enjoyment.
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I proudly bought it off-sale and it is worth 10x what I paid for it as a cultural achievement alone.
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controls
11 positive · 15 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral
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It's as clunky, difficult, and incredible as everyone claims
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The only somewhat complaint I have is the controls, and that is only because I am so used to the old controls for DF.
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… a number of other extremely basic systems like a combat log or descriptions of what I'm actually looking at, or even the ability to tell any specific unit to do a specific thing.
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see more
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bugs
1 positive · 23 negative · 0 mixed · 1 neutral
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That said, some things, like archery are a bit buggy which can dampen long term enjoyability (especially when facing trapping based FUN).
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So presumably a hunter bagged the creature, missed a time or two so there is a bolt lying around and then the game locked the corpse so no one hauled it back to the butcher to process it. Why?
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Remember, it's a 20 year old, DOS based game that's just been ported to have a graphical interface, there are still bugs and quirky things you'll have to deal with.
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story
23 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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What it lacks in smooth movement and graphics, it makes up for with narrative, history, and complexity.
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Despite everything, I have a mayor who drags himself on the ground through the fortress, eternally suffering from the shame of having been butchered by a child. Great game.
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Interesting storytelling moments VIA generated events and history (which has fueled many reviews).
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developer conduct
16 positive · 2 negative · 4 mixed · 0 neutral
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Still if it supports toady and his creation of an extremely unique game i say go for it.
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2 Very heartfelt developers who truly care about a product that they produced and continuously have been updating it over many years.
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I had it for free from their website from a long time but I would happily give them my money for this game. This will go to funding and research for putting Tarn Adams into a computer so he will develop this game until the eventual heat death of the universe. 10/10
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mods
19 positive · 3 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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The sprite work is nice (and easy to modify, being still images), and the UI is definitely an improvement over classic.
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But the community is extremely helpful in workarounds, straight up help, ideas, and even the workshop has many mods already to add new spice on your dwarfy life!
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The game incentives mods which help refine and add more content to the game
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replayability
22 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Don't be afraid to start over on new fortresses.
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then i roll a new world and i'm back to "he he dorf fort" 10 outta 10 IGN would recommend
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I'm only getting started but I can see this as a fun, replayable, satisfying colony sim.
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updates
16 positive · 4 negative · 2 mixed · 0 neutral
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I am looking forward to the new updates and especially the adventure mode which hopefully will be as amazing as the fortress mode.
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Updates will be free and frequent for decades.
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Played for years, and love the improvements!
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community
14 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Join the community. They are a fun and jolly bunch who have waited a long, long time to buy and champion the Tarn brothers.
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But the community is extremely helpful in workarounds, straight up help, ideas, and even the workshop has many mods already to add new spice on your dwarfy life!
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Also there are many high quality tutorials on youtube that make learning some of the games mechanics much easier.
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performance
5 positive · 8 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Nearly a decade and a half, and Dwarf Fortress remains incredibly fun, and occasionally CPU melting.
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Sure it's fun, but it feels too simple, and don't get me wrong there is a lot of "stuff" the problem is that most of it feels completely inconsequential almost like empty filler material + bugs, extremely poor optimization, and general clunkiness.
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Still the best colony sim BUT still the same random crashes, bugs and the fps death in end game so be warned this thing isn't optimised in any way from the free version.
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stability
1 positive · 11 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Occasionally the game will crash. That's fun after you meticulous dealt with the tediousness of building a complicated section of walls out of a particular material because you didn't really want a rainbow wall or see your hard earned steel tossed into a wall for a dormitory.
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I had 1 crash, i didnt like that.
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Too many crash to desktop and bugs right now.
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characters
9 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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The familiar feel to the awesome graphics and Ui (I grew up in the 80’s/90’s), the depth of each character, the systems of which I have only seen the tip of the iceberg, you name it.
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My Military Commander loves nature and animals.
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He's a legend and I'd love to write a deeper story about him.
