The beat drops and freestylin’ rappers take to the stage, battling it out to see who has the best flow. First to the stage is The Knight, and his other contenders are characters like The Wife of Bath, The Miller, or The Reeve. Our topic today is The Canterbury Tales. This is the story of a group of pilgrims who gather around the fire to tell stories, primarily in verse.

Zach Sherwin, our guest today, knows a thing or two about storytelling in verse. He’s a longtime writer and performer on the Youtube channel Epic Rap Battles of History. This show pits two historical characters against each other, battling it out for rap supremacy. Zach has also created The Crossword Show, a hilarious live show where comedians solve a crossword while Zach performs about the topics. He also shares a few puzzles with us today as well.

Today’s game is called Name Dropping, and it’s all about modern names that come from medieval occupations. Grab your tickets to RECON 26 this summer to see Zach perform The Crossword Show live.

Click here for a playlist of Epic Rap Battles featuring Zach Sherwin.

Time Stamps

• 01:12 Game: Name Dropping
• 14:47 Bonus Puzzle from Zach Sherwin
• 18:45 About: Zach Sherwin & Epic Rap Battles of History
• 22:12 Topic: Canterbury Tales
• 32:26 Credits

Check out REPOD Season 10 Episode 10: Comedy, Rap, and Crosswords: The Crossword Show with Zach Sherwin

Guest: Zach Sherwin

Instagram: @zachsherwin

In THE CROSSWORD SHOW, host Zach Sherwin (“Epic Rap Battles of History,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) presides as a panel of guests solves an actual crossword puzzle live onstage, with everything displayed on a big screen so the audience can follow along. As the solvers decipher the clues, Zach takes the show down rabbit holes of comedy, music, wordplay and trivia inspired by the answer words, and everything ties together at the end for a grand finale that’s as satisfying as it is mind-blowing. You don’t need any crossword expertise to be dazzled by this joyful, brainy, one-of-a-kind experience! “Tons of fun.” –New York Times. “Nerdtastic.” –Washington City Paper. “Jaw-dropping.” –SFGate. 

ZACH SHERWIN is a Los Angeles-based comedian. His writing for the web series Epic Rap Battles of History has received numerous Streamy Awards and Emmy nominations, and the Epic Rap Battles in which he’s co-starred have amassed over half a billion YouTube views and an RIAA-certified Gold record. His own YouTube videos have been viewed many millions of times, and his other writing credits include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW) and MAD Magazine. As a performer, Zach has appeared on shows ranging from Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell (FX) to America’s Got Talent (NBC), and he has also worked extensively as a TV audience warm-up comic, including at the last three years of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals. In 2025, he published his second crossword puzzle in the New York Times.

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

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 post PG’s Playhouse E42: Canterbury Tales (ft. Zach Sherwin) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Are you looking to turn your party into a rave? Black light. Trying to find that pet stain you missed? Black light. Hiding secret messages in plain sight? You guessed it, it’s black light! To celebrate our April Fool’s Day project – a whole cookbook and party planning guide for hosting a black light dinner party – today, we explore everything about black lights.

Joining us are the Wild Optimists: Juliana Moreno and Ariel Ruben. They created the Escape Room in a Box series and have since collaborated on many tabletop games and interactive marketing campaigns. Their newest game is Lovecraft and Poe, a cooperative strategy tabletop game. Players choose characters with variable strengths and weaknesses, and work together on an ever-changing board to defeat unique villains in every game.

Today’s game is In the Black, a Taboo-style guessing game where every answer includes the word “black.” Lovecraft and Poe will be available via Kickstarter soon, so follow Wild Optimists and sign up for their newsletter to stay informed. You can also learn more about their work on REPOD S1E3.

