Tileset repository

For user-created graphic sets, see Graphics set repository.

v50.13 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

A character set, or simply tileset, is an image in BMP or PNG format that contains the 256 different tiles, corresponding to the IBM Code Page 437 (sometimes called Extended ASCII). They are used to display the text elements in graphics mode and everything in ASCII mode. This page serves as a repository for custom tilesets made by users, including instructions on how to install them.

Background

The default tilesets (640×300 and 800×600) render 8×12 and 10×12 characters respectively, with majuscule latin letters occupying a 7×9 box, and appear broadly similar to the IBM MDA font based on the shape of the "0", "g", and "f" characters (but with slight differences including the "0", "W", and "y"). The exact origin of the DF font is unknown.

Installation

Currently^v50.11, using some tilesets can cause the lower and right edges of the screen to not react to the mouse. This is dependent on size; the 8×12 and 10×12 that come with the game are fine, but the 16×16 is not. Maximizing the window or setting the game to fullscreen may avoid this.

Other issues that can appear when using a different tileset:

• In graphics mode, the minimap frame will scale to the tileset, but the minimap image will not.
• In graphics mode, using a tileset with a different aspect ratio will stretch UI elements.
• In graphics mode, some UI elements do not scale to the tileset.
• In either mode, and even with the default tileset at some scales and game display sizes, some menus may not have enough space to display all elements; the Nobles menu especially.

To use a specific tileset with Dwarf Fortress, you must perform the following steps:

1. Download the tileset to your computer. Each tileset is just an image, so there is no separate download link. (Right-Click on the tileset image and Save-As.)
2. If necessary, convert the tileset to the correct image format for the version of DF you are using:
   1. Do not just change the extension to .bmp or .png; you must use a program like MS paint to save it properly.
   2. For DF 0.28.181.40d or older: open the file in an image editor and save it as a 24-bit bitmap (BMP) if it isn't already in that format.
   3. For DF 0.31.01 or newer: open the file in an image editor and save it as a PNG with transparency if it isn't already in that format.
3. Move or copy the file to the DF art directory (.../data/art).
4. Edit the initialization configuration file (.../data/init/init_default.txt) to specify the tileset file to use. There are three lines that can be changed:
   1. [FONT:<filename>] — the tileset for a windowed display.
   2. [FULLFONT:<filename>] — the tileset for a full-screen display.
   3. [BASIC_FONT:<filename>] — the tileset for initial loading and menu display.
   4. All three can be set to the same file. In fact, setting them to different files can give unexpected results
   5. Once you have made the changes you need to remember to save the file.
5. If the selected tileset requires modifications to the Raws, you will have to make those edits. What those changes are will depend on the tileset itself, and may only be valid for older versions. Likewise, some tilesets may suggest changes to d_init.txt, such as [PILLAR_TILE:255], but those options no longer exist.

Once the file is saved and the required changes are made, you are ready to play DF with your new tileset!

Square tilesets

1×1

Title [[#{{{filename}}}|{{{filename}}}]] Author Loud Whispers Dated 2015-03-30 Tile Size 1×1 Resolution 80×25 Versions Comments So on suggestion I made the new version of Monoscii which has every tile be 1 pixel, the entire map nearly fits into the screen just fine. Monoscii Lite is superior in every way, the information is denser, crisper and cleaner. pUrists will finally be one step closer to the most pUrist DF possible. (forum post link)

Monoscii Lite

5×5

Title Kein_400x125.png Author Kein Dated 2008-8-7 Tile Size 5×5 Resolution 400×125 Versions Comments A large 257x257 DFMA world gen map can be found here.Updated 08/06/08. Changed most text characters as well as some others to 4x4 with blackspace to avoid tiling. Most characters have been revised to be spaced out to be more distinguishable in such a small set. After seeing the dev update earlier today about increasing your view size I decided to create this small font. This has been built completely from scratch, mostly while at work today. I may be making a shaded version in the future. The first image to the right is from the Abbeyverse succession game.

Kein's 5x5

Title Zaratustra_custom_5x5.png Author Zaratustra Dated 2008-11-20 Tile Size 5×5 Resolution 400×125, 800×250, 800×500 Versions Comments

6×6

Title Geti_custom_6x6.png Author Geti Dated 2010-08-04 Tile Size 6×6 Resolution 480×150, 960times;300 Versions Comments A 6x6 Tileset optimised for legibility through personal use. Not shaded on most glyphs, aiming for a crisper look. Best at 2x2 pixels.

