Heidi Erwin

Stories

For the Love of the Game. Brown Alumni Magazine, September 2026
Word Player. Chris Buck, September 2026
The New York Times launches its first original logic puzzle Pips. Creative Boom, September 2025
How New York Times Game Designer Heidi Erwin Creates Variety Puzzles. NYT Open, May 2025
Brown CS Alum Heidi Erwin Has Been Named To The Forbes 30 Under 30 For Her New York Times Game Designs. Brown CS, February 2025
30 Under 30: Games. Forbes, December 2024
The New York Times’ New Game Is Genius. The Atlantic, March 2024
How Our New Game, Connections, Is Put Together. The New York Times, June 2023
How We Make Games at The Times. The New York Times, April 2023

My sister Katie

One incredible thing the fates have done for me is give me my sister.
I'm inspired by her wit, perspective, and heart. Get to know my tattoo artist sister.

Or read her wise words.

A comic about Katie:

Comic titled “wisdom from my sister #1”. Katie, with long straight brown hair, and Heidi, with wavy black hair, stand side by side, each labelled with an arrow.

Heidi sits in a desk chair and gestures toward Katie, who sits on a couch holding her phone. Heidi: “remember S.M.A.R.T. goals?”

Close-up of Heidi, eyebrows raised and hand lifted. Heidi: “what did that acronym stand for again?”

Heidi sits with her arms crossed, frowning in concentration, while Katie looks on from the couch. Heidi: “Specific, Measurable—”

Close-up of Katie, eyes closed, deadpan. Katie: “Ass Right n’ Tight.”

My ultimate friend Shivank

Illustration of Heidi and Shiv before their high school senior prom in San Diego.

Heidi Erwin and Shivank Nayak before their high school senior prom in San Diego, CA.

Shiv taught me the power of belief. They've shown me how faith can create something from nothing.

Shivank brought out the best in me by seeing it before it was there. Here are some Shiv quotes on belief that I've saved and cherished over the years, in reverse chronological order:

“All we know is that we’re gonna die. Anything else is taken on faith, taken on hope. So why not go big?” May 2023

“I think this, like all of your plans, is doomed to success.” April 2022

“Sometimes by making something more than it is, it'll become more.” November 2021

“I know in you.” October 2017

Heidi, in a red shirt, sits at an easel sketching a potted flower on a small table, while Shiv, in a scarf, paints at an easel on the other side. Heidi: “alright. what've you got?”

Shiv holds up their painting: a huge, smiling flower with a twisted stem and petals swirling around it. Shiv: “here's how I see it.”

Heidi stares at Shiv's fantastical painting, while the real flower droops a little in its pot. Heidi: “it's all wrong!”

Shiv keeps holding up their painting, and the real flower's petals begin to grow pointier and fuller. Shiv: “well, maybe to you.”

Close-up of Heidi in front of her plain sketch of the flower in its pot. Heidi: “but... no! objectively that's not how it is at all.”

Close-up of Shiv in front of their swirling painting, mouth open mid-question. Shiv: “or is it?”

Heidi and Shiv look on as the real flower turns into the one in Shiv's painting: a giant smiling sunflower with a twisted stem, roots spilling over the table, petals flying, and its pot tipped up like a hat on one leaf.

Shivank has made my life.
“In every hole in existence, there is a magic trick in our shape. You transform my life. I can't wait to make everything happen with you.” — Shivank Nayak, May 20th, 2025.

Bestie James

James and I have been friends since early high school. We LOVE to go on adventures and work on projects together. It's awesome. Some of our hits: Our 2-person 10-mile race, physically mapping everywhere in San Diego we've visited together, and The Idiom Party (Come here for a minute).

He's also a designer!

Heidi Erwin and James Hua at The Idiom Party, holding scripts.

Heidi Erwin and James Hua outside a beignets sign in New Orleans.

Heidi and James in a photo booth with fish hats.