Time Stamps

• 01:49 Game: In the Black
• 09:08 About: Wild Optimists’ New Game Lovecraft & Poe
• 19:52 Topic: The Black Light Dinner Party Cookbook
• 23:59 Topic: About Black Light
• 32:20 Credits

Guests: Juliana Moreno & Ariel Rubin of Wild Optimists

The Wild Optimists is an award-winning interactive design company devoted to creating new ways to play. They dream up playful experiences with a focus on games and puzzles for at home gaming, live events, site specific installations and brand marketing. The goal is always to enhance the guest experience by giving players the chance to be the hero.

WO began when Juliana Moreno and Ariel Rubin combined their theatre degrees and Hollywood writing and production backgrounds with their life-long love for gaming to create the first ever at home escape room game: Escape Room In A Box: The Werewolf Experiment. After licensing that project to Mattel, they have since created eight other published tabletop games, selling more than half a million units.

Building upon that success, Wild Optimists has brought the gaming experience beyond the table and out into the real world. Collaborations include interactive design for theme parks such as Universal Orlando and Mall of America, marketing campaigns supporting high-profile Film/TV properties for studios such as Sony and Amazon, and live immersive experiences for companies such as Hasbro, AEG, and the Santa Monica Pier.

Wild Optimists is on a mission to make the world a more joyful, connected, and playful place.

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

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 post PG’s Playhouse E41: Black Light (ft. Wild Optimists) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

It’s chonky, furry, and oh so cute! The creature slowly creeps out of its burrow, looking around for his shadow. Good news! It doesn’t see it. The weather will be hot for the forseeable future. Bad news… well, we’re also surrounded by fire and brimstone. Welcome to Groundhog Day in Hell.

Chris Demarais and Blaine Gibson, co-hosts of the hilarious Good Morning from Hell podcast join us for some devilishly fun puzzles.  Good Morning from Hell is a weekly podcast starring Blaine as Clayton, the younger brother of Satan, and Chris as himself. Every week, Chris and Clayton interview someone from Hell. This show is off-the-rails funny.

Today’s topic is Groundhog Day, and we explore the origins and bizarre story behind this annual weather predicting tradition. Today’s game is called Cloudy with a Chance of Puzzles, where the guests must figure out these weather related idioms.

If you want to check out Chris and Blaine’s podcasts, look for Good Morning from Hell or their actual play D&D podcast Tales from the Stinky Dragon.

Time Stamps

• 01:56 Game: Cloudy with a Chance of Puzzles
• 14:48 About: Good Morning from Hell podcast
• 22:07 Topic: Groundhog Day

• 34:43 Credits

Guest: Chris Demarais

Chris Demarais is an award-losing writer, director, and actor who loves telling stories and turning bad ideas into ambitious adventures. For his docu-series A Simple Walk Into Mordor, he walked hundreds of miles across New Zealand to climb an active volcano. On his hidden-camera show Social Disorder, he brought a human-sized doll to his 10-year high school reunion and proposed to her (she said no).

He’s written for film, television, and internet powerhouse Rooster Teeth, and has directed or appeared in some of the most-watched and influential web series of all time. Today, he runs two studios and produces and hosts hit podcasts and animations with his friends, including the chart-topping Tales from the Stinky Dragon and the long-running cult sensation Good Morning From Hell.

Guest: Blaine Gibson

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

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 post PG’s Playhouse 40: Groundhog Day ft. Good Morning from Hell appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Salt is a mineral so essential that civilizations literally sprung up around salt and built trade routes to secure it. It’s been used as currency, to preserve foods, and in all manner of industrial manufacturing. It’s also used to make our food taste better.

You know what else makes food taste better? Puzzles! Our guest is Survivor Season 47 Winner Rachel LaMont. She knows a thing or two about food and puzzles, having combined them in her new game Puzzle Hungry: Umami Rush! It’s a 2–4 player Japanese food-themed speed puzzling party game with points, cards, double-sided puzzles, and sabotage elements like “health code violations,” plus interactive callouts.

Today’s game is called Stay Salty, where I’ve “seasoned” a word by adding a letter to the beginning of a word to make a new, “edible” word. Each answer will be something edible.

