SnoutCast #105: Hooray for Hollywood

In which we repeat last year's exercise of asking: which Best Picture nominees might make good Game themes? And as a tribute to the Academy Awards telecast, we also run long. Yeah, that's the ticket!


[ Download mp3 - 33 MB ]

00:59 - "tropical"
03:08 - The Artist?
06:06 - The Descendants?
08:00 - Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close?*
09:27 - The Help?*
11:24 - Hugo?
13:05 - Midnight in Paris?*
16:10 - Moneyball?
21:15 - The Tree of Life?*
27:16 - War Horse?
32:42 - And the one which would make the best Game is...
35:57 - The End

* (We have not seen this movie.)

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Tom Cruise Crazy" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #104: Gamer Profile - Rachel Petterson, XX-Rated

This week, we talk to Rachel Petterson, captain of a Bay Area Game team which could be called the Pink Ladies, but is not.


[ Download mp3 - 28 MB ]

00:00 - teaser: Past BANG Future Echo
01:23 - "female"
01:52 - origins of team XX-Rated
05:42 - more cast changes than Law & Order
08:22 - introducing new puzzlers to The Game
10:42 - Rachel's first Game(s)
14:11 - Rachel's day job
15:53 - Googlers and Gamers
17:16 - transitioning from player to GC
22:16 - women and men, with respect to puzzling
25:30 - "I look forward to the puzzles that are written in lipstick."
26:48 - see Rachel's crafts at Pigs In Pajamas!
28:15 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "I'm Your Moon" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #103: Gamer Profiles - Jan Chong & Yar Woo, coed astronomy

This week, we hear from another Gamer couple with a young child: Jan Chong and Yar Woo of coed astronomy!


[ Download mp3 - 22 MB ]

00:59 - "coeducational"
01:12 - origin of the coed team name
03:55 - Jan and the Microsoft Intern Game
05:37 - coed history
07:18 - What are your day jobs?
09:26 - applying day-job skills to puzzle hunt creation
11:31 - running short vs. long Games
16:29 - baby Charlotte
20:27 - stockpiling puzzle ideas... for the next generation?
24:07 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "You Ruined Everything" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #102: Of Summits and Letters

In which we do a dramatic reading of the Black Letter Game's answers to our listener questions, and then a quick recap of this year's Game Control Summit: Simulcast!


[ Download mp3 - 25 MB ]

00:59 - "diplomatic"
01:20 - The Black Letter Game has answered your questions...
02:58 - Where did the name for the Black Letter Game come from?
03:41 - How many individuals are "GC" for this Game?
04:47 - How does the extreme secrecy enhance the player's experience?
05:01 - How are you playtesting the puzzles?
06:15 - How will you know this enterprise has been successful?
07:05 - GC Summit recap...
10:36 - Corey Anderson on "Running Someone Else's Game"
12:58 - Jett Jones and Bob Schaffer on re-casting the WHO Game
14:17 - Scott Blomquist on designing portable puzzles
14:50 - Linda Holman on re-running Shinteki Aquarius seven years later
16:28 - Andy Rich on simulcasting Microsoft Puzzlehunt 14
22:37 - upcoming events: volunteer for Doctor When playtest (2/11-12), Shinteki Field Trip: Disneyland (2/25), Iron Puzzler (3/3-4); more at PuzzleHuntCalendar.com
26:31 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Shop Vac" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #101: Gamer Profile - TODD ETTER, Boneless Chicken Cabaret

Did you know that all of 2012's "Shinteki Puzzle of the Month" (POTM) puzzles (starting tomorrow, January 25th) will be written by Todd Etter of The Motley Fool? And all solvers can win prizes at the end of the year? It's true! But don't take our word for it--hear it from the man himself, this week on SnoutCast.


[ Download mp3 - 27 MB ]

00:58 - "calciferous"
01:24 - behind the scenes of Boneless Chicken Cabaret's WHO Game video
02:29 - Todd's non-evil plans for Shinteki POTM
05:41 - How did you get into puzzle hunts?
09:39 - the_game@yahoogroups is, shall we say, lightly moderated these days
10:23 - assembling the team
13:24 - What's your day job?
17:54 - (actually, it was a Facebook post linking to a PDF of the puzzle)
18:43 - comparing GC experiences from different puzzle events
23:58 - final thoughts on Shinteki POTM
27:58 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "My Monkey" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #100: Community?