Title Lord Nightmare 6x6font01.png Author Lord Nightmare Dated 2007-11-5 Tile Size 6×6 Resolution 480×150 Versions Comments Made in 5 hours on 11/5/07 (I was bored and dissatisfied with other fonts). Most glyphs are really 5×6, with a separator column.

Title Lord Nightmare 6x6font02.png Author Lord Nightmare Dated 2007-11-12 Tile Size 6×6 Resolution 480×150 Versions Comments Version 2.05. Updated 11/12/07 to de-fuzz uppercase letters, added serifs and clarified lowercase letters, made horizontal spacing consistent throughout character set, fixed one error in the double horizontal-left-right, single-vertical-up-down character, made exclamation points consistent, thinned out question mark and inverse question mark, sharpened sideways stemless arrows, clarified international characters, and clarified some Greek letters. Since v2.0: fixed 'i' 'g', fixed Yen symbol, fixed smiley 0x01 to not have an extra line to its right, lowered the period and colon characters, fixed position of 'x'. Thanks to Markavian for ideas on how to improve the font, as well as an occasional character glyph.

Lord Nightmare's 6x6 v2

Title Mkv_curses_480x150.png Author Markavian Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 6×6 Resolution 480×150 Versions Comments The first version of the tiny tileset, superseded by the version below.

Title Mkv_curses_480x150_v2.png Author Markavian Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 6×6 Resolution 480×150 Versions Comments My second version of the tiny tileset, for uber small resolution DF, with improved visibility of several symbols. Available in mkv curses 12×12 and 6×6 v2.zip.

Markavian's 6x6 v2

Title nobbins6x6.png Author Nobbins Dated 2010-01-10 Tile Size 6×6 Resolution 480×150, 960×300 Versions Comments Tiny tileset for small screens, with experimental colour blending and pseudo-curved walls.

Title nobbin_ts_v2.png Author Nobbins Dated 2010-06-28 Tile Size 6×6 Resolution 480×150, 960×300 Versions Comments Tiny tileset for small screens/large projects, using slightly Monaco-styled serifs. Transparency-supporting version needed. Forum thread.

7×7

Title Herrbdog_7x7_tileset.gif Author herrbdog Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 7×7 Resolution 560×175 Versions Comments

herrbdog's 7x7 tileset

Title terbert_7x7.png Author Terbert Dated 2009-6-30 Tile Size 7×7 Resolution 560×175 Versions Comments This is a 7x7 tileset made for overseeing large constructions

8×8

Title Anikki_square_8x8.png Author Anikki Dated 2008-7-27 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×200 native. Versions Comments Based on the original IBM CGA Character set with a lot of tweaks. The characters remain as descriptive yet universal as possible. I chose the CGA set because it is in my opinion the square set with the best readability. This set is for those who like the basic ASCII look where every pixel has meaning or (multiple meanings). Download the BMP There is also an upscaled 16x16 version of this set available for fullscreen use below.

Title cheepicus_8x8 Author Cheepicus Dated 2014-4-3 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×200 Versions Comments An 8x8 tileset I made. Hand-made, mostly ASCII, with just a few special characters, like my other tilesets.

cheepicus_8x8 sample

Title Jdpage_8x8.png Author Jdpage Dated 2010-09-15 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×200 native. Versions Comments Modified version of the Anikki 8x8 tileset. Just prettifies it a bit; some characters are tweaked to make them work slightly better for one of their jobs without disturbing the rest. Others are redesigned entirely. Most importantly, dwarves were given beards.

Title CGA8x8thick.png Author Lord Nightmare/IBM Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×400 Versions Comments The original IBM CGA Character set, thick variant, dumped from addresses 0x1800-0x1fff the 5788005 IBM Character Generator ROM. This is the far more common 'thick' variant. Best viewed at 8:5 aspect ratio.

Title CGA8x8thin.png Author Lord Nightmare/IBM Dated 2008-6-6 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×400 Versions Comments The original IBM CGA Character set, thin variant, dumped from addresses 0x1000-0x17ff the 5788005 IBM Character Generator ROM. This is the less common 'thin' variant, which required soldering on two pins and jumpering them on the CGA card to use. Best viewed at 8:5 aspect ratio.