You can pre-order Puzzle Hungry now for a taste of competitive puzzling.

Time Stamps

• 01:38 Game: Stay Salty
• 09:00 About: Rachel LaMont & Puzzle Hungry
• 15:03 Topic: Salt
• 19:21 Topic: Salt & Survivor
• 24:50 Credits

Guest: Rachel LaMont

Survivor 47 winner, newly minted game designer, adventurer!

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

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 post PG’s Playhouse 39: Salt (ft. Rachel LaMont) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Imagine no more wine bars, no more popping champagne to celebrate special occasions, and no more enjoying a glass of cabernet with your steak. In the 19th century, a tiny little aphid nearly wiped wine off the map, decimating centuries-old vineyards globally. Eventually, wine growers figured out how to combat the phylloxera menace. David shares the story of phylloxera in this episode of PG’s Playhouse.

Joining us are special guests Garrett and Sabrina, hosts of the I Know Dino podcast. They share some fun facts about dinosaurs, including mummified fossils that include skin and feathers and also dinosaur cannibalism. Our game today is “Sour Grapes of Wrath” where I’ve created before and after mashups of two phrases. The players must guess the middle word that links the phrases.

Time Stamps

• 02:09 Game: Sour Grapes of Wrath
• 10:35 About: I Know Dino podcast and Dinosaur Fun Facts
• 16:40 Topic: Phylloxera: Grape Vine Pest Apocalypse
• 27:14 Credits

Guest: Garret & Sabrina of I Know Dino

Instagram: @iknowdino

Website: I Know Dino

Garret and Sabrina are the husband & wife team behind the dinosaur podcast I Know Dino. They started the podcast shortly after their dinosaur-themed wedding. Ten years later they’re still going strong, releasing new episodes biweekly covering the latest discoveries, interviewing experts, and nerding out about dinosaurs.

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

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 post PG’s Playhouse E38: Phylloxera (ft. I Know Dino) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Author A.J. Jacobs is no stranger to gonzo journalism. He often puts himself directly into the story he’s writing, whether it’s about taking the Bible literally, or living out the Constitution. Much like gonzo journalism, there’s no attempt or pretense about remaining objective. In A.J.’s writing, he describes in hilarious detail how his lifestyle experiments have impacted his family and work life.

David talks about the origins of gonzo journalism, and we discuss how it differs from A.J.’s own writing style. A.J. also shares some insights he learned from his latest book, A Year of Living Constitutionally. Today’s game is called This Game is LIT…erature. Players are given the names of chapters, and must figure out the subject of the book.

If you enjoyed this episode, check out our interviews with A.J. about his book The Puzzler on S3E11 of Reality Escape Pod and our interview about his puzzling podcast Hello Puzzler on S6E13 of REPOD.

Time Stamps

• 02:15 Game: This game is LIT…erature
• 20:31 About: A.J. Jacobs & A Year of Living Constitutionally
• 26:30 Topic: Gonzo Journalism
• 34:35 Credits

Guest: A.J. Jacobs

Facebook

IG: @ajjacobsinc

Twitter: @ajjacobs

A.J. Jacobs is an author, journalist, lecturer and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers that combine memoir, science, humor and a dash of self-help. Among his books are “The Year of Living Biblically” and “The Know-It-All.” He has told several Moth stories, and given several TED talks that have amassed over 10 million views.

His latest book is “The Puzzler,” which Booklist called “ridiculously entertaining,” and The New York Times called “A romp, both fun and funny.”

He was the answer to 1 Down in the March 8, 2014 New York Times crossword puzzle.

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

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 post PG’s Playhouse 37: Gonzo Journalism (ft. A.J. Jacobs) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

David goes to Spanktown every day. You might ask Why, or wonder if he’s ever going to Hell. It all does feel a bit Peculiar and Boring. No, we haven’t suddenly gone off the deep end, but rather, we’re exploring some quirky and unusual town names. Zach Sherwin is the creator of The Crossword Show, and a veteran of the iconic YouTube channel Epic Rap Battles of History. He joins us today to talk about his show and tackle some puzzles.

