Dungeon Settlers: Getting Started
Dungeon Settlers ships with more mode options than its Early Access label suggests. This page explains each one and which to pick for a first playthrough.
The two game modes
Crawling Doom is the tutorial mode - a guided crawl that teaches harvesting, room design and the combat pause. Expedition Found is the sandbox mode where the full colony-to-dungeon loop lives.
Start with Crawling Doom even if you know the genre: Dungeon Settlers mixes enough systems (storage rules, indoor-only stations, permadeath) that the tutorial pays for itself in under an hour.
Difficulty, Ironman and Magic Saturation
The game defaults to Hard difficulty. There is an Ironman mode that disables manual saves - for permadeath purists only, since a lost settler is lost forever regardless.
A Magic Saturation option changes how magic behaves in the world - experiment with it in the sandbox before committing a campaign.
Your first three objectives
One: build storage, so your settlers stop hoarding resources in personal inventories. Two: roof a building for the carpenter and research stations, which are indoor-only. Three: form a first party of four with a sword frontline and ranged or fire backup.
From there, run the forest region dungeon - clearing all five of its levels unlocks the other regions, with a boss waiting on the fifth.
FAQ
What difficulty should I pick in Dungeon Settlers?
Keep the default Hard - Early Access testers recommend it for the intended experience. Drop to the tutorial if the loop feels overwhelming.
What is Ironman mode?
A mode that disables manual saves. Combined with permanent death, it is the highest-stakes way to play.
What does Magic Saturation do?
It is a world setting that changes magic behavior - test it in the sandbox Expedition Found mode before your campaign.
Is there a tutorial?
Yes - the Crawling Doom mode walks you through harvesting, building and combat pausing.