Lord Nightmare's 8×8 CGA tileset

Title LN_EGA8x8.png Author Lord Nightmare/IBM Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×400 Versions Comments The IBM EGA 8×8 Character set, dumped from the 6277356 IBM EGA BIOS ROM. This is ALMOST 100% IDENTICAL to the CGA thick font, but has minor modifications (23 pixels total) done to four characters: the capital 'S', the club sign, the spade sign, and the large asterisk (the one with a hole in the middle, char 0x0f, not the shift-8 one which is char 0x2a). There is no thin variant of this font. Best viewed at 8:5 aspect ratio.

Title RDE_8x8.png Author RedDeadElite Dated 2018-08-17 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×200 Versions Comments Meant to resemble the vanilla curses tileset, which itself is similar to Microsoft's 8x12 Terminal font. Glyphs sourced from various bitmap fonts and/or modified by hand.

RedDeadElite's 8x8 tileset with Phoebus's color scheme.

Title Pastiche_8x8.png Author tejón Dated 2012-6-12 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×200 @ 80×25. Versions Comments A mishmash of the CGA, Acorn and C64 character fonts (and just a hint of Fixedsys), with a few pixels nudged here and there and several symbols shifted to make world maps look nicer.

Title Potash_8x8.png Author tejón Dated 2012-6-12 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×200 @ 80×25. Versions Comments I like packing as much on the screen as I can, but 8×8 is just too crowded for 1920×1080 fullscreen. I intended to make a 10×10 version of Pastiche, but I had to make countless little changes to maintain visual consistency between the two sizes. I finally gave up, called it a new font, and changed some more stuff just because! Like Pastiche, Potash is a pure ASCII/CP437 font, suitable for use outside of Dwarf Fortress should you happen to find yourself stuck in 1985.

Title Acorntileset8x8.png Author Xenomorph Dated 2008-8-9 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×200 Versions Comments This is the tileset used by Acorn computers, starting with the BBC Micro. This version is as it would have appeared in 40-column modes (and shuffled a little to adapt it to CP437). It also looks nice at double resolution. Download the BMP.

Title yayo_c64_640x200.png Author Yayo Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×200 Versions Comments Name: Yayo's C64; Based on the charset of the Commodore 64. It's a flat style, but it's clean and also highly readable. I recreated all the missing chars like letters with accents and symbols, trying to get a c64 style as much as possible. If it's too small, use the 16×16 version below. :)

yayo's c64 Tileset

Title Zaratustra_msx.png Author Zaratustra Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 8×8 Resolution 640×200 or 640×400 Versions Comments The MSX and MSX2 font, shuffled around to fit the char set. Double lines were added.

Zaratustra's 8×8 tileset

9×9

Title 720x225_SmoothWalls.PNG Author Dorten Dated 2009-2-13 Tile Size 9×9 Resolution 720×225 Versions Comments It's improved Savok's tileset, which is changed to make walls look smooth. Plus another little differences.

Dorten's smooth-walled version of Savok's tileset. (Without fix for 7s)

Title 720x225_SmoothWalls7.png Author Dorten Dated 2009-2-13 Tile Size 9×9 Resolution 720×225 Versions Comments Minor tweak so the 7's don't look like question marks.

Title Nostalgia_720x225.png Author maus Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 9×9 Resolution 720×225 Versions Comments Another square tileset that's usable on low resolutions, modelled after a common font used on the Nintendo Entertainment System. I also made a 18x18 version to fit my 1440x900 screen, back when the aspect ratio of DF was locked. If you like your set a bit more graphical, check out Teeto_K's version.

Title DortenSolid.png Author Qjet Dated 2009-2-13 Tile Size 9×9 Resolution 720×225 Versions Comments Mod of Dortens super sexy 9*9 tileset, this time to provide solid backgrounds to tiles, avoids designation problems by using PNG transparency.

Qjet's solid-background mod of Dorten's smooth-walled edit of Savok's tileset.

Title Curses_720x225_8d6752.png Author Savok Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 9×9 Resolution 720×225 Versions Comments There is no doubt that this tileset is old. This must be distinctly understood if anything wonderful is to come of your use of it. You may like Dorten's revision more. The following is the original description: I dislike curses_640x300.bmp due to its lack of any kind of graphics for things like a bed or a barrel and the fact that it distorts my beautiful circles, so I made a similarish tileset to fix those.

Savok's tiny, non-updated tileset.

