As a guidance to all you kids out there, let me explain definitely the core gamer term.
Core gamers play Dwarf Fortress. And I don't mean the casual Steam-version, I mean what is now called Dwarf Fortress classic. It is obviously the most core experience you can have. You need dedication to dive into all it's systems, understanding and mastering it. And be warned. You need a beefy PC, a bigger fortress with 200+ dwarfes and thriving economy can bring heat to many CPUs. Graphic card is pointless though. I mean, this is Dwarf Fortress:
Graphics are for filthy casuals, that need visual hints to know where they are allowed to climb or attack or other interactions. Ask yourself: does this sound like the core experience of dedication to learn the systems of a game, if the game makes at all times visually clear what you have to do? Or is it more a casual experience for gamers not wanting to learn complex systems?
I am not saying these games are bad. I play filthy casual games all the time and love them. Because I am a true gamer™, who experiences all and everything. But in the question core vs. casual, the core experience is obviously the one you have to learn to play. Which mean Dwarf Fortress is the most core game, which means every core gamer should have played Dwarf Fortress.
Try out your core gamer affinity today, the game is completely free: https://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/ (ignore the Steam and itch.io links, that is for the paid casual graphic version)
Play that and tell me, how much of a core gamer you really are. I played it, and so have countless others. Did you?