From when James and I created (planned the route, designed the bibs) a 10-mile race where we were the only two participants:

The brainstorming Figma design file for Heidi and James's 10-mile race.

Comics

I make comics!

In high school I was the president of the comic writing and production club (a.k.a. CWAP lol), and have kept it up as a hobby since then.

You can find my comics on Instagram or TikTok.

Here's one from September 2024:

Heidi, with long wavy dark hair and an orange tank top, sits alone on a park bench, looking glum and holding her arm.

A three-eyed creature with a flame-like orange head and a red robe sits down beside Heidi on the bench. Creature: “Struggling to feel good amidst all the bad?”

The creature holds up a paper plate with its middle cut out, wavy writing around the rim. Creature: “Take a peek through my mystical portal of perspective.”

Heidi holds the plate and looks unimpressed. Heidi: “This... is a paper plate that you wrote on and cut.”

Heidi's view through the plate, a photo of a real paper plate, framing a lake, grass and trees. Written around the rim: “THERE IS SOMETHING GOOD HERE. FIGHT FOR IT BY TRYING TO FEEL IT.”

Heidi hugs the paper plate to her chest with a small, soft smile.

The creature glances smugly at Heidi, who still hugs the plate with her eyes closed. Creature: “Yeah so maybe don't dunk on my portal next time.”

From May 2023:

Heidi, with long wavy hair, kneels at the edge of a pond with her eyes closed, looking dejected. Her reflection shows in the water below. Heidi thinks: “they hate me...”

Heidi kneels at the pond's edge. Her upside-down reflection in the water looks up at her, wide-eyed and smiling. Reflection: “okay? do you agree with their taste?”

Heidi kneels by the pond, eyes open now, staring blankly as she considers this.

Heidi stands with her arms flung open, eyes closed and beaming, against a glowing backdrop of dark swirls, hearts and flowers. Gothic lettering above her reads: “they hate me”

Hourly Comics

In recent years I've participated in Hourly Comics Day, where in February cartoonists draw a panel for each hour of the day.

Here's 2023:

11am: Heidi sits at her computer holding her phone, which shows the Duolingo owl. Heidi thinks: “duolingo owl yelling at me yet again” 12pm: Heidi eats from a bowl with a book open beside her, labelled “the great book of mind teasers & mind puzzlers”. 1pm: Heidi works at her laptop, expressionless. 2pm: Heidi smiles at her laptop. Heidi thinks: “working with people you genuinely have fun with? kind of incredible.”

6pm: The barre instructor, holding something up, approaches Heidi as she leaves with her bags. Instructor: “thanks for coming! is this you?” Heidi: “yeah?” Instructor: “good. the boss is looking for you. come with me.” Next, Heidi and the smiling instructor stand silently before a big desk with an empty chair. Then a bird swoops down onto the desk. Heidi: “the blue jay from this morning?” The blue jay, now seated at the desk: “when you passed me today i knew something was off. you didn't do hourly comics day yesterday and that fact made you 2% less happy.” Heidi: “2%? i'm good! that's nothing—”

The blue jay facepalms with a wing as Heidi watches. Blue jay: “NO! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT RULES ARE FAKE?” The blue jay spreads its wings wide. Blue jay: “DO IT TODAY. yeah it's not the ‘official’ hourly comics day but JUST DECIDE THAT SOMETHING ELSE CAN BE TRUE.” The blue jay rears up dramatically. Blue jay: “MAKE UP A NEW DAY. today is sequential-art-recap-whenever-you-want day.” The blue jay points a wing at Heidi. Blue jay: “YESTERDAY, SCHMESTERDAY. NOW IS ALL WE HAVE. GO! GO! 5... 4... 3...”

5:04pm: Back in barre class, Heidi holds a lunge beside the instructor. Instructor: “2... 1... switch!” Heidi: “damn. only 4 minutes passed during that daydream?” 6pm: Heidi smiles, holding a stylus and tablet. Heidi thinks: “guess it's sequential art time!” Next, a sparkly caption: “and now, a riveting, interactive panel where you use your imagination! picture this: a woman sitting on a couch for five hours. she's drawing this comic, eating, and watching her sister play PowerWash Simulator.” 2am: Heidi sleeps while the blue jay perches on the windowsill. Blue jay: “i don't know if i love that last panel. but eh. i get it. good night!”

