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REVEALED: Tarn adams | Vintage Vibes

The challenges of developing the colony sim, from Dungeon Keeper to Dwarf Fortress and beyond

PC Gamer interviews the genre's founding fathers.

Tarn Adams, co-creator of Dwarf Fortress, has over 1,400 hours in Factorio and is currently obsessed with terraforming games: 'Dwarf Fortress just doesn't accommodate a full-on sci-fi thing'

Tarn Adams, co-creator of Dwarf Fortress, has over 1,400 hours in Factorio and is currently obsessed with terraforming games: 'Dwarf Fortress just doesn't accommodate a full-on sci-fi thing'

Bay 12 Games' co-founder talks playing The Planet Crafter, Beast, and more than 40 years of saved desktops.

"Mothers no longer seek ghostly babies," declare the latest Dwarf Fortress patch notes, starting 2026 in rare form

"Mothers no longer seek ghostly babies," declare the latest Dwarf Fortress patch notes, starting 2026 in rare form

Never change, Dwarf Fortress – well, actually, please keep changing just enough to continue giving us these ridiculous patch notes

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Dwarf Fortress' Siege Update is out now, renewing Bay 12 Games' quest to create a simulation more complex than life itself

Revamps how enemies attack your fortress, and how you can defend it.

Dwarf Fortress is getting a siege update in November with goblin battering rams and defense-destroying troll engineers that'll dismantle over a decade of dwarven siege strategy

The new crossbow emplacement turrets should help, though.

Founder of Dwarf Fortress and Caves of Qud publisher Kitfox Games says its procgen sims for sickos are 'giving storytelling tools back to the people when games and passive media took them away'

Streets of Fortuna, Kitfox's own in-development "megasim," is chasing that same systems-driven storytelling.

Dwarf Fortress just made it easier for modders to add their own procedural creatures, items, curses, and more: 'All of these things have been hard-coded in Dwarf Fortress, inaccessible to modders. Now the algorithms and data are available'

My productivity has never been more endangered.

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After 15 years of busted marksdwarves, Dwarf Fortress creator Tarn Adams says archers will finally refill their ammo 'instead of leaping over walls and clubbing people with their crossbows'

After 15 years of busted marksdwarves, Dwarf Fortress creator Tarn Adams says archers will finally refill their ammo 'instead of leaping over walls and clubbing people with their crossbows'

Just trust me when I say this is a really big deal.

Dwarf Fortress sells 1 million copies on Steam, so now Bay 12 Games can afford that 'little party' it planned

Dwarf Fortress sells 1 million copies on Steam, so now Bay 12 Games can afford that 'little party' it planned

But the work continues.

Dwarf Fortress dwarves are 'more human than human,' creator says: 'They're allowed to embody bigger emotions. They're allowed to make bigger mistakes. They're allowed to do anything'

Dwarf Fortress dwarves are 'more human than human,' creator says: 'They're allowed to embody bigger emotions. They're allowed to make bigger mistakes. They're allowed to do anything'

Dwarves embody the universal human urge to wade into a flooded tunnel in search of dinner.

After 23 years of making Dwarf Fortress, even its creator is still 'terrified' of drowning all his dwarves with aquifers: 'Part of the problem is we are just not good at videogames'

After 23 years of making Dwarf Fortress, even its creator is still 'terrified' of drowning all his dwarves with aquifers: 'Part of the problem is we are just not good at videogames'

Water hazards keep us all humble.

Dwarf Fortress' creator is so tired of hearing about AI: 'Press a button and it writes a really sh*tty, wrong essay about something—and they still take your job'

Dwarf Fortress' creator is so tired of hearing about AI: 'Press a button and it writes a really sh*tty, wrong essay about something—and they still take your job'

Sighing at the slop.

With Adventure mode squared away, Dwarf Fortress is entering a 'new era of development' as its devs shift focus toward future features

With Adventure mode squared away, Dwarf Fortress is entering a 'new era of development' as its devs shift focus toward future features

Today, fruit. Tomorrow, sorcery.

Former Sony prez says thousands of laid-off devs can just 'go to the beach for a year' and don't blame greedy execs: 'Things jump out in front of you and you deal with them just like any game. So get over it!'

Former Sony prez says thousands of laid-off devs can just 'go to the beach for a year' and don't blame greedy execs: 'Things jump out in front of you and you deal with them just like any game. So get over it!'

Chris Deering was SCEE president from 1995 to 2005.

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Dwarf Fortress co-creator has been helping out with Streets of Fortuna, a sandbox RPG in a procedurally-generated city where you can be an art thief, a chef or a big ol' flirt

"Running about Fortuna hustling, scheming, causing trouble, or maybe even living an honest life should be a great deal of fun," says Tarn Adams.

Dwarf Fortress's graphical adventure mode launches today, includes extremely Dwarf Fortress touches like '186 animal people portraits' and a unique sound effect for walking on soap

Adventure mode is out now in beta with fresh graphics and UI, which means the creators finally get to "work on the game design and new things" after three years.

With 800,000 copies of Dwarf Fortress sold, the newly minted millionaire creators' most high-roller purchase has been a Honda Civic

The game's premium version can be found on over a million wishlists, too.

Dwarf Fortress creator blasts execs behind brutal industry layoffs: 'They can all eat s***, I think they're horrible… greedy, greedy people'

Tarn Adams doesn't mince words when it comes to the dire state of the games industry.

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Dwarf Fortress & Caves of Qud roundtable: The masters of simulation talk roguelikes, AI and making the infinite compelling

Join us for an hour-long podcast with Dwarf Fortress's Zach and Tarn Adams and Qud's Brian Bucklew and Jason Grinblat.

Dwarf Fortress devs on big Adventure mode plans: 'This is just gonna blow everyone's mind'

Most Dwarf Fortress players have likely never touched its roguelike mode, but when it finally arrives on Steam, it'll be a major update.

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