https://medium.com/@InternSenior/build-a-dwarf-fortress-bootable-usb-e98de29686dc

A few weeks ago at work, I had a project that required me to build a custom bootable Linux cd. I had played with bootable Linux distros before, like Knoppix, DSL, Puppy Linux, Kali Linux, and others. Often having one of these bootable distros around can be a useful tool — Knoppix, for instance, comes with a surprisingly complete set of software packages. Others, like Kali Linux, give you a set of tools for a specific range of tasks. Ultimately, my work project lead me to Slax, a Debian based, customizable, portable operating system.

Dwarf Fortress is a fantasy simulation game written by Tarn and Zach Adams and has been continuously improving for more than a decade. They recently announced that they are going to release it on Steam. You are of course free to go and get the current version of Dwarf Fortress, no bootable Linux system needed (but honestly, apart from being a fun and challenging game, where is the fun in that.) This is not even the first time that someone has tried to build a bootable dwarf fortress USB drive.