10×10

Title Anikki_square_10x10.png Author Anikki Dated 2008-7-27 Tile Size 10×10 Resolution 800×250 native. Versions Comments Based primarily on Tocky and Plac1d's sets (which are brilliant). The characters remain as descriptive as possible with some tweaks to the font for better readability and some changes to symbols for more consistency. This set is for those who like the basic ASCII look where every pixel has meaning or (multiple meanings). Download the BMP (Note: The up and down ramps are reversed.)

Title buddy.png Author buddy Dated 2014-07-12 Tile Size 10×10 Resolution Versions Comments I wanted every character in this set to be the very best text symbol it could possibly be, while still looking good in-game. A hidden feature of this tileset is that the border around the white tile only has its red color-component changed, which means that a nice clear grid shows up over (brown) designations, while (blue) ice walls still look perfectly smooth. [PILLAR_TILE:10]

Title buddy--graphical.png Author buddy Dated 2014-07-16 Tile Size 10×10 Resolution Versions Comments The graphical version of my tileset. data/init/d_init.txt: [PILLAR_TILE:10] [TREE_BRANCHES:171] raw/objects/creature_standard.txt: [CREATURE:GOBLIN] ... [CREATURE_TILE:255]

Title ddw.png Author Ddw Dated 2011-03-10 Tile Size 10×10 Resolution 800×250 native Versions Comments Based on Anikki, with some simplifications and modifications. I like Markavian's walls, so I did something similar. The bottom right tile, number 255, I use for pillars. You can set that in your d_init.txt, the line should look like [PILLAR_TILE:255] Example.

Title Paul_10x10.png Author Paul Dated 2008-9-5 Tile Size 10×10 Resolution 800×250 for 80×25 grid size, others just multiply grid by 10. Versions Comments Custom tileset I made for my own use when the adjustable grid sizes were released for DF. Some accented letters cut slightly to allow for larger letter display. Contains several of Tocky's tiles (barrels, some trees, dimple cups, coins, slightly modified armor stand). Others are either made by me or adjusted from curses_800x600 tiles.

Title Potash_10x10.png Author tejón Dated 2012-6-12 Tile Size 10×10 Resolution 800×250 @ 80×25. Versions Comments The "full size" version of Potash. I insist on using a square font to maintain sanity when judging sizes and distances, but I'm not a fan of how text usually looks with square glyphs -- the letters are either too wide, or spaced too far apart. I've tried balance those two flaws against each other as much as possible, and I think this font is very readable as a result. Nearly all the 10×10 glyphs have empty borders on all four sides, to prevent confusing (or just ugly) connections between adjacent tiles.

Title Taffer 10x10.png Author Taffer Dated 2017-01-10 Tile Size 10×10 Resolution Looks decent at almost any resolution. Versions Comments A sharp looking, vanilla styled tileset that strives to strike a good balance between nice, attractive graphics, while avoiding graphical oddities. I find the cumulative differences from the ASCII add to the game. Feel free to leave me a note. This has turned into a [1], and includes alternate walls, fonts, and racial graphics.

Title Terbert_10x10.png Author Terbert Dated 2009-6-30 Tile Size 10×10 Resolution 800×250 Versions Comments This is Terbert's First tileset

Title Tocky_square_10x10.png Author Tocky Dated 2007-11-15 Tile Size 10×10 Resolution 800×250 native, 800×500 for fullscreen. Versions Comments I tried to make all the pictographic symbols as descriptive as possible: the only ones I've spotted that show up in odd places are the staircase symbols, '<' and '>', which are used as tags on barrel descriptions, and don't match -- but I'm willing to live with that in order to be able to tell up-stairs from down-ones. With everything else, I just tried to maximize clarity and readability and to keep them consistent. I'm really very pleased with how this set turned out.

11×11

Title terminus.png Author Gekz Dated 2010-1-08 Tile Size 11×11 Resolution 880×275 Versions Comments This works great on my EeePCs shoddy resolution of 1024x600, and this is why I made it. This is basically the Terminus font converted for use on DF. I chose this font due to its readability at a low resolutions, and soon I'll convert some of the non-letter characters into actually objects like beds and dwarves, so keep a look out for an updated version that I'll add below. This forum thread has the slightly 'graphical' test version. Quite amusing. Check there for updates.

Terminus Tileset

12×12

Title Alloy_curses_12x12.png Author Alloy Dated 2010-12-3 - v1.1 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 native. Versions Comments Much like Hanuman's conversion, this is based on the default curses_640x300 tileset, converted to 12x12. There are no significant modifications to the tiles, smoothing, etc - just some cosmetic changes mostly to take advantage of 4 extra horizontal pixels. For people who like the original tileset's look and size but want a square version of it.

