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Download the Dwarf Fortress soundtrack and rock out in ASCII

Charlie Hall is Polygon’s tabletop editor. In 10-plus years as a journalist & photographer, he has covered simulation, strategy, and spacefaring games, as well as public policy.

While I was slaving away on my article about?world generation in Dwarf Fortress last week I became enamored with the game's soundtrack; a pair of lilting, complex melodies played by a single guitarist.

I dipped into the game files, did a little messing around in an audio program, and in a few minutes I had the original soundtrack loaded up in iTunes.

I asked one of the creators, Tarn Adams, if I could share if with you and he said yes. So here you go.

Dwarf Fortress title song

Dwarf Fortress game song

But who wrote and performed the music, I wondered? Turns out Adams is a self-taught flamenco guitarist as well as?a gifted programmer.

"I taught myself," he wrote me via email, "From a few books back in 2003. Wrote the song maybe a year and a half later. It is reasonably flamenco inspired, but it isn't flamenco.

"I still keep up a bit of practice but I haven't written anything else formally."

If you like these riffs, Adams recommends checking out some flamenco on YouTube. Search for Minera, Tarantos, Tarantas or Solea.

"It's quite varied what you'll find out there."

Dwarf Fortress is free, but Bay 12 Games does?accept donations. If you mail them a check, you may even receive a hand drawn piece of art, like the one above, from the Adams brothers' own hands.

The next level of puzzles.

Take a break from your day by playing a puzzle or two! We’ve got SpellTower, Typeshift, crosswords, and more.

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