Today’s game is called Down and Dirty, where every answer is a movie with a title that sounds dirty, but isn’t. If you want to learn more about Zach Sherwin and The Crossword Show, check out our interview with him on Reality Escape Pod S10E10. He’ll also be performing live at the Reality Escape Convention this August 2026.

Time Stamps

• 01:32 Game: Down and Dirty
• 13:40: REA’s Audience Census: Fill out the Survey and Read the Census FAQ
• 14:22 About: Zach Sherwin & The Crossword Show
• 18:17 Topic: SpankTown and Other Interesting Town Names
• 27:14 Credits

Guest: Zach Sherwin

Instagram: @zachsherwin

In THE CROSSWORD SHOW, host Zach Sherwin (“Epic Rap Battles of History,” “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) presides as a panel of guests solves an actual crossword puzzle live onstage, with everything displayed on a big screen so the audience can follow along. As the solvers decipher the clues, Zach takes the show down rabbit holes of comedy, music, wordplay and trivia inspired by the answer words, and everything ties together at the end for a grand finale that’s as satisfying as it is mind-blowing. You don’t need any crossword expertise to be dazzled by this joyful, brainy, one-of-a-kind experience! “Tons of fun.” –New York Times. “Nerdtastic.” –Washington City Paper. “Jaw-dropping.” –SFGate. 

ZACH SHERWIN is a Los Angeles-based comedian. His writing for the web series Epic Rap Battles of History has received numerous Streamy Awards and Emmy nominations, and the Epic Rap Battles in which he’s co-starred have amassed over half a billion YouTube views and an RIAA-certified Gold record. His own YouTube videos have been viewed many millions of times, and his other writing credits include Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW) and MAD Magazine. As a performer, Zach has appeared on shows ranging from Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell (FX) to America’s Got Talent (NBC), and he has also worked extensively as a TV audience warm-up comic, including at the last three years of the Scripps National Spelling Bee Finals. In 2025, he published his second crossword puzzle in the New York Times.

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

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 post PG’s Playhouse E36: Spanktown (ft. Zach Sherwin) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Watching Rachel LaMont absolutely dominate the puzzles was one of the highlights of Survivor S47. She eventually won after spending most of her time as an underdog. One of her most iconic moments was when a starving Rachel decided to pocket some of the rice from a Survivor challenge, and Jeff Probst called her out on it. She tells us how it all went down, and she shares an interesting behind the scenes moment.

After winning Survivor, Rachel combined her graphic design skills with her puzzling prowess to create Puzzle Hungry, a competitive jigsaw puzzle game. This inspired today’s topic, Conveyor Belt Sushi. Our game today is Movie Mash Potatoes, where each answer is a mashup of foods and movie or song titles.

Time Stamps

• 01:29 Game: Movie Mash Potatoes
• 13:26 About: Rachel LaMont
• 13:46 Stealing Rice from a Survivor Challenge
• 20:29 Inspiration for Puzzle Hungry
• 23:43 Topic: Conveyor Belt Sushi
• 33:10 Credits

Guest: Rachel LaMont

Survivor 47 winner, newly minted game designer, adventurer!

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

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 post PG’s Playhouse E35: Conveyor Belt Sushi (ft. Survivor’s Rachel Lamont) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

Today’s topic is a bit cheesy, but still divine. Throughout the ages, humans have always tried to foretell the future or discern the nature of being through different types of divination. These have included the more well-known types of fortune telling including tarot cards, palm reading, tea leaf reading and more. Today, we’re talking tyromancy – divination by reading cheeses.

