First Dwarf gameplay shows off colony survival combat as a mech-riding dwarf and a tiny polyglot dragon

Is there a definitive geological difference between rock and stone? Google tells me the main consensus is that stones are just smaller rocks, which sounds like a flimsy distinction to base a catchphrase on. I’m not sure when this would come up, unless maybe you were a biblical heretic trying to dunk on the people bludgeoning you to death by correcting them in some last gasp pettiness, but it still bothers me. Anyway, colony survival game First Dwarf cares not for rock, only stone, along with the wood you’ll use as the building blocks of your colonies. This is me burying the lede deeper than the mines of Moria, of course, because First Dwarf also has a tiny talking dragon companion that sits on the shoulder of the giant dwarven mech you use to swing a hammer at horrible toxic shitlizards. The dragon learnt your language by sneaking herself in a library. Do go on, game.

First Dwarf is, so says the lead developer in a first look gameplay overview, a “unique combination of action, rpg, building, colony survival, and tower defense.” It’s from Polish studio Star Drifters, and is set in the same universe as the studios’ previous Driftland: The Magic Revival, which was a more outright strategy builder. Building elements still look to play a big part in First Dwarf, but from a third-person rather than top down perspective. You look to be able to seamlessly pop a grid down, and start colony building, then pop up to do some fighting, exploring, or resource gathering. The resource portion is based on the knowledge that, yes, you’ve played tree-y-stone-y before. There’s also a workshop you use for more advanced tools and upgrades.

First Dwarf – Gameplay Overview

Leaving these colonies unsecured won’t cut it though, as you’ll have to deal with both natural disasters and enemy attacks. To this end, you’ll want to build “houses for settlers so they have a place to hide during a dangerous storm.” This is, says the designer, the key to happy dwarfs. You’ll also place barricades and towers to help you fend off said shitlizards. You can jump in and out of your mech, but you can also control Ragna the dragon, breathing fire on enemies and exploring what look like otherwise inaccessible areas.

What I’m still not sure of from the trailer is your overall objective, but it looks like each of the floating landmasses that comprise the world might have mini objectives you complete through building thriving colonies for your dwarf buds and keeping them safe, before traveling to new sky islands via an airship. The views from the airship, especially, look rather fetching.