Annika Maar
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Annika MAar
Annika Maar game designer and artist at Happy Broccoli Games and nominated for the third Humble New Talent Award in partnership with Humble Original. Annika and her team are workig at the moment on their first game title called School Wars.
A MAZE.: How would you describe yourself?
Annika Maar: A hopelessly optimistic, work loving artist, with unrealistic (to others at least!) goals
A MAZE.: Are you a wild heart? If yes, what makes you think you’re a wild heart?
Annika Maar: Not sure what that means :D But I do love being my own boss and owning my defeats and achievements - as well as having creative freedom!
A MAZE.: Why did you start making games or playful media works?
Annika Maar: I just had the deep urge to tell a story. I love games over any other media, so it felt very natural.
A MAZE.: Who (or what) is your biggest inspiration? Think beyond games too - musicians, writers, filmmakers, artists, scientists, ...
Annika Maar: I would say it's Johannes Voss (Magic the gathering artist). His attitude towards learning and discipline were insanely inspiring and showed me what you can achieve with a strong will.
A MAZE.: Where can we find this in your work?
Annika Maar: Well the first demo for School Wars!! I made all by myself and it was my first game. I taught myself how to code for this and from my work attitude I knew I'd be able to pull it off.
SCreenshot OF School Wars
A MAZE.: What message(s) are you sending out with your works?
Annika Maar: We don't have to fight over serious topics all the time. We can forget our differences, have fun and laugh at stupid jokes.
A MAZE.: Is there a repeating pattern in all of your works the players may experience?
Annika Maar: This is my first game so I can't say, but I can imagine that our future games will always let you escape into our silly worlds.
A MAZE.: What influences your work more: Past (history), present (contemporary) or future (scifi) and what are your sources?
Annika Maar: The 90s inspire me the most. Especially animes like Ranma 1/2 and Katekyo Hitman Reborn.
A MAZE.: What does responsibility towards your players mean to you as an artist?
Annika Maar: It means to me that the games I make come from passion and excitement, not a desire to make a lot of money (although we do need enough money to make our next games of course).
A MAZE.: What impact is the current pandemic having on you and your work?
Annika Maar: Everything is a bit more uncertain. This means I'm taking on freelance illustration work on the side again. Now I will have to work much harder even, but I'm sure it will work out.
A MAZE.: If there is something wrong in the field of games / playful media, what would you fix first?
Annika Maar: I'm honestly quite happy with how things are and I can't think of anything that I'd drastically change. The support I've gotten as an indie is fantastic and I'm very grateful.
SCreenshot OF School Wars
A MAZE.: What are the three games someone who never played a game before should play? Why those?
Annika Maar: Zelda: Majora's Mask: one of the best games out there and it has aged pretty well, which is true for only a few n64 games. A Short Hike: easy to pick up and so chill! Perfect for someone who isn't great with game controls yet. Night in the Woods: see above :)
A MAZE.: How do you relax and find balance?
Annika Maar: Reading is good and having a cute cat helps ❤. Also exercise is so important! You'd think you'd be tired afterwards but you'll actually have more energy!
A MAZE.: What are the main challenges for artists in your country to sustain themselves?
Annika Maar: Health insurance is so damn expensive. It can get as high as your rent, which is just ridiculous.
A MAZE.: How do you see interactive arts in 10 years from now? In 2030! Tell us your vision.
Annika Maar: I feel like creating a whole game/experience with a very small team or even on your own will become easier over time. We will see super interesting projects from people that couldn't express themselves before in this way! Exciting!