2024:

Hourly comics. 6am: Heidi, hair in two braids, lies in bed looking dismayed. A speech bubble stretches across into the next panel. Heidi: “fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck it. we ball.” 7am: Heidi drinks a big glass of water while music plays from her phone. 8am: Heidi goes for a run. Heidi thinks: “wonder if the origin of the overstriding habit I'm trying to break...” 9am: Heidi strides into the office wearing earmuffs, carrying a tote bag. Heidi thinks: “is that I LOVE to strut...” Caption: “walking into the office with big steps, headphones in... so fun...”

10am: Heidi sits at her desk holding a coffee cup. Heidi thinks: “free coffee day! where's our free food though...” 11am: A coworker holds out a hand with a sparkling ring. Heidi: “you guys designed your own engagement ring?” Heidi: “wait why is that familiar—IN THE INTRO SCENE OF SHREK 2 they make custom rings yessss” 12pm: A coworker peeks over a laptop with an angry sticker on it. Coworker: “‘marsh’ feels too similar to ‘swamp’” 1pm: Heidi grins at a coworker with glasses. Coworker: “a swamp is completely different from a marsh so I think it's fine.” Heidi: “you're so right.” Heidi: “there's not a single marsh in Shrek.”

2pm: At her desk, Heidi holds two sandwiches. Heidi thinks: “thinking about free food earlier manifested this expired PB&J that I took...” Heidi thinks: “two for the price of one?” 3pm: Heidi chews a sandwich, sweating. Heidi thinks: “was this a mistake? why is it hard...” 4pm: A big question mark with a caption: “[ project work that must be hidden because I want to avoid spoilers, definitely NOT because I'm tired and want an excuse to not draw this panel ]” 5pm: Heidi grins, holding open a folder of printed puzzle grids. Coworker: “what's in that folder?” Heidi: “puzzles!”

6pm: Heidi, in a scarf, watches people in bumper cars on an ice rink. Heidi thinks: “woah. since when does Bryant Park have bumper cars on ice?” 7pm: Heidi holds a takeout bag reading “HAN DYNASTY”. Heidi thinks: “maybe I should stop calling this place ‘handy nasty’” Heidi thinks: “someday I'll slip up and say that when it's not the time for it” 8pm: Heidi sits on the floor in front of a couch, eating takeout with chopsticks. 9pm: Heidi draws comic panels on a tablet in front of the TV.

10pm: A long-haired friend strikes a pose with hands on hips while Heidi sketches them on her tablet. Heidi: “bro why are you standing like that?” Friend: “so I can make it into your comic like this?” 11pm: Heidi yawns, holding her tablet. Heidi thinks: “ok yeah I'm going to bed. I'll finish this comic tomorrow.” Heidi thinks: “some might call this not finishing on time, but I call it—” 12am: Heidi sleeps while an owl in a beanie reading “FUTURE MILF” sits on the windowsill. Final panel text: “HAPPY HOURLY COMICS DAY 2024” and “if there's one takeaway from this year it's that Shrek continues to be incredibly relevant and come up naturally in conversation. see you next year!”

2025:

Four hourly panels in brown tones. 5:37am, labelled “jet lag”: Heidi, in braids, peeks around a doorway. Heidi, thinking: “I feel weird looking at my friends still asleep but they're so peaceful...” 6am: a friend raps on a video call while Heidi watches from a small inset on the phone. Caption: “[improvised yogurt rap. this won't do it justice but something culture something making yogurt about race.]” Heidi: “asking you to add ‘chobani flip’ to this” 7am: Heidi jogs past trees while her phone keyboard autocorrects “Wyna” to “WYNA”. Heidi, thinking: “phone autocorrecting a friend's name to all caps because you usually text their name excited... CUTE.” 8am: a friend with glasses lies in bed. Friend: “wanna get Yogurtland later?” Heidi, off-panel: “YES.”

