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Game Modes
September 29, 2026 at 12:09 AM
Initial version (2026-09-29)
D.O.R.F. is planned to launch with a single-player campaign for each of its three factions, skirmish against AI opponents, and online multiplayer for up to eight players per match. As of September 2026 the release date was TBA, with a developer estimate of late 2027 or 2028. No demo or Early Access version had been released at that point, so none of these modes could be played by the public.
Mode | Status as of September 2026 |
|---|---|
Faction campaigns | Planned for launch, one per faction |
Skirmish against AI | Planned for launch |
Online multiplayer | Planned for launch, up to 8 players per match |
LAN play | Listed among the store page's categories |
Co-op campaign | Possible; the official FAQ ties it to a Kickstarter goal |
Endless or horde mode | Mentioned as a possibility, not confirmed |
Demo | Hoped for late 2026, with no guarantee |
Each faction, the Union of Imperial States, the Warband Tribes and The Collective, is planned to get its own campaign. In July 2024 the developers said each campaign would have at least 10 to 15 missions. Mission design would not be heavily scripted and would be closer to classic 1990s RTS campaigns, possibly with variant versions of some missions.
The campaigns are level-based rather than an open world. In April 2025 the developers said there were no specific plans for a strategic world map, though it was not entirely ruled out. The more likely shape is a linear campaign with some divergences and alternative versions of missions.
Budget decides the rest. In February 2026 the developers said the game will put its campaign ahead of multiplayer balance, and that branching mission paths, missions that change in response to campaign triggers, and story cutscenes all depend on time and money. The July 2026 update said the team was planning out the story and campaign further.
In April 2026 the developers described the kinds of missions they intend to include:
A few no-build missions, mainly as introductory missions for each campaign. The developers said they want to avoid what made such missions frustrating in older games, such as enemies that kill instantly and objectives that leave players unsure where to go.
A few economy or base-building missions where combat plays a smaller part.
Campaign victory conditions and scripted events are built with Lua scripts (see Map Editor and Modding).
On March 28, 2026, the remaining Kickstarter stretch goals included a dynamic campaign system and fully animated cinematics. In March 2026 the developers said a dynamic campaign would need far more funding and time than co-op. Development updates through August 2026 did not say which of these goals were reached.
Skirmish against computer opponents is planned for launch. In June 2023 the developers estimated 15 to 20 skirmish maps at launch, a figure they had not repeated as of September 2026. They have described these skirmish and multiplayer options:
Option | Details | When described |
|---|---|---|
Starting resources | Already selectable; a map-wide resource multiplier had not been added but was called easy to implement | October 2023 |
Powerup crates | Optional crates that spawn across the map and can raise speed or firepower, or have odd effects such as granting stealth or duplicating a unit | November 2023 |
Gameplay-altering options | Cheats were unlikely, but options that greatly change normal play might be added | November 2023 |
Victory conditions | Chosen in the skirmish menu rather than set per map | April 2024 |
Observer mode | An observer function for skirmish and multiplayer already existed | June 2023 |
Game speed | Set before a match or mission; it could not be changed during play | April 2026 |
Tactical pause | Available against AI, on the Pause/Break key by default | April 2025 |
The AI still needs substantial work. In March 2025 the developers said the combat AI was fine but had to be adjusted to handle the new resource, construction and garrison systems. In February 2026 they said the logistics systems and other unusual mechanics mean the AI must be taught to handle all of them competently, and that they want to avoid an AI that is easy to exploit or leans heavily on cheating.
The press kit states that multiplayer supports up to eight players per match. Map sizes vary: in September 2024 the developers said some maps are built for 1v1 while others accommodate as many as eight players. The store page lists online PvP and LAN PvP. In July 2026 the team was repairing broken features, including netcode, which the update said had been largely neglected since the game's engine was forked years earlier. Engine background is on the Development History page.
Co-op was unsettled as of September 2026. The official FAQ, last edited in March 2026, says a special co-op campaign may happen depending on whether its Kickstarter goal is reached. No development update since then has said whether it was.
The engine already supports co-op game modes, though they need maps made specifically for them (January 2025). In February 2026 the developers said any co-op campaign would be separate from the main campaigns, and that a co-op horde survival mode could also be fun. In March 2026 they explained that co-op is much simpler to add than a dynamic campaign because the engine already allows it; the main cost would be making the levels and any extra content such as voice acting for a co-op story.
In February 2024 the developers said the game may include something like an endless or horde survival mode at some point. It had not been confirmed as of September 2026.
No demo was available as of September 2026. In April 2026 the developers said they hoped to release one in late 2026, with no guarantees, and that it would most likely be short, with two or three playable missions for one faction. The May 2026 update said that ideally a playable demo would come at the end of the year for supporters who paid for that reward, and that bringing map makers in early would be critical to it. In April 2026 the developers also said a version of the map editor with a simpler set of assets might be included.
On Patreon, the Resourcing Comptroller tier lists access to the demo when it is available. In August 2024 the developers said some kind of closed test or beta will be needed at some point, most likely after a demo. Early Access has not been ruled out, but in March 2026 they said they would rather launch the game in a proper 1.0 state.
As of September 2026 the store page lists English only. The official FAQ says text localization is planned at launch for several languages, with more likely after launch. Localization will be mostly text; most audio stays in English, but each faction's announcer voice is planned to be localized.
Language | Text | Audio | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
English | Yes | Full audio | Launch |
German, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese | Planned | Announcer voice localized; other audio in English | Launch |
Chinese | Possible (October 2025) | Not stated | Most likely after launch |
Other languages | Likely | Not stated | After launch |
Most hotkeys will be remappable, including moving keyboard camera scrolling to WASD, according to the official FAQ.
A Command Wheel opened by holding the right mouse button gives contextual orders; see Combat and Unit Control.
The FAQ promises full 4K and ultrawide support. In December 2023 the developers said there would be multiple UI resolution settings, the largest meant for 4K.
The game runs at 60 FPS, although many frame-based sprite animations play at a lower frame rate.
Achievements and other Steam features may come at launch, but the FAQ says they are more likely to be added after launch.
The FAQ says the game will launch with full Linux and macOS support alongside Windows. The press kit lists Steam and GOG.
