ABOUT US
Our Mission: Glorify God by using wisdom to create, inspire, give, and connect.
The name, "Zily", comes from a friend who started referring to us (Zac and Lily) as one person out of convenience. “Hey, Zily!” he would say and chuckle. Rude, right? But I guess the name stuck enough for us to name our business after it. Learn more about our journey and mission below!
OUR STORY
A Word From Zac
(Founder and CEO)
As kids, my brother and I created meeples out of clay for Parcheesi, built strategy war games out of paper squares, threw water balloons out of our apartment window at the neighborhood girls, made childish short films using stuffed animals and action figures, and choreographed many elaborate lightsaber duels… We were always looking for new ways to have fun. I even dreamt of becoming a toy maker or engineer but decided I needed to be better at math to do that. Instead, I became a physical therapist.
Sadly, after working for a year as a PT, my mom tragically died. That was the hardest year of my life. Work didn’t feel the same, and I desperately needed rest from my full-time work in healthcare. One night, in early 2023, I had a dream… Not too unusual for me, but in this dream, I was playing a card game I had never played before. I usually wake up realizing my brilliant sleep ideas are stupid in reality, but nonetheless, I recruited my wife to test the mechanic with me (since we both love games). We tried it, and to our surprise, with a few modifications, it worked! I still practice part-time as a PT, but like a seed, my desire to become a game designer has only continued to grow. Once the initial idea was planted, Escape Master kind of just grew out of it, and it has been one huge snowball effect!
A Word From Lily
(Co-Founder)
Heyyo! I have always loved playing games with friends, family, and even strangers. It's a great way to quickly build relationships and have fun. I especially enjoy beating Zac in any game…I may be a little competitive. Zac is a creative genius and am honored to be a part of the development of Escape Master. As someone with a background in social work, I know how important it is to have space for connection and relaxation. Games may not solve our problems, but they provide an opportunity to have fun and connect with others. I believe in the value of people and their relationships, and I am passionate about sharing that through what we create at Zily. Thank you for your support!
WHAT DO WE DO?
“You learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” ― Plato
Games and stories are a window into the soul. Ultimately, we want to harness the window of vulnerability that games unlock to connect people in our super-connected yet ironically lonely world.
WHAT ARE WE DOING NOW?
Currently, we are preparing to launch our first Kickstarter campaign (ever) for Escape Master. We chose crowdfunding because we want to share this incredible product with as many people as possible and we believe Kickstarter is our best chance. Please consider helping us make Escape Master a reality by backing our project when it launches this June!
WHAT DO WE BELIEVE OUR PRODUCTS WILL DO?
We believe games and stories are a vibrant training ground for all of us, young and old, to experience victory and defeat in ways that press us into greater maturity. They provide the opportunity to practice healthy competition, communication, and imagination. Wielded properly, they are capable of teaching humility in success, confidence in defeat, and ingenuity through trials.
WHAT DO WE DESIRE!
We desire to create things you genuinely want to buy, that you look forward to doing, and at a price you can afford.
WHY DO WE EXIST?
WHAT IS OUR VISION?
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Create original and enduring products that meet needs.
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Tell meaningful stories that appeal to the full range of human emotions.
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Encourage others to explore their own unique creative giftings by engaging the community and demonstrating what is possible.
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Think outside the box, enrich the human experience, and examine more deeply what brings humanity delight.
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Pursue ways to give back with every product we make.
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Emblazon new avenues of finding rest in the marketplace for those who are tired and burnt out.
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Reverse-engineer the disease of loneliness.
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Unite different cultures and generations through mutual fun.
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Be sculpted by Christ and shape culture for Christ.
WHAT ARE OUR CORE VALUES?
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Humility, learning, integrity, rest, and excellence.
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The balance between life and work—more is not always better.
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Treating everyone with respect whether they deserve it or not—we are all endowed with more value and purpose than what we simply do, create, or consume.
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Communicating with honesty and grace even in disagreement.
WHAT IS OUR DREAM?
I (Zac) cannot talk about our dream without first thanking my wife, Lily. While most of the Escape Master dream is mine, she has sacrificed so much to support my dream and has fought hard to make it our dream. Lily endures my countless creative rants, encourages me in my lowest moments, and contributes a practical and organizational bent to our business that makes everything better. She truly makes our dream Zily.
We dream what we create and why we create it will resonate with others and compel them to partner with us. We dream Zily Creative Works will become a platform for us to pursue our creative passions—and perhaps others too. We dream of the chance to create books, toys, apparel, and more—in addition to many more games (some already in the works). We dream Christ will be glorified in a unique way through our work. But despite all our dreaming, the future ultimately hinges on the success of our first product and if God allows this to be a means of provision for our family. We trust Him.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Back our game on Kickstarter and share it with others!
1. Click here to sign up for our Zily Updates to stay in the know.
2. Follow us on social media and share our posts to let us know you are there.
3. Contact us with any feedback on how we can make our products better.
4. Pray for us! Starting a business is difficult and we need strength and wisdom to do it well!