Hello!
I’m Katrin, co-founder of Hoolignomes, mother of gnomes, and an art machine.
About Me
I’ve been working in game development for a long time, since the early 2000s. Back then, if you wanted to draw (which is all I knew how to do) and get paid for it, you had two choices: illustration (mostly for books) or design. Illustrators earned very little, so I went down the path of design and advertising. I did various things: print media, websites. Designing websites was just a step away from web games.
I started with web games, then social media came along, and we began creating games for those platforms. Then smartphones arrived, and games started being developed for them too, where the money was plentiful. I spent many years designing and illustrating for mobile games.
Over the years, I’ve participated in projects of all sizes and genres, drawing everything from armored bras to match-3 candies. I was an art director, developed game concepts—both visual and conceptual—and led small teams. I came up with ideas and illustrations.
Then I got tired of it all. I had plenty of experience but no clear goals. So, I decided to dive into indie development. It’s a wild world out here, and it’s hardcore: you need to know everything right away, money is scarce, and the risks are huge. But there’s a unique plus: you can convey your meanings to the audience and tell and show your stories.
About the Gnomes
One day, I decided to enhance my drawing skills. I set myself a year-long challenge: one drawing a day, with each month themed around a specific topic. I came up with themes myself, like a month of shipping and navigation or a month of fairy tales. Soon, I realized that these themes needed characters. That’s how the gnomes came to life.
As time went on, I accumulated gnomes, and people began asking me to draw them. Eventually, I realized I had personal assistants that people associated with me. Hello, GNOMES!
Now I know that all my future games and projects will revolve around them. Regardless of the genre, they will definitely be gnome stories. Gnomes are friendly, optimistic, and a bit wild. That’s why the company is called Hoolignomes.
Union of Gnomes
We’re making a game together—me, a game designer, and a programmer. And, of course, our outsourcing animators.
The game is built around the strong point of our team—my 2D art style. It stands out among other indie games. The card game genre allows the 2D art to shine in its full glory.
Then we brought in the gnomes. They always stick together, so why not let the cards become gnomes? They might get hungry and refuse to fight, or they could support each other and lend a hand. That’s how the game world began to take shape. We have a rule: gnomes don’t fight against their own. They’re friendly, full of optimism, and ready for a bit of chaos.
Who will be the antagonist in the game? Of course, it’s Snow White! With her enchanting voice, she has enslaved the gnomes. Almost the entire gnome population in the kingdom has turned into her obedient servants. Snow White trades them, and “Gnomes from Snow White” are bestsellers in all markets. The gnome resistance teams must stop this madness, fighting against Snow White’s fairy tale minions.
It’s quite a story! To tell it, we’ve introduced quests and puzzles into the game.
In short, there’s a lot of work to be done—by my team, by the gnomes, and by the players!
A small team is always a plus. The more people there are, the more bureaucracy and meetings you have. I can be quite toxic and authoritarian; it really frustrates me if a colleague doesn’t understand my thoughts right away.
A Sparkling Result
On December 31, New Year’s Eve, I urgently needed to buy something festive. In an empty store, I grabbed a pair of shiny pants for the price of two coffees. It was quick, festive, and cheap. Over the past two months, these silver pants have saved me on numerous occasions: parties, interviews, celebrations—they were perfect for every occasion! And they leave glitter behind for a week.
Girls, I wish for all of us that whatever we set out to do arrives at the same sparkling result! Fast, easy, and fabulous!
With respect,
Katrin