Welcome to Hammercraft studios!

I’m Sam Hammer, the comedian, artist, and board game developer behind HammerCraft Studios! Welcome to my little corner of creativity where art and games come to life.

My journey as an artist started early. At just six years old, I sold my drawings outside my grandma’s friend’s toy shop for $1 to $3, saving up for dinosaur egg toys that were all the rage in the early 2000s. That experience ignited my passion for art as a form of self-expression and entrepreneurship.

Over the years, I honed my craft through AP art classes and countless creative projects. After moving to Chicago, I expanded my artistic reach by designing graphics, album covers, and advertisements for local comedians and musicians, selling my paintings, and eventually diving into the world of game development.

During a small stint between jobs, I began to fumble around with game ideas and sink myself into a project that would take my mind off of applying to jobs. When I realized I had something playable, play tests began with close friends. After a month or so, I would continue to hear that this board game was something they would actually purchase!

That’s how Mercenaries of Gridaris was born. This game was a true labor of love, built with so much care and the incredible support of my friends and family. Mercenaries of Gridaris was crowdfunded through Kickstarter in May 2024, and was fully funded within 23 days! Each card in the game took anywhere from 20 minutes (shoutout to Doink) to 10 hours to create (curse you Dartondelous), adding up to over 300 hours of character designs. I poured everything into these lil’ critters and the mechanics, and I hope they make you laugh as much as they made me smile while creating them.

HammerCraft Studios is dedicated to creating innovative, engaging, and fun board games for players everywhere. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey into the world of board games. Follow along for updates and new releases—there’s so much more to come!

Sam Hammer