In Season 6, episode 8, we talk to the charming crossword constructor Eric Berlin. Eric is the creator of Puzzlesnacks, one of our favorite puzzle books, and he authored the Winston Breen trilogy, a series of puzzling novels for kids. Eric was also captain of Team Palindrome, one of the largest MIT Mystery Hunt teams, which won in 2021. 

Eric has a long and illustrious career crafting creative crossword puzzles. From brazening his way into Games Magazine board game nights to convincing Weird Al Yankovic to star in a cameo congratulating the winners of the MIT Mystery Hunt, Eric has great stories about being a passionate life-long word nerd.

This conversation with Eric Berlin opened my eyes to a whole new world of crossword puzzles. I had no idea that they were heavily themed or could masquerade as magic shows and escape rooms. It’s always wonderful to interview guests who are enthusiastic about their craft. It’s delightful to see that Eric has maintained a lifelong love for puzzles.

Timestamps & Full Show Notes

Thank you to our sponsors Morty, Buzzshot, and COGS: 

Morty is a free app for discovering, planning, tracking, and reviewing your escape rooms and other immersive social outings. 

Morty News:

• Morty now features haunt attractions

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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.

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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 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.

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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.

Hosted by David Spira & Peih-Gee Law

Produced by Theresa Piazza

Supported by Lisa Spira & Richard Burns

Edited by Steve Ewing of Stand Inside Media 

Music by Ryan Elder

Logo by Janine Pracht