Title cheepicus_12x12 Author Cheepicus Dated 2010-8-4 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 Versions Comments I wanted a 12x12 ASCII graphics set, sharp, with pleasant text, so I wound up making one myself from scratch. It's a little influenced by Guybrush, which I love, but after awhile the blurriness got to me. (This tileset is not entirely ASCII; I changed the equals sign to a pattern, so that stockpiles would look the way I like.)

cheepicus_12x12 sample

Title Unknown curses 12x12 & Markvii Walls.png Author DDR & Others Dated 2010-9-3 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 native Versions Comments A remix of the Unknown 12x12 curses with Markvii's diagonal walls. Works quite nicely together.

A dwarf practicing archery. He died later.

Title Haberdash_curses_12x12.png Author Haberdash Dated 2014-07-24 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 Versions Comments Similar to Alloy's conversion, this is based on the default curses_800x600 tileset, converted to 12x12. I wrote a GIMP python plugin to add padding to bring each tile up to the required size, and then I manually tidied up the places where the images no longer went all the way to the edge of the tile. This ensures that the positioning of each image within each tile stays exactly the same as in the original tileset, but with a single pixel column added on both sides of the tile to bring it up to size. For people who like the 800x600 original tileset's look and size but want a square version of it.

Title DB_curses_12x12.PNG Author Hanuman Dated 2008-7-23 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 900×300 Versions Comments This is basically the curses_800x600.bmp file converted to 12x12. It may be slightly different but it is close enough for me. Get the .BMP here. Note: If the tileset doesn't look right played at 900x300, try changing the resolution to 966x325.

Title Herrbdog_144.png Author Herrbdog Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 Versions Comments A larger version of this tileset is available below.

Title Dullard_Exponent_12x12.png Author Lord Dullard/Exponent Dated 2009-3-30 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 native Versions Comments Adjusted by Exponent, and with new dwarf characters added. A version of the Unknown 12×12 tileset with smoothed walls. Example: Wiltedblight.

Title mkv_solidcurses_stairs_960x300.png Author Markavian Dated 2007-12-4 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 Versions Comments This revision is designed to work with DF version 0.27.169.33a with special tiles for stairs and ramps, as well as the changes present in the earlier version such as bones, walls, trees and swords. Available in mkv curses 12×12 and 6x6 v2.zip. As seen in the fortress of Axegear.

Title Mkv_solidcurses_960x300.png Author Markavian Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 Versions Comments An older revision of my square tileset, featuring more detailed symbols, with alterations to certain text characters to look more like ingame items. The walls are infilled now. Available in mkv curses 12×12 and 6x6 v2.zip. As seen in the fortress of Inkflew.

Title Markvii.png Author Turnip Dated 2009-7-9 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 Versions Comments My revision of Markavian's tileset, made to be more "curvy"

Title Tileset_unknown_960x300_02.png Author Unknown Dated 2007-10-30 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 Versions Comments This is a tileset submitted by an unknown user from the IP address 86.43.81.125.

Title Unknown_curses_12x12.png Author Unknown Dated 2007-11-24 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 Versions Comments This is very similar to the above tileset, but has some noticeable differences. I have no idea where I got it from. It's great on a 1024x768 CRT monitor in windowed mode. I use it in a 1000x500 window with [BLACKSPACE:YES]. --JT

Unknown 12×12 v2

Title nice_curses_12x12.png Author Vidumec Dated 2013-01-30 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 native Versions Comments This tileset is a square version of Plac1d's tileset with some modifications, like duller ground tiles and other.

Title zesty_curses_12x12.png Author ZesT Dated 2022-11-3 Tile Size 12×12 Resolution 960×300 native Versions Comments A fresh spin on Vidumec's "nice curses" tileset - includes a couple different graphics that both keep the ASCII feel and provide better visual representations while preventing text artefacts, including new graphics for sheets, plus a Moai statue since making the statue specifically humanoid didn't feel generalisable enough. A 24x24 version is available.

13×13

Title Kren_13x13.png Author krenshala Dated 2015-12-27 (Updated 2017-08-27) Tile Size 13×13 Resolution Versions Comments I wanted a tileset smaller than 15x15 that would still display nicely on a netbook (e.g. 1366×768), but still be clearly legible. I think I have succeeded in that goal. On a 1680×1050 display the resolution is 129×80 with this tileset.