It is true that while Dwarf Fortress is an incredibly complex and rewarding game, it is also true that it has forever looked like ass. The upcoming Steam release, Dwarf Fortress Premium, is going to look a little better.
Co-creator Tarn Adams has shared some of the improvements they’ve made to the game’s visuals (earlier versions of which we’d seen previously) in a blog post, with some Zelda-looking walls and cute lil’ mineral deposits.
I dig it! It’s got a very Windows 3.1 vibe to it, like a deeper version of Yoda Stories. One thing to note here though is that while the on-screen action has a new coat of paint, the UI in these screenshots is unchanged. That’s in line for an upgrade too, and might make an even bigger difference to players than the look of the world (which you’ve been able to improve through texture packs forever).