What's New In 2026? Our Story

It's been a little while since I've posted anything. A lot has happened since my last post. Currently we are living in a wonderful basement apartment provided by some of our dear church friends. This has allowed us to continue to pursue our Zily dream while I also juggle two part-time physical therapy jobs in the area. We've also added a fourth member to our family this year, which has made life full, exciting, and exhausting. Our two daughters, currently about 22 months and 5 months, are enjoying the privilege of community close by and having dad around the home a little more than the average working father. Predictably, they still feel snubbed when I frantically try to carve out some time to write content like this, which is flattering and something I don't want to take for granted, but challenging nonetheless. Thankfully, Lily has been amazing at caring for there needs and engaging them with fun things like bubbles, water tables, coloring, etc. (at least for the oldest) while I try to get a little work done.

Since I have one of those precious moments at my computer now, it is the perfect opportunity to tell you about our second game coming out. To do that, I must backtrack a little first. Escape Master was a whirlwind. It launched on Kickstarter almost two years ago a little after our first daughter was born. We were wide-eyed dreamers at the time with little knowledge of business or the game industry. We faced many challenges and disappointments and almost closed shop multiple times. We didn't understand the investment or what it would require of us as a family. However, this is me officially telling you that we have decided not to give up. We decided it would be a waste to not use what we learned and try to do better. Escape Critters is the result.

Escape Critters is much like Escape Master but is unique enough to be its own game. I could see someone honestly asking themself, "would I rather play Escape Master or Escape Critters tonight?" because they each offer their own experience. Escape Master is a little more complex and the fantasy world is a more developed. Whereas, Escape Critters is much more approachable, forgiving, and funny. However, there are three major improvements that Escape Critters makes. 1) It does not integrate the use of AI art. 2) While still supporting multiple levels of play, the rules are much more refined and easy to understand. 3) It has a unique scoring system that allows players to collect points and even score bonus points. However, there are some differences that individual people may simply fancy differently. For example, Escape Master allows players to play characters with asymmetric abilities that can be harnessed throughout the game, but Escape Critters simply offers players a one-time Critter Power to help them catch up if they lose a round. However, I still predict someone might ask, is it worth getting both games? This is my answer to that question: I think Escape Critters is a slightly better game, is easier to learn, and ironically a better place to start even though it is the second game to come out. However, Escape Master offers more depth that could still be very fun if you are looking for a "next level" game with similar mechanics. It offers a different flavor that older, more experienced speed game enthusiasts may gravitate towards.

Let's get back to the current state of things. As I write this, Escape Critters is still in prototype form. We are having people playtest the game (families from our church and strangers in other states). Lord willing, we plan to launch sometime this October on Kickstarter, which is a crowdfunding platform where backers can make pledges to be the first to receive new up and coming products. If you haven't already done so, please sign up on our Escape Critters landing page to get notified when we launch. Backing us on day one, is crucial to help us get the most out of Kickstarter's algorithm.

What makes me so excited about this launch is we actually know what we are doing this time. We have worked super hard to do everything right as best we can, and I truly believe we have created something awesome that countless families around the world can enjoy. The hard part is getting it to them. While we have substantially improved our marketing strategy, it is still a challenge to get the word out to the right people. That's where you come in. If you know of anyone who would enjoy a cute and competitive family speed card game, please share what we are doing with them! Signing up early and reserving the game for $1 on our landing page also comes with huge perks including behind the scenes reveals and a FREE expansion pack. You'll also get informed on how you can potentially earn 12% commission on our Kickstarter pledges by sharing our project when it goes live. We truly hope our upcoming campaign will be a blast for everyone involved. We want to build a community of people who knows and feels they have been a part of bringing this game to life.

What is our goal for doing a Kickstarter? Quite simply, we want to raise as much money as possible. The more the better! The cost of developing a high quality product, bringing it to market, and sustaining the creation of more quality products is insanely expensive. It would likely blow the average consumer's mind. It blew mine! The possibility we get rich off of this is so small it makes me laugh, but we are doing it because we are passionate about it. We aren't just planning a one and done; we are planning for the future. Supporting us will help us advance our mission to glorify God by using wisdom to create, inspire, give, and connect. Please join us as we shape the entertainment landscape for the next generation!