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

25: Infinity (ft. The Infinite Escape Room)

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

24: Maroonings (ft. Stephen Fishbach)

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

23: Survivor (ft. Stephen Fishbach)

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

22: The Great Molasses Flood (ft. Emily Jillette)

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

21: Uranium Glass (ft. Emily Jillette)

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

20: Frank Lloyd Wright's Nuclear Powered Elevator (ft. Sandy Weisz)

" 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

19: Recycling Correctly (ft. Sandy Weisz)

"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

18: Defenestration (ft. Aurelius Whitlock's Murder Museum)

"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

17: Hive The Race To Save Time Puzzle Hunt (ft. John Bromels)

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 Hive: The Race to Save Time website for more details.
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

16: Assassination by Umbrella (ft. Aurelius Whitlock's Murder Museum)

" 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