Update 4/6/21: If you enjoy this episode of the No Proscenium Podcast, we hope you’ll check out S1E6 of The Reality Escape Pod, where David and Peih-Gee host Anthony.
I haven’t made a huge deal about it over the years, but I’m a pretty big fan of Survivor. The mix of interpersonal social dynamics, gameplay, physical challenges, and – of course – puzzles has provided me with a ton of entertainment over the years.
To celebrate the premier of the 39th season of Survivor: Island of the Idols, I guest hosted an episode of the No Proscenium Podcast to interview ex contestants/ escape room fans, Peih-Gee Law and Anthony Robinson, about the ultimate immersive game.
Background
Back when I first met Anthony Robinson of No Proscenium at the Immersive Design Summit, we geeked out about his time as a castaway on Survivor: Fiji.
He also mentioned that there was a contingent of former Survivors who loved escape rooms, notably his friend and two-time castaway Peih-Gee Law (Survivor: China and Survivor: Cambodia — Second Chance).
The Episode
You can find the full episode here:
No Proscenium – Everything Else: Survivor
Timestamps
We covered a mix of escape rooms and Survivor. I have timestamped the entire show for your convenience.
- 4:05 – Introductions.
- 5:05 – How did Anthony & Peih-Gee get cast?
- 8:26 – What’s it like being on Survivor?
- 10:45 – How Survivor has changed and become more aggressive in recent years
- 12:40 – Why Survivor has become more aggressive
- 14:36 – Anthony & Peih-Gee’s run-ins with some of the strongest personalities in the history of the show… and carrying goats
- 20:50 – Playing the tabletop game Diplomacy and other bluffing games
- 24:45 – Survivors playing Stash House in LA with a special twist
- 29:35 – Peih-Gee’s favorite escape rooms
- 32:45 – Anthony’s favorite escape rooms
- 34:00 – David’s favorite escape rooms
- 36:50 – Escape games with cocktails
- 41:05 – What is it like solving puzzles in the heat, on television, and with Jeff Probst narrating your failures?
- 46:15 – Survivor puzzles showing up in escape rooms
- 47:05 – Why no Survivor Escape Room Experience?
- 49:15 – Talking Season 39 Survivor: Island of the Idols
- 51:45 – Season 40’s “all winners cast” & other season concepts
- 53:25 – More on Season 39
- 55:35 – “The shut up button” and “having a talent for getting people to fight”
- 58:00 – Season 39 predictions
- 1:04:20 – The Season 39 twist
- 1:07:10 – Playing with a Survivor super-fan
- 1:11:00 – Lisa and I got recruited for the reality show Hunted
- 1:16:22 – What escape rooms are you excited to play? (Hex Room & Zoe) Games that foster emotion.
Really looking forward to listening to this. I’m a huge Survivor fan, I’ve watched every episode of every season since it came out in 2000.
I’ve seen most of them at this point. Missed a few in the mid 2000s.
I was so into it the first 20 seasons and stopped watching around mid season 26. only recently went back to re-watch recent seasons and the best ones I’ve missed (26,27,28,31,34,35,36,37,38)
Very cool listening. love p.g, am ashamed to say I can’t remember Anthony as this season is so old and I’ve seen Cambodia season (31) earlier this month.
I have played a game in Sofia where a beer on tap was available throughout the entire game (18+) and in Israel there is a cocktail game where you gather ingredients to fix your own cocktail when the game is finished.
Survivor escape room has so much potential. tribe vs tribe mode or post-merge version for standalone run.
I had initially missed Anthony’s season too. It was the season that aired right before I started watching again.
I’ve seen this season. but there has been so many since that I only remember the top 5 players as it pops up when you watch those ‘top survivor moments’ on youtube.
I frequently need my memory refreshed to star recalling some of the seasons.