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music
10 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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The music is great, though I do miss the original song (although, it is cool that it is sampled in the soundtrack).
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However, this version - with the cute graphics, OST, and mouse support - makes me forget all about not having friends and my wife taking the dogs with her after losing my job because I can't stop playing.
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the steam release has workshop integration, as well as some pretty cool music, and (optional) graphics unique to it.
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art style
8 positive · 1 negative · 1 mixed · 0 neutral
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The new tileset makes the game able to be parsed by a layman like myself.
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some of the ui changes in the steam update are kinda annoying, but the great tileset more than makes up for it.
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Over 20 years of being Freeware, the genre defining and beloved indie classic is now on steam with amazing art and UI upgrades!
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combat
4 positive · 4 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Combat is resolved at such a pace, I never really could tell who hit what. Within a couple of seconds, the minotar was either a pile of bones, or a dwarf or two were reduced to a lifeless body.
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I also maintain this game is too wide to be a story telling game, I have no connection to my dwarves, I could care less if I get a legendary crafter, I can't tell what is happening in combat so one soldier is as good as another.
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On several occasions monsters arrived and almost killed everyone, while the humans did nothing.
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realism
8 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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This is the MOST immersive simulation game of all time.
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It's a simulation of unmatched depth. Try it.
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This game can teach you a lot about geology, metallurgy, and humility.
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ai behavior
0 positive · 7 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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My dwarves keep going insane and going on hunger strike.
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I would pass for now, this game is playable but there are so many glaring holes in unit pathing, restriction zones, basic labor ai, and a number of other extremely basic systems like a combat log or descriptions of what I'm actually …
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Due to pathing issues child is unable to claim a workshop
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emotional impact
5 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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this game captured my imagination and part of my soul at 13 years of age.
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You'll feel your heart soar as the tavern fills with visitors and music fills the air.
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You might bounce off DF the first time, or maybe even more than once, but once it clicks you will be rewarded with stories and memories that they stay with you for life as you watch over your Dwarves and witness the tragedies that unfold.
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level design
4 positive · 2 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Once you understand the Z-axis digging and mining, it gets much easier expanding underground.
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So, I've mentioned Rimworld - this is like Rimworld in a fantasy world, but you have over a hundred Z-layers per map, so you can build massive fortresses and have plenty of stuff to explore.
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- Coolest Z dimension mechanic I've seen
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platform access
5 positive · 1 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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The steam release really makes the game accessible for more player (even though the game is still hard in itself)
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The Steam version of Dwarf Fortress is everything a port/conversion should be.
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Excellent game and even works very well on Steam deck.
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player choice
5 positive · 0 negative · 0 mixed · 0 neutral
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Amazing game, u can play how u want.
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The game provides the framework for you to fill with your own desires and machinations limited by your imagination.
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Their world and lives carry on without you- you choose how and if you wish to intervene.
