CEO of Kitfox Games reckons hundreds of hours playing Civilization could be the secret to the Dwarf Fortress publisher’s success: ‘Maybe Kitfox wouldn’t be as successful if I didn’t know how to alternate between science trees and army defences’

Tanya X. Short: The Civilization of Her Mind

In the labyrinthine world of indie game development, few figures loom as large—or as enigmatic—as Tanya X. Short, CEO of Kitfox Games. Known for her work on Moon Hunters, Boyfriend Dungeon, and the upcoming Streets of Fortuna, Short is a master of weaving narrative and mechanics into something greater than the sum of its parts. But beyond the games she creates lies a mind that operates with the precision of a Civilization player and the curiosity of a dungeon crawler enthusiast. In this deep dive, we explore the software, games, and philosophies that define her digital existence.

The Database Game Renaissance

Short’s current obsession? Database games. “I just finished TR-49,” she says, her voice tinged with the excitement of someone who’s just discovered a new genre. “It feels like a fresh take on the database game, where you’re exposed to characters but they’re secondary to the gameplay itself, which is just trawling a database.” For Short, these games are more than just puzzles—they’re “sandbox puzzles” that allow for self-directed exploration. “It’s like a sandbox puzzle, right? And so you get to be expressive as a player.”

But Short isn’t just playing these games; she’s analyzing them. “A lot of the pleasures of The Roottrees are Dead are in TR-49 and vice-versa,” she notes. “But [with] The Roottrees are Dead in particular, I do feel like I got to know some characters. That is about characters in a much more direct way.” It’s this blend of narrative and mechanics that defines Short’s approach to game design.

The Oldest Game on Her PC: A Pandemic Lifeline

When asked about the oldest game installed on her PC, Short’s answer is both nostalgic and practical: Tabletop Simulator. “It was how I, and I guess probably many other people, survived the pandemic,” she says. “I played a lot of hours of tabletop roleplaying via Tabletop Simulator.” But it’s not just a relic of the past; Short recently reinstalled it for a new project at Kitfox. “It did remind me how much it’s just a wonderful, flexible toolset,” she says. “And I didn’t realise how old it was, but I guess it makes sense. It’s just this timeless place you can go to do what you want to with a table in virtual worlds.”

The Highest Number of Hours: A Civilization of Efficiency

According to Steam, Short’s most-played game is Brink, with 129 hours logged. But she suspects her actual playtime is higher. “I’d play it a lot on Fridays with coworkers back when it was newish, but I think I maybe also left it on over the weekend by accident afterwards,” she admits. Still, her true love lies with Civilization V, which she’s played for 111 hours. “Civilization is one of the first PC games that really stole my heart,” she says. “I actually have a theory of self that is I am a Civilization type personality worker.”

This theory extends beyond gaming. “I’m very efficiency oriented,” she explains. “I’m rewarded very much when I realise I’ve done something very efficiently that I haven’t wasted any time or energy or anything like that.” It’s a mindset that has clearly served her well as a studio head, where the ability to juggle multiple tasks—much like spinning plates in Civilization—is essential.

The Game She’ll Never Uninstall: A Labor of Love

When it comes to the game she’ll never uninstall, Short’s answer is unequivocal: Moon Hunters. “I’m looking at the key art right now,” she says. “It’s one of [my] most-played games and was Kitfox’s first real game.” For Short, Moon Hunters is more than just a game; it’s a labor of love. “No offence to Shattered Planet, but that was made under many, many externally imposed constraints, whereas Moon Hunters sprang fairly fully formed from my heart and was shaped by my team in a way that I don’t think any other team would have made exactly that game.”

The Non-Gaming Software She Can’t Live Without: Notepad

For Short, the key to productivity lies in simplicity. “I basically live out of Notepad,” she says. “I do use Notepad++ updated with the latest security.” This humble tool is central to her “plate-spinning” approach to task management. “If something comes into my brain that I need to do that I can’t do right now, I open a Notepad file. I write it in there and then, at some point, I’ll notice I have a Notepad file open and future Tanya will deal with it.”

The Tidiest Desktop: A Reflection of Her Mind

When it comes to her desktop, Short’s approach is as methodical as her gaming habits. “The problem is that my desk is already a disaster,” she admits. “So, my digital desktop is actually much cleaner than my physical desk.” Her desktop is “pretty tidy,” with “one row of icons on the left that accumulate when I’m not looking, but it’s 99% empty.”

Final Thoughts: The Civilization of Tanya X. Short

In the end, Tanya X. Short’s digital life is a reflection of her approach to game design: efficient, curious, and deeply personal. Whether she’s spinning plates in Civilization, exploring database games, or jotting down notes in Notepad, Short’s mind is always at work, always seeking the next challenge. And as Kitfox Games continues to push the boundaries of indie game development, one thing is clear: the civilization of Tanya X. Short is just getting started.

Tags: #TanyaXShort #KitfoxGames #Civilization #DatabaseGames #MoonHunters #TabletopSimulator #Notepad #IndieGameDevelopment #GamingCulture #Efficiency #Productivity #PandemicGaming #GameDesign #NarrativeDesign #OpenWorldGames #SandboxGames #PlateSpinning #DigitalLife #PCGaming #Steam #GamingHabits #GameDevelopment #CreativeProcess #IndieDev #GameIndustry #GamingPhilosophy #GamingLifestyle #GamingCommunity #GamingTrends #GamingInnovation #GamingFuture #GamingNostalgia #GamingEvolution #GamingPassion #GamingDedication #GamingInspiration #GamingCreativity #GamingVision #GamingLeadership #GamingStrategy #GamingMindset #GamingEfficiency #GamingProductivity #GamingOrganization #GamingSimplicity #GamingMethodology #GamingApproach #GamingPhilosophy #GamingLifestyle #GamingCulture #GamingTrends #GamingInnovation #GamingFuture #GamingNostalgia #GamingEvolution #GamingPassion #GamingDedication #GamingInspiration #GamingCreativity #GamingVision #GamingLeadership #GamingStrategy #GamingMindset #GamingEfficiency #GamingProductivity #GamingOrganization #GamingSimplicity #GamingMethodology #GamingApproach

,