PG’s Playhouse: Puzzles, games, trivia, & general nerdery

" Your memories can't be trusted." Everyone remembers that 90s movie called Shazam starring Sinbad as a genie, right? Was it Berenstein Bears or Berenstain Bears? Did Mandela die in prison, or is that just a glitch in our collective brain? In today's episode, we explore the Mandela Effect, a phenomenon where a large group of people collectively misremember an event or detail, often about pop culture, logos, or historical events. Tony Piluso from the Hack the Movies YouTube channel joins us again for a dive down some shared memories that definitely never happened. Today's game is called False Memory, where movies about memories have had their titles altered with a word that rhymes... or was that always the title?   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

"I love it. It's so bad." At a glance, it's glove at first sight. But gamers in the 80s and 90s soon threw up their hands in disgust while trying to get The Power Glove to power anything besides their rage. Prolific podcaster Adal Rifai joins us to explore The Power Glove and play some games. Adal is certainly no stranger when it comes to puzzling podcasts. His podcast Hey Riddle Riddle features a trio of improvisers solving riddles and lateral puzzles. Adal has recently launched a new show called Gumshoes & Dragons that's a bit like Colombo meets D&D. Today's game is called Power Glove Box, where every answer will be a video game term mashed up with another common word or phrase.   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

"It's the bee's knees!" Today's topic is un-bee-lievable! Join us as we dive down the hive and explore the wonderful world of bees! David shares some fascinating facts about bees, their societal structures, and common myths, including their role in allergies. Jamie Gibbs of The Infinite Escape Room podcast joins us all the way from Wales to play along. We also have a great chat about their new podcast series focusing on controversial topics in puzzle design. Today's game is called A World Without Bees, where I've taken famous phrases containing either the word "be" or "bee" and replaced it with a word that rhymes. It felt right to talk about bees, because the last time that Jamie hosted David and me on his podcast, he locked us up in a giant Wickerman filled with bees. Listen to our episode, The Wicker Plan, and make sure to check out all the other episodes of the wonderful audio escape room podcast The Infinite Escape Room.   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

Movie theaters were already going for full immersion in the 1970's with Sensurround. David breaks down this little known movie technology, which delivered an earth-shaking intensity to movies (literally). Tony Piluso from the Hack the Movies YouTube channel joins us for a dive into obsolete film tech. He also shares film lore about work prints and the crazy scenes that would get cut from movies aired on television and airplanes. Today's game is called "What Did They Say?" where the players take turns reading nonsense words, and the other must guess the movie title. Check the time stamps below to see the written clues and play along. If you're close to Croyden, PA, Tony will be appearing at the Found Footage Fest Sept. 27-28, 2025. Also, check out the Hack the Movies YouTube channel.   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

The only thing better than an escape room is having infinite escape rooms! The Infinite Escape Room is a comedy podcast where a bunch of friends write escape rooms for each other to play while chatting over a cold one. Infinite Escape Room co-host Jamie Gibbs joins us as as we all collectively get our minds blown by the inconceivable concept of infinity. David guides us down this rabbit hole while we ponder questions like, what's larger? Infinity, or Infinity plus one? Today's game is called To Infinity and Beyond and Then Back Again, where our players must form a chain of words that wraps back around and reconnects at the top.   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

The reality show Survivor loves to open with a splash—literally. The most famous opening episodes start by having contestants jumping off a ship while trying to grab anything useful they'll need to survive the next month stranded in a deserted locale. Survivor calls this a "marooning," but in today's episode of PG's Playhouse, David tells us about real life maroonings and what the term originally meant. David delves into the historical context and a specific case of marooning involving the pirate Edward England. All Star Survivor contestant, author, and blogger Stephen Fishbach joins us again. He tells us about his new novel Escape! which features a has-been reality TV star and a disgraced producer who gets one last shot at redemption on a show set on a remote island. We also talk about his YouTube series where Survivor contestants play Blood on the Clocktower. Our game today is "Blood on the Television" where Stephen must guess which Blood on the Clocktower character is on which reality TV show. Make sure to check out Stephen's new novel, Escape!, coming out this January. YouTube: Survivors Play Blood on the Clocktower   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

You're starving, sweaty, exhausted, and your best friend on the island just stabbed you in the back. Ahead, a giant obstacle course awaits, with a complex puzzle afterwards. And you've got to juggle all this while outmaneuvering a bunch of other contestants all hungry for the win. With over 49 seasons, Survivor is one of reality television's longest running shows. Steven Fishbach, runner-up on Survivor Tocantins and all-star returnee on Survivor Second Chance joins us to talk about his experiences on Survivor, co-hosting the Survivor Know-It-Alls podcast, and his upcoming book, Escape! We share insights into the evolution of Survivor, emphasizing how strategy, player dynamics, and game mechanics have transformed over the years. We also discuss some common misconceptions about Survivor. Today's game is called "The Tribe Has Spoken," where the group collaborates to vote out the word that doesn't belong. Make sure to check out Stephen's new novel, Escape!, coming out this January.   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

