Escape Mail Development
The last month has been strange.
Really strange.
Strange with a Capital S.
When I (Mike) follow something I am interested in, I like to know what its creators are up to. Whether that’s a production update for a new Marvel movie, or details on the latest patch for a video game, it’s nice to know the voice of the individuals, makers, and artists that produce the content we consume. It’s humanizing and reminds me that we are all just people trying to get by while maybe doing what we love to do (if we are that lucky).
I’m going to run you through our COVID-19 experience in an abridged fashion so that way I can get to discussing the things that we really like - Escape Mail and upcoming episodes!
Past
At a company that relies, primarily, on schools being open in order to run our programs, we were in a pretty scary position. All of our bookings for the foreseeable future were suddenly cancelled. Not just, “Hey let’s reschedule in a week or two,” but, “all events are not going to happen anymore.” This left us reeling. How are we supposed to keep this business going? About three weeks ago, I got an email from Paul and Eric that said something along the lines of, “Hey man, take tomorrow off so we can look at the business, and we’ll chat.”
The next day, I went over to Eric’s place to see what was going to happen with Mobile Escape. After a lot of conversation, weighing all of our options, and then a peculiar sense of focus, we decided that we wanted to collaborate on something that could potentially rescue our beloved Mobile Escape. We knew that we’d have to pivot - hard - to land on something viable for the new norm of social distancing.
It was right then that we came up with the concept for Escape Mail.
I could see the look in the eyes of Paul and Eric, because we collectively knew that we were onto something. Something awesome.
Our first shot in the dark was for digital escape rooms, but we knew after only cursory searching that we were easily outgunned in that direction. If we committed the next year to learning how to code and write programs, we would probably have done just fine, but we didn’t have the time to learn a whole suite of new skills. We needed something that people would be able to do from the safety of their homes, while still getting a unique and worthwhile experience.
We know that we get a kick out of making puzzles, we like teaching kids, and we love to tell stories. Escape Mail combined these passions into something that entertains, educates, and captures the imagination.
Present
We are so thankful for the support that our community has shown us. It is encouraging to know that in times like this, we are met with incredible fans and can continue making Escape Mail indefinitely. Episode 1 launched on April 1st, and it’s flying off the shelf! We hope that this piques interest and curiosity for the rest of the narrative that will be told over the next year. Currently, Episode 2 is in the design process. We will be testing the Episode over the coming days and weeks, bringing us on schedule to release on May 1st!
The storyboard for Season 1 is complete as of today! We are deciding which Episodes will contain specific plot points in the story, and we are sifting through a mountain of puzzle ideas for each Episode. That being said, we are always eager to hear what ideas you have! If you’d like to submit an idea for a puzzle, drop us a line at absouth@mobileescape.ca.
We’ve had requests from customers to create custom Escape Mail episodes, digital escape rooms, and other personalized activities, all of which is so encouraging.
Future
The first of every month, through March 1st, 2021, marks the release of a brand new episode of Escape Mail! We have some other irons in the fire and hopefully a few surprises, but we are keeping them under wraps for now. Escape Mail is on schedule, and that’s what we want.
One of the biggest questions we face is - are we going to start our school programs in the fall? We would absolutely love to, but as of now, nothing is certain. We eagerly await the decision of the Alberta government to determine what our path is going forward. If, and or when school is back in session and our school programs get back on track, then we will happily continue to serve the community and produce Escape Mail at the same time.
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Eric, Paul, and I are deeply humbled by the love, support, feedback, and enthusiasm of all of our families, friends, and clients - now worldwide! This endeavour would not have been successful without your presence. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for believing in us, because we believe in you.
Here’s to a rediscovering what it means to #awakenwonder.