Dwarf Fortress, Tarn and Zach Adams' remarkable game of dwarf community management, has been in development since 2002 and was cited as the inspiration for games like Minecraft and Rimworld.
However, one of the most intriguing aspects about the game is the massive (and still active!) cult following it has gained and maintained for over 16+ years since its initial development in 2002. Now, Game Developers Conference organizers are excited to confirm that the GDC 2020 Business & Marketing track will play host to a unique talk about the care and cultivation of the Dwarf Fortress player community!
You'll find it at the GDC 2020 Community Management Summit as "The 'Dwarf Fortress' Story: Lessons from 16 Years of "Cult" Management", and you'll want to attend if you have any interest in nurturing interest in a game, especially one as unique and often overwhelming for new players as Dwarf Fortress.
In this joint talk by its developer Tarn Adams (Bay 12 Games) and publisher Victoria Tran (Kitfox Games), GDC 2020 attendees will enjoy a deep dive into the numbers, strategies, and challenges of managing a community for over a decade, fostering a new one for the game's eventual mainstream release onto Steam, and true long term lessons learned for other developers to take with them for their own communities. Don't miss it!
Next year GDC 2020 runs from Monday, March 16th through Friday, March 20th. This will be the 34th edition of GDC, and now that registration is officially open, you'll want to take a look at the (ever-expanding) session schedule and your GDC pass options -- register early to lock in the best price!
For more details on GDC 2020 visit the show's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, Twitter, or RSS.