Four hourly panels. 9am: three electric toothbrushes sparkle in a glass. Caption: “OUR TOOTHBRUSHES TOGETHER!” 10am: a friend hands a bowl of blueberries to Heidi, who has her hair in a bun and sits in bed with her phone. Friend: “here you go.” Heidi, thinking: “blueberries! I am loved...” 11am: a friend in a striped sweater stands beside a trash bin while a cat watches from a window. Friend: “AAAAAH!” “...I dropped the lid in.” 12pm: the friend in the striped sweater holds a bagel while Heidi and another friend look on. Friend: “crazy how you flew all the way from New York to Palo Alto just to get NEW JERSEY bagels.”

Four hourly panels. 1pm, titled “James' Housewarming Party”: hands assemble a paper party hat. Labels: “nonsense hat assembly instructions” and “5: the bottom of the hat is very beautiful”. 2pm: a long-haired guest in a paper crown talks to Heidi, who also wears a crown. Guest: “I've seen your comics! they're like... inspiring but cute and sassy.” Heidi, thinking: “catch me including this compliment in today's comic. it's so nice...” 3pm: party guests drawn as loaves of bread in party hats sit around tables. Caption: “in this panel everyone is bread because James has more friends than I want to draw and Ryan made amazing bread so... bread tribute.” 4pm: a shaggy dog drawing shown before and after, the after version shrunken and lopsided. Speaker: “oh my god. the shear is so bad. he's so SLANTED.” Another speaker: “why did you buy shrinky dink paper off of AliExpress?”

Four hourly panels. 5pm, labelled “Kahoot apartment quiz”: a friend in a striped sweater and party hat lounges in front of a TV showing the question “would i want this?” with 1 vote for yes and 7 for no, and yes marked correct. 6pm: hands reach across a table of Bananagrams tiles. Speaker: “peel.” Caption: “(bananagrams)” 7pm: a car drives past pine trees at dusk. Caption: “driving to San Mateo”. Speech from the car: “dread around being treated worse as you get older” 8pm: an overhead view of a shared noodle dish with chopsticks and drinks. Speaker: “we need to tell each other secrets and make a blood oath.” Another speaker: “one time I [REDACTED].”

Three hourly panels and a photo. 9pm: a friend in a striped sweater spreads his arms while another friend sits at a table behind him. Friend: “time to get our ducks in a row.” Heidi, thinking: “love how much he's been saying that.” 10pm: Heidi types on a laptop beside a sleeping rabbit plush. Caption: “(keeping up the streak of making one edit to my side project each day)” Heidi, thinking: “the bare minimum” 11pm: Heidi sleeps, drawn in dim outline. Caption: “sleeping in James' pitch black windowless closet*” and “*by request. don't worry.” The last square is a Polaroid of Heidi hugging two smiling friends from behind as they make a heart with their hands, captioned “hourly comics day 2025”.

2026:

Four hourly panels in muted rose tones. 7:26am: Heidi, hair in a bun, wakes up and checks her watch, which shows 12° and “Feels like -7°”. Heidi, thinking: “great.” 8am: a screen shows a kneeling fighter in a red qipao praying at a gravestone. Speaker: “that's gonna be you after the gym.” 9am: Heidi, in braids and earbuds, pulls a cable machine handle at the gym. From her earbuds: “act your way into knowing” 10am: a bearded old man in red robes points at Heidi, who has her eyes closed, while a chimpanzee squints at a laptop behind her. Old man: “I'm begging you Prince Zuko! ...who are you? and what do YOU want?” Heidi, thinking: “i don't knowwwwww”