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Review timeline
monthly peak 15,172 reviews · all languages
monthly share rated positive · 50% reference · months with <5 reviews faded
the timeline as a table
| month | reviews | up | down | positive | note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2022 | 15,172 | 14,565 | 607 | 96% | |
| Jan 2023 | 2,227 | 2,059 | 168 | 92% | |
| Feb 2023 | 791 | 716 | 75 | 91% | |
| Mar 2023 | 471 | 413 | 58 | 88% | |
| Apr 2023 | 296 | 267 | 29 | 90% | |
| May 2023 | 310 | 264 | 46 | 85% | |
| Jun 2023 | 213 | 186 | 27 | 87% | |
| Jul 2023 | 268 | 245 | 23 | 91% | |
| Aug 2023 | 227 | 214 | 13 | 94% | |
| Sep 2023 | 219 | 198 | 21 | 90% | |
| Oct 2023 | 241 | 216 | 25 | 90% | |
| Nov 2023 | 2,386 | 2,358 | 28 | 99% | |
| Dec 2023 | 325 | 299 | 26 | 92% | |
| Jan 2024 | 308 | 285 | 23 | 93% | |
| Feb 2024 | 226 | 211 | 15 | 93% | |
| Mar 2024 | 275 | 252 | 23 | 92% | |
| Apr 2024 | 346 | 323 | 23 | 93% | |
| May 2024 | 259 | 233 | 26 | 90% | |
| Jun 2024 | 191 | 165 | 26 | 86% | |
| Jul 2024 | 195 | 170 | 25 | 87% | |
| Aug 2024 | 205 | 184 | 21 | 90% | |
| Sep 2024 | 152 | 142 | 10 | 93% | |
| Oct 2024 | 222 | 195 | 27 | 88% | |
| Nov 2024 | 382 | 364 | 18 | 95% | |
| Dec 2024 | 293 | 278 | 15 | 95% | |
| Jan 2025 | 286 | 253 | 33 | 88% | |
| Feb 2025 | 230 | 192 | 38 | 83% | |
| Mar 2025 | 258 | 225 | 33 | 87% | |
| Apr 2025 | 243 | 224 | 19 | 92% | |
| May 2025 | 182 | 169 | 13 | 93% | |
| Jun 2025 | 189 | 179 | 10 | 95% | |
| Jul 2025 | 165 | 152 | 13 | 92% | |
| Aug 2025 | 154 | 136 | 18 | 88% | |
| Sep 2025 | 122 | 108 | 14 | 89% | |
| Oct 2025 | 142 | 126 | 16 | 89% | |
| Nov 2025 | 540 | 512 | 28 | 95% | |
| Dec 2025 | 222 | 202 | 20 | 91% | |
| Jan 2026 | 197 | 176 | 21 | 89% | |
| Feb 2026 | 420 | 394 | 26 | 94% | |
| Mar 2026 | 138 | 121 | 17 | 88% | |
| Apr 2026 | 124 | 111 | 13 | 90% | |
| May 2026 | 148 | 140 | 8 | 95% | |
| Jun 2026 | 133 | 117 | 16 | 88% | |
| Jul 2026 | 141 | 130 | 11 | 92% | |
| Aug 2026 | 81 | 72 | 9 | 89% |
How this report was made
- Population
- all Steam reviews of the game (every language, purchase type, and verdict), walked newest-first per window; only English-language reviews are analyzed
- Sample
- 837 English reviews, time-proportional draw over 45 windows (newest-first within each), taken from an all-language walk and kept English-only — where English is a minority the sample runs smaller than the draw, and every margin of error is computed at 837
- Aspect yield
- 430 of 837 analyzed reviews carry at least one aspect (51.4%); every share on this page divides by all 837
- Interval regime
- calm: standard margins of error for a share of a sample (Wilson interval), no widening needed
- Fetch paths
- 45 time windows fetched directly (windowed)
- Language mix
- 1,000 fetched: english 840 · russian 43 · german 22 · 17 more
- Steam-marked windows
- none flagged by Steam (Valve's off-topic flagging began March 2019)
- Marked share
- 0.0% of sample inside marked windows, under the 2% floor
- Narrative
- passed the grounding gate after one corrective retry
- Evidence floor
- aspects and emergent themes appear only with 5+ supporting reviews; smaller counts sit at the classifier's false-positive floor
- Instrument readings
- measured once on the study corpus for this model and prompt: frozen calibration, not properties of this run
- · aspect tagging vs. human labels
- 0.766 [0.713–0.811] (F1 against a human-labeled test set; 1.0 is best)
- · quotes filed under the wrong aspect
- 11.6% [6.6–19.6] of quotes, measured by hand on a sample; lower is better
- · independent model vs. production labels
- 0.791 [0.772–0.810] (F1 of the production labeler against an independent judge model)
- Versions
- deepseek-v4-flash · prompt classify-v1 · ontology v2
- Run
- serve-20260817T013119Z-d9291214 · code 3978105
full methodology in the milestone write-ups