Warhammer historian and YouTuber Jordan Sorcery joins us again. We chat about his podcast, In Conversation with Jordan Sorcery, which features interviews and chats with designers, writers, and artists creating Warhammer content. He also tells us about his newest podcast, Warhammer Film Club, which explores connections between classic cinema and Warhammer.

Today’s game is called Getting Shredded, where the players must solve clues ranging from riddles and jokes to cryptic crosswords to figure out the type of cheese. Later, we have a bonus game where they must guess the type of divination from the name.

Time Stamps

• 01:37 Game: Getting Shredded
• 10:20 About: In Conversation with Jordan Sorcery
• 15:25 About: Warhammer Film Club Podcast
• 17:56 Topic: Tyromancy (Divination by Reading Cheese)
• 21:16 Game: Types of Divination
• 28:09 Credits

Guest: NAME

Website

YouTube: Jordan Sorcery

Jordan Sorcery is a Warhammer historian, content creator, and game designer. When he’s not researching and documenting some of the most important tabletop games ever made and interviewing the folks who made them, he makes podcasts about the things that inspired the games, and even writes RPGs of his own!

Creator Connections

We met Jordan Sorcery through Patreon’s Creator Ambassador Program. This has been a wonderful, welcoming community. We look forward to more creator collaborations in the future. And if you enjoyed this collaboration, please check out Jordan Sorcery’s work on YouTube or Patreon!

More Podcasts from Peih-Gee & David

If you enjoy PG’s Playhouse, check out Reality Escape Pod (REPOD), where your hosts David Spira & Peih-Gee Law explore immersive gaming from all angles, alongside guests with incredible experience in this realm.

And by supporting Room Escape Artist on Patreon, you’ll get access to the REPOD Bonus After Show ($5 per month and up) and the Spoilers Club ($15 per month and up) where we chat in depth with creators about iconic escape rooms… spoilers and all!

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 post PG’s Playhouse E34: Tyromancy (ft. Jordan Sorcery) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.

“A very twist ending. I don’t think we were expecting it to go quite that way.”

The scent of cedar and cloves drift through the air, and all around the lights are twinkling. Boughs of holly and mistletoe decorate the rafters, and you’ve gathered friends and loved ones to celebrate.

It’s our first REPOD and PG’s Playhouse crossover Holiday Special! To celebrate, we’ve invited our Podcast Producer, Theresa Piazza, and Room Escape Artist Contributor, Andrew Reynolds to join us for games, trivia, and merriment. Today’s game is “It’s Not Elf on the Shelf”, inspired by an actual toy Snoop on the Stoop. Each answer is a celebrity paired with a rhyming location in the house.

We all share some recommendations for games, puzzles, and shows that we’ve been enjoying. Then David takes us down the rabbit hole of mistletoe trivia, which has sexier origins than any of us imagined.

I hope you enjoyed this fun PG’s Playhouse-style episode! We’re grateful for all of our loyal listeners, and we’re thrilled that you’ve stuck with us for so long. Happy holidays, everyone!

Thank You to Our Sponsors

We are immensely grateful to our sponsors this season: REA Patreon Backers, PG’s Playhouse, Buzzshot, and COGS. We truly appreciate your support of our mission to promote and improve the immersive gaming community.

Support Room Escape Artist on Patreon

Love escape rooms as much as we do? At Room Escape Artist, we’ve been analyzing, reviewing, and exploring the world of immersive games since 2014. We help players find the best experiences, and push the industry forward with well-researched, rational, and reasonably humorous escape room and immersive gaming content and events.

By becoming a Patreon supporter, you’re not just backing a blog — you’re fueling a mission to make the escape room and immersive gaming community stronger, more thoughtful, and more connected. You can also access exclusive Patreon content such as the Bonus Aftershow, Spoilers Club, and get early access to escape room Tour tickets and REA articles.

Your Patreon support goes toward our mission: paying our contributors, funding our infrastructure, and supporting deep research and industry advocacy.