Four hourly panels. 3pm: Heidi and the red-haired friend sit on the couch behind a photo of a lifelike pig pillow. Heidi: “anything you wanna see in this comic?” Friend: “my realistic pig pillow.” Heidi: “ok.” 4pm: Heidi walks outside in earbuds past snowbanks as song lyrics float around her: “HE WAAALKS AWAY / THE SUN GOES DOWN / HE TAKES THE DAY BUT I'M GROWN”. Heidi, thinking: “it's beautiful and freezing out. perfect for this song.” 5pm: Heidi crouches by a bookshelf, reading. 6pm: a friend in a BRGD sweatshirt holds up a jar labelled “jar of hot peppers” beside an open cabinet. Heidi: “do you have any food?” Friend: “if you're hungry you can eat this.”

Four hourly panels. 7pm: Heidi sits on the floor reading a book. Caption: “felt like every other sentence in this book could've been censored. Tony Tulathimutte, your courage.” 8pm: the red-haired friend laughs behind her hand as two friends turn toward her, with food on the table. Friend: “I just had a horrible, horrible thought.” “and it's a funny, funny joke.” 9pm: four Among Us crewmates stand under a starry sky. 10pm: Heidi sleeps among the stars as a text arrives from Claire at 11:56pm: “hourly comics day is moved to the eighth :0”

Four closing panels. A calendar full of small doodles of the months that passed, with captions: “eight months passed before I got around to finishing this comic.” “I did NOT figure everything out.” Heidi running, video calling a friend, playing cards and singing into a microphone. Caption: “but I did, as we all do, make a bunch of choices about what to do with this time.” Heidi and a friend grin at a laptop. Caption: “and behind those choices and the feelings that follow” A chimpanzee peers at a laptop. Caption: “are some answers.” Chimpanzee: “i knowwwwww”

Running

I started running in August of 2023 when my mental was at an all-time low... LOL.

I ended up really loving it: showing yourself you can do difficult things, running with friends, the energy and endorphins it gives you, the time and space to think.

In 2024 I ran 2,024 miles and in 2025 2,025 miles. The arbitrary challenge of it all.

I ran my first marathon in June of 2024 in San Diego, and then the Berlin Marathon in September of 2025. I also ran the New York City Marathon in November of 2025.

I also use Strava as a blog.

Here's a comic I made early on in my running adventure:

Heidi, with long wavy hair and a red top, sits at a café table with coffee across from a friend with short blue hair holding an iced drink. Friend: “how have you been?! what's new with you?”

Heidi smiles above a speech bubble showing three drawings of herself running. Heidi: “hm... I got into running recently-”

The friend knocks over their drink as they lunge across the table to cup Heidi's face, while Heidi stares, startled. Friend: “WHAT?! OK. ok.” “I hear your cry for help, and I am here for you.” “you WILL get through this.”

A two-frame meme of Ben Wyatt from Parks and Recreation holding up a claymation figure. Subtitles: “I MEAN, LOOK AT WHAT I'VE ACCOMPLISHED.” “DO YOU THINK A DEPRESSED PERSON COULD” A weekly mileage chart covers the rest of the line, climbing from November to January 2024 and peaking at 42 mi.

San Diego marathon, June 2024:

Heidi outside after the San Diego marathon.

Heidi, wearing her finisher's medal and holding sunflowers, stands with four smiling friends by tall ships after the San Diego marathon, as two of them hold up signs reading “GO HEIDI GO!” and “HEIDI YOU'RE A ROCKSTAR!”.

Berlin marathon, September 2025:

Heidi Erwin at the end of the Berlin marathon.

Map of the Berlin marathon route in 2025.

NYC marathon, November 2025:

Mid-race at the NYC Marathon, Heidi, in a black cap and sunglasses, hugs a friend in a yellow cap at the curb as they hold up a sign that is a printed map of Queens streets traced in purple.

Places I've Been

Halloween

I love bringing concepts to life in wearable form. And I love Halloween! Here are some costumes from over the years.

Nightcore - Angel with a Shotgun. The 2012 YouTube video lol (2025):