Daniël Haazen is the creator of And yet it hurt, an adventure game that is played in Notepad. The game is nominated for the A MAZE. Awards 2020 held on July 24, 2020. Enjoy the interview.

A MAZE.: How would you describe yourself?
Daniël Haazen: I'm simple and straightforward, but in my own way. I like to do things different from the norm. Not only with games but with a lot of things in my life, be it learning or cooking.

A MAZE.: Are you a wild heart? If yes, what makes you think you’re a wild heart?
Daniël Haazen: I have no idea what it means to be a wild heart, so people will have to decide this for me by reading my other answers.

A MAZE.: Why did you start making games or playful media works?
Daniël Haazen: Because I like games. I knew I wanted to do this at the age of 6, and I never stopped liking it.

A MAZE.: Who (or what) is your biggest inspiration? Think beyond games too - musicians, writers, filmmakers, artists, scientists, …
Daniël Haazen: Pixel, the creator of Cave Story. How he managed to make that game all on his own still fascinates me. A more recent inspiration is LumpyTouch. A Youtuber and Twitch streamer who makes all kinds of weird creepy animations. It's not so much that creepiness that inspires me, but more how he manages to make all these small animations in a short amount of time, in his own style and way. And how he managed to make it his full-time job.

A MAZE.: Where can we find this in your work?
Daniël Haazen: You can't. My attempts to make a game as big and as fun as Cave Story have so far failed. LumpyTouch has inspired me to revive my dead dream of being able to work on my games full-time.

A MAZE.: What message(s) are you sending out with your works?
Daniël Haazen: That's not really something I think about when making a game. I always try to make a unique experience, so perhaps that's the message, be innovative?

A MAZE.: Is there a repeating pattern in all of your works the players may experience?
Daniël Haazen: If there is some kind of dialogue in my game then you will find humor as well most of the time. Even with more serious games I can't help to squeeze in a few jokes here and there, or have something absurd happening.

A MAZE.: What influences your work more: Past (history), present (contemporary) or future (scifi) and what are your sources?
Daniël Haazen: I don't feel like any of these three influences my work more than the others.

A MAZE.: What does responsibility towards your players mean to you as an artist?
Daniël Haazen: Stress. 'And yet it hurt' got a lot of attention, and I was actually still fixing some bugs I found after announcing I was releasing the game in a few hours. And a few days later I updated the game with a game breaking bug. Hundreds of people downloaded that version which they would be unable to finish. I really hated myself for that mistake. But at the same time I appreciate that I have this responsibility, because it means people are expecting something from me.

A MAZE.: What impact is the current pandemic having on you and your work?
Daniël Haazen: Not much. I never went out that much anyway. I mean I had my social moments from time to time but it's not something I depended on. And I chat and call with friends on Discord almost every day, so I still get my social interaction. My work isn't affected either, I'm just doing what I always did.

A MAZE.: If there is something wrong in the field of games / playful media, what would you fix first?
Daniël Haazen: The internet is going in a direction where copyright rules are getting stronger. I prefer an internet where everyone can use each other's work to make their own, as long as it's fair use. This counts for games as well. I hope we can prevent this change from happening so that the internet stays creative and wild.

A MAZE.: What are the three games someone who never played a game before should play? Why those?
Daniël Haazen: This is a tough question and I feel like my answer could change any day, but this is what I came up with: Tetris. Simple but lots of fun. I think it's a good introduction for understanding why games can be fun. Rocket League. But to be honest any multiplayer game would do. I guess with Rocket League you can show how a simple and absurd concept, playing soccer with cars, can be a lot of fun. Papers, Please. To show games don't all need to be these wild action platformers, and how it can have you make tough choices for characters you barely even know.

A MAZE.: How do you relax and find balance?
Daniël Haazen: I'm a workaholic, I guess. I barely relax because I'm addicted to working on my projects. I bought and played Animal Crossing but after a while I couldn't enjoy it anymore because I was craving my projects. Though that might sound troublesome I actually like to have this productive mentality. As long as I don't get a burnout and it makes me happy I don't see any problems with it. I do try to relax for a few days after finishing a project though.

A MAZE.: What are the main challenges for artists in your country to sustain themselves?
Daniël Haazen: I don't think the Netherlands is much different than most other countries. Making money with your work is hard.

A MAZE.: How do you see interactive arts in 10 years from now? In 2030! Tell us your vision.
Daniël Haazen: With technology rapidly changing I hope to see new ways and interesting platforms for games to be made. And it will be even easier for people to make games. Just like how as a kid I was drawing for fun, kids in 10 years might make a game for fun instead. Also I'm excited to see all the improvements happening to VR.

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Daniël Haazen