PG’s Playhouse Podcast

If you love wordplay, puzzles, and trivia, this is the podcast for you! PG’s Playhouse recreates a fun game night with friends, all in a short, 30-minute format. Of course, what’s game night without making new friends? We bring on different guests for the different episodes!

Each episode features a puzzle packed with wordplay and trivia, a short chat with the guest, and a segment exploring an interesting topic. I hope you’ll take a listen and play along with us at PG’s Playhouse.

Buzzshot

Buzzshot is Escape Room Software, Powering Business Growth, Player Marketing, and improving the Customer Experience. They offer an assortment of pre and post game features including robust waiver management, branded team photos, and streamlined review management for Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and Morty. Buzzshot now has integration with the other REPOD sponsors: Morty and COGS.

Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:

REPOD listeners get an extended 21-day free trial plus 20% off your first 3 months, with no set-up fees or hidden charges. Visit buzzshot.com/repod to learn more about this exclusive offer.

COGS

COGS by Clockwork Dog is an easy to use software/ hardware platform for running interactive events, including escape rooms, and other immersive experiences. They have plug & play hardware that seamlessly integrates with their software so you can create a show with lighting and sound cues without having to write a single line of code. Map all kinds of inputs to outputs by building up simple logic steps which determine what you want to happen and when.

Special Offer for REPOD Listeners:

REPOD listeners can get the COGS Starter Set for only $130 + free shipping to the USA. This bundle is usually valued at $257. You can learn more and purchase your Starter Set at cogs.show. Use code REPOD at checkout.

Topics Discussed in this Episode

• 01:29 Game: It’s Not Elf on the Shelf
• 12:16 Recommendations for Games and Shows
• 12:56 Free Games on the Epic Game Store
• 13:49 Outer Wilds
• 16:49 One Up, Strange Jigsaws & Twenty Small Mazes
• 18:24 Music Channels: Musora, Drumeo & Family Jules
• 21:57 Topic: Mistletoe

Leave a Voicemail

Got a question or thought for the podcast? You can submit a voice recording by calling the Room Escape Artist not-so-hotline that always goes straight to voicemail (551-227-7273).

Resources Mentioned in this Episode

• FLEB Puzzles (Maker of Strange Jigsaws)

About Theresa Piazza

Reality Escape Pod Producer & Escape Room Reviewer

Theresa’s byline on REA

Theresa has been an avid escape room (probably, over-) enthusiast since 2015. She’s played over 300 rooms, and has been known to hop flights just to escape. She enjoys puzzle hunts, collaborative board games, crosswords, jigsaw puzzles, and most other immersive entertainment. In addition to writing for REA and producing REPOD, she’s also COO at The Great Gotham Challenge.

While not puzzling, Theresa can be found outside soaking up the sunshine, SCUBA diving, birding, paddle boarding, rollerblading or listening to podcasts.

About Andrew Reynolds

Escape Room Reviewer

Andrew’s byline on REA

By day, Andrew is a history and special education teacher. By night…and weekends…and afternoons if he can swing it, he is an avid escape room player. Since playing his first room in 2017, he has expanded his range of interests to include immersive theater and just about any puzzle he can get his hands on.

He loves games that include elements of spectacle to create memorable experiences. Mechanically, in both board games and escape rooms, Andrew looks forward to cooperation. He especially enjoys when an escape room splits the team into different spaces and demands clear communication to advance.

When he’s not puzzling, he can be found talking to his cat or staring at his oven waiting for something delicious to finish baking.

Support REPOD

• Subscribe to Patreon for bonus content.
• Please rate and review our podcast!

Thanks for listening!

Support Room Escape Artist’s Mission

There are lots of ways to support Room Escape Artist, like buying from Amazon or Etsy after clicking into the links included in this post or backing us on Patreon.

The money that we make from these helps us to grow the site and continue to add more value to the community that we love so much.

The post REPOD S10E12: Holiday Special (ft. The REA Team) appeared first on Room Escape Artist.