Have you ever cooked with molasses? It's so gooey and sticky that it can literally pull the fillings out of your teeth if you're not careful. Now imagine a 15-foot wave of molasses coming towards you at a glacial but inevitable pace. Today, we're diving into one of the stickiest disasters in American history, The Great Molasses Flood of 1919 in Boston, MA. Special guest Emily Jillette joins us again for more puzzles and trivia. We chat about some of our favorite Broadway shows including Operation Mincemeat and Hamilton. Today's game is A Sticky Situation where a food item and a phrase have been stuck together so they'll share a common word. And there's a bonus lateral thinking puzzle about another real-life food disaster.   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

Long before uranium became synonymous with weapons of mass destruction, it was mostly serving as a decorative function. Glassblowers and glass factories would add a tiny bit of uranium to their glass, which gave it that distinctive yellowish green color. It also created a fluorescent effect under blacklight. David explores the history and back ground of this collector's item. Emily Jillette, noted puzzler, escape room enthusiast, and wife of famous magician Penn Jillette joins us today. She shares some insights on the appeal of puzzles, especially to those who practice the stagecraft of magic. Today's game is With or Without U, where the players must add a "U" to a word to make a new word.   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

" It might be an affront to the laws of physics." In this episode of PG's Playhouse, we're going vertical! Today's topic is Frank Lloyd Wright's Nuclear Powered Elevator. Why would you need nuclear power for an elevator? Well, because it was designed to service a skyscraper stretching a mile upwards. David breaks down this totally bonkers skyscraper design that never ended up being built. Guest Sandy Weisz joins us again to talk about his totally bonkers new game Raddle. Raddle has instantly became a fan favorite amongst daily puzzle lovers. He's taken a classic word ladder-style puzzle and added some interesting transformations. In today's game, Peih-Gee turns the tables back on Sandy with some word ladders of her own. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out our interview with Sandy Weisz on Reality Escape Pod.   Full Show Notes Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

"Recycling or Wish Cycling?" The next time you go to toss that plastic container in the recycling bin, you might actually be doing more harm than good. In this episode, David gives us some cold hard facts about recycling correctly. As it turns out, the majority of objects we're chucking in the recycling bin require more consideration than you'd think. More often than not, we're just sending items on a trip to the dumpster, the long way. Renowned puzzle creator Sandy Weisz joins us to chat about The Mystery League, which specializes in designing and running puzzle games for corporate team-building activities. The game today is called Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, with puzzles based on classic slogans and jingles. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to check out our interview with Sandy Weisz on Reality Escape Pod. Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

"A very popular way to assassinate your rivals." What's a peasant to do when you're in the midst of an uprising and faced with armored knights and lords? Throw them out the windows! Apparently, this was such a popular way to assassinate your rivals that a term was coined to describe such an act: defenestration. David gives us a short lesson on the history of defenestration and why it was such a favored method in political uprisings. In this episode, we're joined by special guests Marcus Richardson and Nathan Hicken, co-hosts of the Aurelius Whitlock's Murder Museum podcast. We talk about how they ended up working on the popular mystery-solving video game The Rise of the Golden Idol. Then I turn the tables on them, and offer up a mystery of my own devising for them to solve. Today's game is called To the Windows where every answer is a word containing either the letters "WIN" or "DOW." If you enjoyed today’s episode and want to hear more, make sure to check out the Aurelius Whitlock’s Murder Museum podcast. And if you want to see Peih-Gee's jewelry line, you can check out Lo Rador Jewelry's website or Instagram.   If you enjoyed today's episode and want to hear more, make sure to check out the Aurelius Whitlock's Murder Museum podcast.   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

In this sponsored episode, we're joined by puzzle writer John Bromels, who created the Hive: The Race to Save Time puzzle hunt, inspired by the new sci-fi novel Hive, book 1 of the Madders of Time series by best-selling author DL Orton. Check out the details below for dates and how to play. John shares all the details of how he crafted this puzzle hunt to accommodate puzzlers of all skill levels, and how he leveled the playing field when it comes to winning the puzzle hunt cash prizes. Making it a sweepstakes instead of a contest means you don't have to be the fastest to solve. He also tells us a bit about the book Hive, and all the pop culture references that make it appealing to puzzle hunt enthusiasts. Today's game is Sci-Fi Movie Mashups, where the titles of popular sci-fi movies have been combined with common phrases or names to create a new title. Then in a surprising twist, John reveals that he had prepared a puzzle for us, but it was stolen, and he recruits our help to figure out the culprit behind the stolen puzzles. Thank you again to our episode sponsor DL Orton and Hive: The Race to Save Time puzzle hunt. Hive: The Race To Save Time Puzzle Hunt Based on the new Madders of Time series by bestselling author DL Orton. Registration opens May 1, 2025 Hive: The Race to Save Time runs from May 16-26, 2025 Over $1,000 in Prizes, winners determined by sweepstakes. Purchase of the book or free alternative method of entry registration is required to participate, but the e-book will be available for just 99 cents while the hunt is running. Visit Full Show Notes Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

