Dwarf Fortress has had a successful first month on Steam and has exceeded the publisher’s expectations with strong sales.
Which game is it? The two brothers Tarn and Zach Adams have been developing the free simulation game Dwarf Fortress since 2002, which was released on December 06, 2022 on Steam for around €30.
The title immerses you in a pixelated fantasy world where you control a group of dwarves. Your goal is to survive. You build your own settlement and interact with your neighbors.
Dwarf Fortress is known especially for the complexity of the game – even spilled beer is simulated and can kill cats.
For the release on Steam, the dwarf simulation also received a new graphics overhaul, although the game’s aesthetics remain rather utilitarian. Here’s a trailer:
Fear of Insufficient Health Insurance
Why did they need money? In an interview, the brothers shared before the Steam release of Dwarf Fortress that Zach Adams was diagnosed with skin cancer.
The treatment costs, around $10,000, were largely covered by his wife’s insurance, yet the incident made the brothers reflect: “It’s just not sustainable, not at our age,” said Tarn Adams. He elaborated: “You can’t keep having GoFundMes until you can’t anymore and then you die at 50. That’s not cool.”
As a result of the realization of what it means to be underinsured in the USA, the brothers teamed up with the Canadian publisher Kitfox Games, to release Dwarf Fortress on Steam and still make some money.
Half a Million Sales in One Month
How successful is the game? The release of Dwarf Fortress on Steam has exceeded the expectations of both the brothers and the publisher.
An analyst for Kitfox Games estimated that the dwarf simulation could sell 160,000 copies on Steam within the first two months (via kitfoxgames.medium.com).
As Kitfox co-founder Tanya X. Short revealed on Twitter, this estimate was already reached within the first 24 hours – at that point, Dwarf Fortress impressed with 97% positive reviews on Steam.
Within just one week, the game was sold 300,000 times and made the brothers millionaires. Bay 12 Games, the studio of Tarn and Zach Adams, later announced on December 22 that the team behind Dwarf Fortress is expanding for the first time. A historic moment for the brothers, as they have now received help from a third developer in programming.
In a forum post dated January 1, 2023, Tarn Adams, under the nickname “Toady One,” also stated that Dwarf Fortress sold half a million copies in December 2022.
However, he could not provide exact numbers until mid-February at the earliest, once all processes with Valve and Kitfox Games are completed.
Additionally, Tarn Adams thanked everyone for their support and added: “That’s it! We’ve won … and it’s your fault!” – a nod to the fact that Dwarf Fortress is actually about enjoying the predetermined defeat.
