January 8, 2021 – Escape rooms were a hot ticket pre-pandemic, and will surely rebound once people are able to get out and about. People are craving a social experience right now. But, you don’t have to wait until the pandemic is over to enjoy an escape room experience…you don’t even have to leave your computer. Virtual escape rooms have begun popping up and two Millikin grads and their business partner are ahead of the curve.
Todd Kriesman, Aaron Jackson, and J.R. White put their creative heads together and came up with Wild Hare Escapes. Todd has a background in escape rooms and had the idea to start his own company. “While looking for work to make ends meet during the pandemic, I got a gig as a Puzzle Master for an online escape room; my eyes were opened to the possibilities, and it was then that I decided I wanted to start my own online escape room company,” he said.
So, he reached out to fellow Millikin alum Aaron Jackson and his business partner J.R. White and formed Wild Hare Escapes in October of 2020.
Wild Hare Escapes currently has two virtual escape rooms with plans to launch a new virtual escape every two months. Currently headed by Serf’s Quest – a medieval fantasy-themed escape and an 8-bit style homage to point-and-click adventure games of the 1980s and 90s and, sure to be a Central Illinois favorite, The Comedy of Terrors.
The Comedy of Terrors is inspired by Decatur’s own Lincoln Theatre and was designed by Jackson, who worked many shows at the theatre in his time in Decatur. The virtual escape room is designed to make escapees feel as if they are lost in the hallways of the theatre and incorporates much of the historical flavor and legends of the Lincoln Theater – including the story of Red, the stagehand who allegedly fell from the fly loft and caught his arm in the rigging while falling.
But what does it take to escape a virtual escape room?
“You have the option to explore and go where you want, but there are definite things you have to do to escape from the game. So, while you can make free choices within the game, you have to pass through all of the puzzles to successfully escape,” said Jackson.
It’s not as simple as point and click to escape; the games have been designed to be immersive and are made up of close to 100 artboards. Live hosts will accompany groups on their escape but will mostly be along for the ride.
“We want you to feel like you’re there,” said Kreisman. “Also, as storytellers, we make sure it’s not just a series of disconnected puzzles – there are throughlines and plots and twists.”
Being a virtual escape room also affords Wild Hare Escapes the luxury of being able to get groups together from not just the same area, but across the world. Groups will sign up for an escape, be given instructions, and set up a Zoom call. Players will then receive a Zoom link and a game link and the host will be given the password to log into the game and then hit the ground running.
Serf’s Quest and The Comedy of Terrors are both available on WildHareEscapes.com where they have a time limit of 75 minutes. The group is working towards adding their third game, Off the Rails, which will take place on a runaway train that is headed for the end of an unfinished rail overhanging a ravine. The group has a goal of having 20 games at any given time.
If you’re interested in booking an escape, go to their website and book a time. Wild Hare Escapes is also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Happy Escaping!