Please help celebrate our ONE HUNDREDTH PODCAST by leaving a comment. (We're celebrating by not writing up show notes this time.) And thanks for listening!


[ Download mp3 - 29 MB ]

00:59 - "patient"
29:55 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Mandelbrot Set" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #99: Holiday Movies Recap

And now for something almost, but not entirely, completely different.


[ Download mp3 - 25 MB ]

00:59 - "festive"
01:35 - send us your questions for the Black Letter Game creators! (e-mail podcast@snout.org by Friday, January 13th, 2012)
03:51 - inspired by true events: holiday movie marathon
05:12 - A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas
07:22 - Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
09:18 - War Horse
10:39 - The Descendants
11:32 - The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 vs. The Darkest Hour
13:10 - Hugo (3D)
17:27 - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
18:29 - My Week with Marilyn
20:32 - The Artist
22:11 - Young Adult
24:25 - "Unintentional Patton Oswalt Sandwich" is the name of my Kinks cover band.
29:59 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "A Talk with George" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #98: 2012-Q1 Hunts Preview

In which we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Dan Egnor and PuzzleHuntCalendar.com (self-plug: hear our interview with Dan in SnoutCast #76: "One Calendar To Rule Them All" )! Also: NSFW language, but you knew that.


[ Download mp3 - 28 MB ]

00:59 - "prescient" (not "omniscient")
03:21 - "Remember when...they were sacrificing blood from their penises a lot?"
06:15 - January 10th: Puzzled Pint
10:02 - January 13th-15th: MIT Mystery Hunt (plus online "mini-recast" later)
11:25 - January 28th: Game Control Summit
15:30 - February 11th-12th: Doctor When playtest
18:09 - February 25th: Shinteki Field Trip Disneyland Redux (original event recapped in our pilot episode)
21:08 - March 3rd-4th: Iron Puzzler (hear our debrief of IP 2011)
25:37 - "Nobody had to wear a penis, thank God."
30:28 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "The Future Soon" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #97: Neuroplasticity

This is not our best podcast.


[ Download mp3 - 26 MB ]

00:59 - "brainy"
01:17 - "For a Healthy Brain in Old Age, Start Early" (NPR, January 4, 2007)
03:20 - "Stay Mentally Active" (Alzheimer's Association, 2011)
05:14 - "Nine Stubborn Brain Myths That Just Won’t Die, Debunked by Science" (Lifehacker, December 12, 2011)
08:57 - in which DeeAnn goes for walks to not step on salamanders
12:00 - Curtis attempts to define "real" and/or "meaningful"
14:22 - let's talk about engagement
16:00 - in which DeeAnn's nieces and nephews only like "fun" games
18:52 - let's talk about complexity
23:11 - IN CONCLUSION
26:47 - we love listener mail!
28:29 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Re: Your Brains" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #96: By the Numbers

Math is hard. Let's solve puzzles?


[ Download mp3 - 27 MB ]

00:59 - "statistically significant"
01:40 - compiled for Doctor When: Curtis' personal puzzlehunting history
08:56 - other statistics: regarding this very podcast!
14:48 - five minutes of disclaimers later, a top ten list
22:16 - and the #1 downloaded episode for the last 11 months...probably!
25:42 - (insert "99%" joke here)
28:31 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Chiron Beta Prime" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #95: Gamer Profiles - JESSICA & JEFF WALLACE, SharkBait/Briny Deep

Joining us this week from Seattle, Washington: Jessica and Jeff Wallace talk about how they've built their family around Gaming. Literally!


[ Download mp3 - 23 MB ]

00:59 - "kindred"
01:39 - Jessica says, "I am a Puzzle Geek."
03:31 - when Jeff met Jessica (at Microsoft)
06:12 - have puzzlehunts ever conflicted with your family life?
08:20 - Briny Deep vs. Sharkbait
09:47 - day jobs vs. GC
15:13 - the offspring
19:54 - (DeeAnn always has to tell her Halo story)
22:45 - PuzzleHuntCalendar.com and the secret puzzle cabal
24:25 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "You Ruined Everything" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #94: Gamer Profile - CHRIS HARRIS, The Gipper

Kids, if anybody knows the solution to the How I Met Your Mother puzzle, it's probably Chris Harris.


