In the early days of tabletop roleplaying, before the internet and online content creators helped bring Dungeons & Dragons to its current popularity, the best (and often only) way to discover the game was through word of mouth. A classmate or a cousin would hand you a character sheet and a strange-looking die and say something like “Hey, we need a cleric. Roll this d20.” And, for many players, that casual invitation, half explanation, half dare, was enough to set a lifelong creative hobby in motion.
For Jon Hage of Sleeping Giant Gaming, his introduction to tabletop roleplaying games came through his older brothers and their college friends when he was ten years old. The experience made a lasting impression. Years later, when Jon’s own daughters reached middle and high school, he found himself once again reaching for his old Dungeons & Dragons books and running a game for his kids.
“Through the old modules, they were introduced to the original art and ideas of the fantasy game,” Jon explains. Those adventures, with Jon running games for
his family, sparked a creative process that would eventually become Sleeping Giant Gaming.
As those family games continued, Jon began revisiting ideas he had been carrying for years. Long before Sleeping Giant Gaming was formally founded in 2020, he had been imagining a memorable, story-rich location: Hamel’s House of Oddities, an imaginative shop filled with strange wonders and ancient curiosities. The kind of place around which an entire campaign could grow.
“I had begun to form the idea of Hamel’s shop from Hamel’s House of Oddities based on my past experiences from my youth,” Jon says, “and started playtesting my adventures as well as having my oldest daughter, Brynn, create some custom hand-drawn artwork. We quickly realized we could combine our talents to create something very special.”
The result of that collaboration between Jon and his oldest daughter was both a shared world, the Woven Worlds of Allorea, and, eventually, a small, family-run publisher: Sleeping Giant Gaming.
From Home Table to Small Publisher
Sleeping Giant Gaming is based out of La Crosse, WI. Jon is a Wisconsin native who has lived in the Dairy State his whole life. When it comes to the day-to-day operations, Jon handles the business side of things and oversees product development. The other half of the creative team is Jon’s daughter, Brynn Hage. While Jon handles the writing, Brynn focuses almost entirely on the art.
In many ways, their approach hasn’t really changed since the earliest days of their collaboration. Jon focuses on crafting the adventures and the setting, while Brynn helps bring everything to life visually through her art.
“Working with Brynn is the best part of everything within our adventure together. Being able to spend time with her as well as watch her skills grow is both profound and meaningful,” Jon says.
Their collaboration ultimately led to Hamel’s House of Oddities, Sleeping Giant’s flagship product. It’s a premium RPG adventure and campaign setting that reflects both Jon’s approach to adventure design and Brynn’s distinctive visual style.
Hamel’s House
Hamel’s House of Oddities was nearly five years in the making. During that time, the project grew steadily in scope and detail. “Brynn created several hundred pieces of artwork of varying scale and scope while I mapped out the storyline and filled the world setting with lore, personalities, creatures, and wondrous tales,” Jon explains.
Rather than being driven by deadlines or a fixed release schedule, Jon describes the book’s development as a long, iterative process shaped by patience and persistence. “In the moment, each day was different. Some days were full of ideas that never ended, while others felt burdensome and unproductive. Throughout it all, though, our passion for producing a unique work that had formed from our own minds and was made with our own hands always guided us.”
That same deliberate process carried through to the finished book itself. Decisions about presentation were made with care, from the size of the book to the feel of the paper, always with an eye toward how it would be used at the table.
“I believe in products and accessories that are not only produced well and feel well-made, but are also portable and can be used effectively at the gaming table for participants to enjoy. This makes the overall experience special and rewarding to all involved.”
Weaving a World
The setting for Sleeping Giant Gaming’s adventures is the Woven Worlds of Allorea, a science-fantasy world that blends traditional fantasy elements with futuristic and technological concepts. For Jon, what matters most is how players experience that world at the table.
“Immersion is essential to invoke the imaginations of people who choose to use our products,” he says. “Through the thought-provoking, black and white hand-drawn illustrations, we provide a window to our world while allowing participants to fill in the details with their own imaginations.”
Rather than limiting himself to only what players might encounter directly, Jon allows his imagination to range freely, following ideas wherever they lead.
“Once I began the process of creating a new world setting, it never stopped, and the madness began,” Jon explains. “Each idea and thought that formed within my mind was to be written down and organized. Every path that presented itself was followed, and every connection formed.”
This process, Jon notes, creates a richer setting that supports play even when much of the detail remains behind the scenes. “The depths of lore that are created will never fully be explored at the gaming table,” he says, “but the work will be noticed within the final forms of any adventures that are created.”
At the Table
Roleplaying games are a unique medium. They combine written storytelling, visual design, and structured play. For Jon, that openness is what keeps the creative process engaging.
“I enjoy the limitless opportunities to combine imagination with interaction while weaving a story,” he says. “Not only can you explore fantastic realms through amazing artwork, but you can also interact with them in meaningful ways through mechanics and methods.”
When it comes to design, Sleeping Giant Gaming does not cater to a specific type of player or character. Instead, Jon focuses on crafting a strong story and supporting it with mechanics that encourage immersion and discovery.
“In the end,” he explains, “I hope [the players’] experience was rewarding, their imagination awakened, and their curiosity sparked.”
A Few Additional Thoughts from Jon Hage
Your art direction is very distinctive and cohesive. How would you describe the visual style of Sleeping Giant’s products?
“Having one artist create all of the illustrations across our products is not only unique, but it also provides a profound benefit toward ensuring design integrity and cohesion throughout our product line. I would describe the visual style as crisp, purposeful, and thought-provoking. Every product that is developed is meant to look as though it were part of a greater collection.”
Hamel’s House of Oddities was nominated for an ENNIE Award, one of tabletop roleplaying’s major industry honors. What did that recognition mean to you and the team?
“Both Brynn and I are very proud of the work we achieved together in creating Hamel’s House of Oddities. We are appreciative of being recognized by others for our efforts, and the ENNIE nomination adds a sense of fulfillment.”
Any advice for the GMs out there?
“Everyone has their own style. Find yours and follow it. The result will be rewarding.”
With thanks to Jon Hage for taking the time to share his thoughts.