" Is there a whole lot of murdering going on?" This week, we're talking Assassination by Umbrella, a slightly morbid topic inspired by our guests, Marcus Richardson and Nathan Hicken, co-hosts of the Aurelius Whitlock's Murder Museum podcast. Researching the game takes a dark and surprising turn when Peih-Gee, acting upon David's suggestion, finds herself in a shadowy corner of the internet. David gives us a fascinating historical recount of the assassination of Bulgarian activist Georgi Markov using a poison-tipped umbrella. Today's game is called Morbid Mottos, which centers around some dark phrases. If you enjoyed today's episode and want to hear more, make sure to check out the Aurelius Whitlock's Murder Museum podcast.   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

" The missing ingredient here is love." This episode we're talking everything bagels! These chewy, crunchy, carbalicious treats are one of my favorite foods. Brent Pope, host of the popular Brentfast podcast, joins us again to dive into the culinary delight that is the bagel. David gives us a short history of the bagel, including its origins and what makes New York bagels so darn delicious. Also, did you know that you're actually NOT supposed to toast your bagels if they're freshly hand-made? Today's game is called In Other Words, a quiz about the linguistic origins of various food names. To hear more from Brent Pope, check out his podcast Brentfast with Brent Pope.   Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

" It's important for us to all know and celebrate Sir James Arthur Fool, who created the holiday in 1872." Joke’s on you, April Fools’ Day... I can be fooled any day of the year. Actor, comedian, and podcaster Brent Pope joins us to explore the mysterious origins of April Fool's Day. We talk about some favorite pranks, and David almost pulls a fast one on me. We also talk about the difficulties of breaking into Hollywood, and how Asian representation in the media has changed over the last couple of decades. Our game today is called Undercover Word Lover, where every answer is a word composed entirely of two different words. Brent Pope's Website Brentfast Podcast Full Show Notes Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

Every year, thousands of people (including me) gather in the Mojave Desert to live out their wildest cyberpunk fantasies. Jared Butler, owner and creator of the immersive festivals Wasteland Weekend and Neotropolis joins us this week to chat about Neotropolis, including the ever-evolving larp and missions aspect. We also talk about the variety of experiences available, including the interactive modules called "factions" and the distinct daytime and nighttime vibes. Today's game is called New City, where every answer is a movie title with either the word "new" or "city" in it, but with a twist. I've changed a letter in the title of the movie, and players must give me the new movie title. For a deeper dive into Neotropolis and Wasteland Weekend, check out our REPOD interview with Jared Butler in Season 7, Episode 2. Wasteland Weekend website Neotropolis website Please note that after this episode, we will be changing our publishing schedule for PG's Playhouse. We will be publishing episodes every other week, and episodes will release on Wednesday Full Show Notes Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

"Technology will not save us." In the shadow of neon-lit streets, kids are jacked in and tuned out. This is the world of cyberpunk, a genre with a view on what the future can look like when technology goes awry. Jared Butler joins us to explore “cyberpunk” as a genre and what it means. Jared Butler is a voice actor who has also created two incredibly immersive desert festivals—the Mad Max-inspired Wasteland Weekend and the cyberpunk themed Neotropolis. We dive into the evolution of cyberpunk, its themes and aesthetics. Jared also shares the origin story and development of his immersive festivals and their unique take on combining live-action role-playing with post-apocalyptic and cyberpunk narratives. Today’s game is called Digital Rebellion, where the titles of cyberpunk movies have been translated into Chinese and then back again. Full Show Notes Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

" If we're only going to get one trip to the salad bar, we're really going to make that one trip count." Only one trip to the salad bar? Lettuce really make it count. David's wife Lisa Spira, co-founder of Room Escape Artist, joins us again for a trip to the salad bars of Pizza Hut China. Pizza Hut has developed many innovative market strategies, including stuffed crust pizza and PizzaNet, but when opening locations in China, their innovation may have backfired. Peih-Gee tells the story of how Pizza Hut limited patrons of their Chinese locations to only one trip to their famous salad bars, and how that led to a brief cultural phenomenon of building these architectural towers of veggies and fruit. Lisa and David, who run RoomEscapeArtist.com, discuss their journey in covering escape rooms and the nuances of editing and managing a team of writers. Today's game is called Lettuce Play, a friendly competitive salad trivia game testing their knowledge of salads from around the world. Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner

“High Risk, High Reward.” Fighting for fame, fortune, and glory? As it turns out, women also fought as gladiators. Just as with sports today, women in the ancient Roman empire had to battle stereotypes, societal norms, and adverse conditions to win a bit of freedom for themselves. Lisa Spira, David’s wife and co-founder of Roomescapeartist.com joins us on this episode exploring gladiatrix, the female gladiator. She also tells us about Escape, Immerse, Explore, their escape room tours. Today’s game is called Off With Their Heads, where we take a word and remove the first letter to form a new word. Full Show Notes   Production Credits Hosted by Peih-Gee Law & David Spira Puzzles by Peih-Gee Law Produced by Theresa Piazza Supported by Lisa Spira Edited by Peih-Gee Law Music by Matt Farthing Logo by Theresa Wagner