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Since 2004, the AbleGamers Foundation, a 501(c)(3) public charity, has served more than 56 million members of the disabled community by advocating greater access in video games. Today, AbleGamers is a leader in the development of equipment, programs and services to those living with disabilities, hardships, and quality-of-life issues that are a result of chronic illness or trauma. It is our goal to ensure that all people, regardless of their disability, can use gaming as a tool to have enriched social experiences with friends, family, and the world at large. 

 
Game Reviews PC Dwarfs?! (PC)
 
Dwarfs?! (PC)

Dwarfs?! (PC) Hot

Editor rating
 
9.5
User rating
 
0.0 (0)


Accessibility At A Glance Dwarfs?! (PC)

9.5

   
Percision > Yes Read the detailed review please
One-Handed > Yes One-Handed gamers shoud be okay
Deaf Gamers > Yes You should have no issues with this game
Subtitles > Mostly Character text is present but not ambiant
Colorblind > Yes Colorblind gamers should be okay

About the Game

Class
Indie
Genre
Maker
Power of Two
Release Date
June 07, 2011
Official Website
Multi-player
Yes
Licence Category
commercial


 


dwarfs-game-banner-2


Dwarfs!? is a fun title that borrows some of the best elements from various other games to come together for one very strong package. At its heart it's a strategy game that requires less user input than the Starcrafts or Command and Conquers of the world, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

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Dwarfs?! (PC)
Dwarfs?! (PC)
Dwarfs?! (PC)

Editor review

Dwarfs?! (PC) 2011-07-11 19:28:25 Patrick Hancock
Overall rating 
 
9.5
Mobility 
 
9.0
Visual 
 
10.0
Hearing 
 
10.0
Patrick Hancock Reviewed by Patrick Hancock    July 11, 2011
Last updated: July 11, 2011
Top 10 Reviewer  -   View all my reviews

Dwarfs?! Review (PC)

Dwarfs!? is a fun title that borrows some of the best elements from various other games to come together for one very strong package. At its heart it's a strategy game that requires less user input than the Starcrafts or Command and Conquers of the world, but that doesn't mean it's easy.
You are the Dwarf Overseer, in charge of all of the underground dwarfs in search for gold. You have a clear view of the entire map from the beginning with the exception being caves, which are blacked out until you dig them open. There are only two types of dwarfs under your command: Digger Dwarfs and Warrior Dwarfs. Digger Dwarfs spawn at a given interval and will roam around, digging in various directions until they die in some way or another. Every time a Digger Dwarf opens up a cave it could contain something good, like treasure, or something bad, like lava. If a cave that contains lava or water is opened, it is up to the player to block the flow using walls. A wall can be placed by holding Shift and clicking or by clicking the icon and then placing it on the map. It also costs gold, so you can't just place them whenever you want. Lava, however, will burn through walls so you'll need to place dynamite on the ground and activate it so the lava falls into it. The only way to activate dynamite is to send a dwarf to activate it, killing him in the process. Dwarfs will normally go wherever they please, but you can tell them to go to specific locations at the cost of gold if you need to. You can also "Solidify" walls surrounding lava or water which prevents Digger Dwarfs from re-opening the caves.
Warrior Dwarfs are your only defense against the different kinds of enemies within the game. They will patrol your main base or any Outposts that you build unless you tell them to do otherwise. They can level up and become more powerful by either fighting enemies or at the cost of gold at Outposts. There are more advanced techniques within the game as well, but you're better off learning them from the extensive and well-done tutorial system that's within the game.
There are plenty of modes within the game so everyone is bound to find one that they like. Besides the in-game tutorials there are more advanced tutorials which sometimes have accompanying videos to emphasize the idea. There are challenges that put you in specific situations and ask you to either survive or accomplish a certain task. Arcade mode gives you a time limit to get a high score to the best of your abilities. Skirmish modes are a variety of ways to spice of the gameplay enough to make you think and play differently: Endless mode lets you play with no time limit, Dark Mode makes the entire map blacked out except for what you've personally discovered, Rush Mode only lets you lose 200 dwarfs total, and Sandbox mode allows you to create and play your own maps. Finally, there is a tower defense type game that uses the in-game mechanics but adds in different tower types to help you fend off waves of enemies.

Accessibility Issues/Concerns
Much of the action in the game takes a leisurely pace, especially at the lower difficulties. Some reflexes are required in order to react to the spillage of lava and especially water, since it travels faster. The entire game can be controlled with the mouse, thought the keyboard shortcuts are not remappable. There is also a pause button within the game that will temporarily freeze time, but it cannot be spammed and has a cool-down time before it can be used again.
There are no audio-only cues to be heard within the game. All of the on-screen warnings have text at the top of the screen as well as a circle notification in the direction of the incident. The extra tutorial videos all have accompanying paragraphs to explain what's going on in them, but the voiceovers are not subtitled for these videos.
There is a colorblind mode option in the game that changes the colors of the in-game warning to make them easier to distinguish. All of the text within the game contrasts well with the background and is easy to read. The menus are also clear and distinct and should pose no problems. When zoomed all the way out it can be hard to see and select the dwarfs on the map, but zooming in is done with the mouse wheel and zooms in very close.

At a Glance
Mobility: The entire game can be controlled with the mouse, though the shortcuts are not remappable. Some reflexes are required at higher difficulties, but there is a limited pause button to help.
Score: 9/10

Hearing: No audio-only cues in the game. The extra tutorial videos have descriptions, but are not directly subtitled.
Score: 9.5/10

Vision: A colorblind mode is included within the game, alleviating any color issues. All text and menus are easy to read. You can zoom in on the map whenever you want.
Score: 10/10

Overall: Dwarfs!? is a slower change of pace compared to most strategy games and the player involvement is often relaxed, letting the dwarf AI do most of the work. There aren't many accessibility issues to be concerned with, so just about everyone will be able to play with no issues. With a cornucopia of modes it isn't likely you'll get bored of playing the game any time soon. If you still have any concerns, I recommend checking out the demo available on Steam.

Overall Score: 9.5

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