Designer Interview: Daniel Hooker

Welcome everyone to another installment in our designer Interview series! Today we have game designer and illustrator Daniel Hooker who is going to tell us about himself and his new game on Kickstarter right now: Mermaid Mayhem!

Tell us a little about yourself and your company:

My name is Daniel Hooker. I’m a professional illustrator. I have a passion for story-telling which is how I found my way into comics. I love creating OCs, or worlds for them to exist in.

What started you into game design?

As I said, I love story-telling and believe that creating is an important part of life. When I realized tabletop gaming was another way to tell stories I fell in love with those too!

What are some your favorite types of games What are you currently playing?

I’ve found that I love games with lots of pieces like Betrayal at House on the Hill and Everdell, but I also really admire the simplicity of games like Munchkin, Fluxx, and Dixit. These really opened my eyes to a variety of games that have depth, that I can still play with even the youngest members of my family.

Most of our recent game nights have been dedicated to DnD. I’ve been running a campaign for 5 family members and it’s been a blast. The perfect game night to me would be with a group of 4-7 people. If we weren’t playing DnD, I think we’d start the night with something fast and light like 5 Minute Marvel and round it out with a nice deep dive into Betrayal.

What is coming down the pipeline from you in the near future?

I illustrated a kids graphic novel called The Kayla Chronicles that is currently at the publisher. More details to come on that soon. I also have a few other books currently in production.

In addition to that Mermaid Mayhem is not the first game I’ve developed. The first game I developed (with a friend) was years ago. We built a prototype, played it, and then didn’t know what to do with it. Over the years we designed a handful of other games that just stayed in the planning stages. Now that I have more knowledge of table top games, more ability to create assets, and a better understanding of how we could produce a finished product, it may be time to take another look at some of those old ideas. Of course, not until other projects have been cleared off my plate.

What do you think will set you apart in the industry?

When I write stories and design worlds I really work to create content that is developed enough to be appealing to people my age, but its also important to me to make content that works for my kids, as well as all my nieces and nephews! I really desire to create content that will be approachable and desirable for all.

What was the first game you remember playing as a kid?
Mouse Trap. I don’t even remember how the game works, but I remember being determined to make the Rube Goldberg machine work!

What inspired you to design The Mermaid Mayhem game?

Mermaid Mayhem started as an art exercise. I love the month of May during which, artists around the world participate in an event called #Mermay by drawing and sharing mermaid art. Drawing a series of battle mermaids was a lot of fun. Once I saw them they started to take on life of their own. They needed the opportunity to do battle! I used to play lot of Marvel Vs Capcom 2, Smash Brothers Melee, and Darkstalkers. I could just see the mermaids going head to head and began thinking through ways I could make that happen.

What games (if any) influenced this one?

As it was the first adventure card game I played, I think there’s definitely some Munchkin influence in the way I approached it, while of course working hard to make sure mermaid Mayhem is it’s own game.

What are your goals and hopes with this game?

Representation in character design is really important. I hope this game is both fun and empowering for everyone who picks it up. Who knows these characters may even show up in some of my other creations.

So about the current Kickstarter- What are the details?

Mermaid Mayhem is a battle mermaid card game in which 2-4 players build a team of mermaid warriors to challenge their way through the depths. Fight, loot, and steal treasure from those around you. The team with the most treasure at the end wins.

Currently all the content is created by me but if we hit the stretch goals I’ll be bringing in some friends from other industries to create expansions.

CupOhJoe – Pixel art wizard.
Kat Hudson – Lead Character Designer for DC SuperHero Girls.
BeanyCoffee – Concept artist and creator of Entropy.
Ethan S Brewerton – Creator of Cyberwilds and mechadoodle master!
Naomi Franquiz – Comic artist for Marvel, Boom, and more.

These are some of my favorite artists, not just because their art is mindblowing. They are pretty great people! Even if this game isn’t your thing, you won’t be disappointed if you check out their work!

Any extra information you’d love to share?

You can follow me on Instagram, Twitter, and Twitch ( all @DanielHookerArt ) to see what kind of art I’m up to most days! Join me on my story-telling journey!