Powered by Unreal Engine 5, First Dwarf will test your survival and exploration skills in a fantasy open world, sprawling on islands floating in the sky. First Dwarf invites you to take part in an unforgettable journey across the floating lands of Driftland together with a charismatic dwarven engineer, Tru, and his adorable dragon, Ragna

Planet Driftland is no more - a war between mages of four races has shattered the globe into floating islands and the inhabitants turned into barbaric tribes. Amongst the desolation the dwarves prevailed, but not for long - resources are running short and the once great civilization is catching its last breath. In a desperate attempt to secure the future, mighty airships are sent to the celestial islands in search of materials to save the dwarven kingdom.

First Dwarf takes place in an open world that once was a whole planet, but a great war shattered it into drifting islands. Players will step into the shoes of Tru, a scouting engineer in a mech, who is tasked to explore unknown lands in search of a new settlement for the fading dwarven civilization. Accompanied by his dear friend, female dragon Ragna, Tru will gather resources, collect mana to fuel and upgrade his mechanical armor, build bases, set up their defenses, and engage in close combat with local fauna to accomplish his mission.

As the story unfolds, Tru and Ragna will uncover new secrets of the mysterious land. Their quest might take an unexpected turn when Tru discovers traces of his long-lost father, who once attempted to conquer the area, but never returned, and someone else... a powerful being that threatens the future of the dwarven kingdom.

The developers at Star Drifters present 15 minutes of gameplay from First Dwarf and have launched open playtests for everyone.

In First Dwarf, players become Tru— a dwarven explorer who sets out to build colonies on the floating islands of Driftland. Shipwrecked Tru must prepare for the dangers of the sky-high land, building defenses and infrastructure for the future colonists. Fortunately, with dwarven engineering skills, he can repair and pilot a powerful mech, which proves itself in combat, gathering resources and building. With various upgrades, this pinnacle of fantasy tech will eventually become the ultimate exploration machine. The mech's offensive arsenal will also come in handy, as the uncharted lands are inhabited by mysterious creatures hostile to the dwarven newcomers.

But the gigantic mech is not enough to uncover all the mysteries of Driftland. Ragna, a she-dragon, is a playable companion who aids Tru in his quest. Her small size, ability to fly, and breathe fire make her a great addition to the dwarven skills of the protagonist. The game can be played in co-op (split screen and online) with each protagonist doing their job.

Building a colony and managing the settlers is another part of Tru’s job. With tower defense mechanisms, the settlement can be prepared for the worst. But it’s not all about survival —Tru will have to balance and fulfill the needs of new inhabitants, providing them with resources, shelter, and entertainment to boost their happiness. Only a prosperous society will allow our protagonist to pursue his own personal goal—discovering what evil taints these lands and what happened to the previous dwarven expeditions, including the one led by his father.

First Ever First Dwarf Playtest

And without further ado… Today is a BIG day for us! If you’ve been following our Community Hub and our social media, you could’ve heard about sign-ups for our Playtests. But in case you somehow didn’t get the memo, don’t worry! Put on your dwarven shoes anyway, because you can still join us! Just go to the Steam page of First Dwarf and click “Request Access”

Who will get access?

Everyone who signed-up will participate! So no worries, it doesn't matter if you requested it right after our announcement, or even after the Playtest started, you’ll be able to play First Dwarf. 🎉

When does the Playtest start and end?

Playtests are open from March 25th 3PM (UTC +1) to April 8th 3PM (UTC +1). We’re going to give access to the game to everyone who signed-up. In this time window, you can still request access to the game. After April 8th, the Playtests will be closed, gamers will lose their access to the game, but there is a possibility of a second round in the future.

What exactly is the Playtest and why are we organizing it?

Steam Playtest is a wonderful feature that lets us give access to the game to the players who are willing to try it out in its current state. Our main reason for this, is willingness to receive as much feedback as we can, before launching the final game. We believe that the thoughts and opinions of our community will help us shape the game together and create something truly brilliant. We deeply care about this project, as it’s related to our first game, Driftland: The Magic Revival, and we are over the moon that we have the opportunity to expand this magical world even further. That’s why we need YOUR HELP!

But how can I help?

Well, that’s super easy! After getting access to the game…just play the game! That’s phase number one. And phase number two, is…

Leave your Feedback!

There are  3 places where you can report bugs, issues and leave feedback!

First method is:

We highly encourage you all to leave us your feedback, even if it’s just a few words (but the more you say, the better, of course!). You can do it in our First Dwarf Discord server, which we already upgraded with special channels for the Playtest. If you already are on our Discord, you know that it’s really fun there!

We added two new channels specifically for this event:

playtest-feedback - that’s the place where you can tell us EVERYTHING you want after you played our game. Positive and negative feedback, all of that is welcome. You can tell us about the smallest things, regarding music, characters, dialogues, mechanics, systems, bugs… Every topic is a good topic, as long as it’s related to the First Dwarf Playtest. We can’t wait to chat with you about your experiences with our title!

opt-in-credits - here you can read the steps of what to do, to be included in our game’s credits! It’s a little “thank you” from us, for all your help. By leaving your invaluable feedback, you’re becoming an important part of our big adventure! You’ll find there the link to the form we prepared earlier, where you’ll be able to drop your nickname. No offensive names of course, those won’t be included.

Second method for leaving feedback:

Probably the fastest way to report a bug is located directly in the game. An automatic save file is also attached to the report you make (but you won't see it, so don't panic!), so we have the best understanding of the issue. However, keep in mind that we won’t be able to respond to you there. We will receive the information, but to hear back from us or to engage in conversation, it’s best to use Discord.

Third method to leave feedback:

We made a pinned thread in the Steam Discussions titled 🐛 Playtest Bug Reports 🐛, where you can report your bugs from the Playtest.

Fill the Form!

If you’re not sure how to phrase what’s in your mind, we prepared a simple form to fill, which may help you transfer your thoughts into words and inspire you in terms of what to be aware of while playing. After leaving your feedback, you can also write your preferred name to be put in the credits there, it’s optional.

Feedback Form First Dwarf

Can I stream my game?

YES!

 Feel free to tag us and show off on our Discord server, we would love to see it! You can freely post about it on your social media.

What’s in the Playtest?

The best part! What’s awaiting you during our Playtest? Well, let us tell you!

You’ll be playtesting an introduction to our game, First Dwarf. Take on the role of Tru, chosen to be the First Dwarf and his sassy dragon companion Ragna. Your mission is to build a new colony on the freshly discovered island, but first, you need to make sure that the area is safe to inhabit. Gather resources, build your base and fortify your colony, before the evil monster wave attacks! Fight your enemies by placing defensive turrets and engaging in direct combat. Complete your quests and send the raven to the awaiting dwarves, so they can arrive at their new home. Will you and your people survive in this new environment?

Key Features:

• Dive into a beautiful fantasy world, known from a highly acclaimed game Driftland: The Magic Revival.
• Explore the land in mana-powered mechanical armor. Upgrade it to unlock new off-beat abilities that will help you in discovering new locations.
• Take on a mission alone or with a friend to double the fun in the local co-op mode.
• Build various structures to defend yourself and establish a new colony for dwarven people.
• Fight the numerous dangers of the Driftland’s wildlands: barbarian tribes, wild creatures, or natural disasters. Secure the area and make it more hospitable for future settlers.
• Play as a bizarre little dragon Ragna and help Tru on his challenging mission.
• Uncover the mysterious secrets of the ancients, while unveiling a powerful story about family bonds.

First Dwarf is coming to PC (Steam/GOG), Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2024.