[ Download mp3 - 26 MB ]

00:59 - "comedic"
01:43 - who were The Gipperian Advillains?
05:32 - their adorable application video for WHO Game
06:57 - how Chris stumbled into the world of puzzle hunts
11:04 - do your TV-writer day job skills overlap with The Game?
16:28 - getting the "Big Boss" involved with the WHO Game
23:10 - what is the least you can do, really?
25:06 - plug-o-rama: HIMYM; what's next?
28:06 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Tom Cruise Crazy" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #93: SEAHOP Player Debrief

In which Ana, Katie, Matt, Rob, and Vic tell us about playing in the 2011 Seattle Epic and Awesome Hunt O' Puzzles (SEAHOP)! (Apologies for the inferior sound quality; our dining room is not an ideal recording environment.)


[ Download mp3 - 24 MB ]

00:59 - "epic and amazing"
01:50 - the legend of SEAHOP
03:17 - comparison to other puzzle hunt events?
07:07 - memorable puzzles
13:52 - boo .NET
18:20 - the Sunday afternoon wrap-up
22:09 - did SEAHOP inspire you to (wait for it) Run More Games?
24:05 - plug-o-rama: DASH 4, Puzzled Pint (want to simulcast? E-mail gamecontrol@puzzledpint.com)
26:13 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Mandelbrot Set" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #92: DeeAnn's Complex Relationship with Puzzles

In which we explore how a woman who admits she doesn't love puzzles nevertheless creates at least one new puzzle every month.


[ Download mp3 - 28 MB ]

00:59 - "fastidious"
01:59 - "Let's talk about Puzzled Pint!"
03:50 - INDEX INTO ALL THE THINGS! (thanks, Mike Janney)
05:31 - DeeAnn's complex relationship with one particular puzzle
11:39 - playing vs. solving
14:47 - the wrong question: "was it too easy?"
21:39 - when do we get good at making puzzles?
29:05 - Puzzle Hunt Calendar, Trenchwood (Doctor When), Thanksgiving, and more!
29:59 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Baby Got Back" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #91: GC Loves Volunteers

Because not only can helpers make or break a puzzlehunt event; volunteering on GC is also the gateway drug to running a puzzlehunt yourself. And you know how much we like to encourage that!


[ Download mp3 - 28 MB ]

00:59 - "voluntary"
01:25 - volunteering for Shinteki events
02:33 - our first GC volunteer experience: Espionage (1999)
10:07 - old-school Game Clues? not necessarily puzzles
15:02 - helpful volunteers are helpful
19:53 - managing ~40 volunteers in Hogwarts Game (2006)
23:07 - good volunteers know what they want to do
28:55 - plugging away: Puzzle Hunt Calendar and Doctor When (Trenchwood) applications
30:39 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "Shop Vac" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #90: BANG 28 Debrief

Corey "Weird Al's Doppelgänger" Anderson, Dan "Puzzle Hunt Calendar" Egnor, Doug "You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry" Zongker, and Dr. Melinda Owens tell us all about running BANG 28.

(I can neither confirm nor deny that I'm still a little sleep-deprived--and therefore punchy--from helping with the Bay Area WHO Game re-cast this past weekend.)


[ Download mp3 - 23 MB ]

00:59 - "glow-in-the-dark"
02:12 - why do the Burninators seem to run every 7th BANG?
05:23 - the night-time chicken and the electronics egg
09:05 - "Did you guys have fun?" "Almost always."
10:22 - Game Control and friends
12:05 - meeting the neighbors
14:30 - puzzle completion rates, estimated
16:15 - Seattle shipping shenanigans
17:44 - the GC "puzzle bible"
20:15 - what else? (see also: BANG 28 : By the Numbers)
22:36 - what's next? (implied: Run More Games)
24:37 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "The Future Soon" by Jonathan Coulton

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SnoutCast #89: SNAP 8 Debrief

In which we break the half-hour barrier with Jeff Phillips and Jay McCleery of SNAP 8 GC in Seattle. (Tune in next week for our BANG 28 debriefing!)


[ Download mp3 - 28 MB ]

00:58 - "snappy"
01:40 - What is a SNAP?
03:26 - re-casting BANG 28 (vs. simulcasting SNAP VI)
13:57 - an impolitic question about device re-use
15:25 - location, location, location
17:52 - on re-running an event you haven't already played
21:00 - on the coming together of plans and such
24:56 - the one horrendous clue building experience
26:35 - budgeting
27:11 - what's next? (implied: Run More Games!)
30:33 - The End

Got a comment or question? E-mail podcast@snout.org or post at snout.org/podcast!

Music: instrumentals from "Code Monkey" and "First of May" by Jonathan Coulton

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