It's one of the biggest leaks in video game history: Over the weekend, a hacker released dozens of video clips from Rockstar's unreleased (and technically unannounced) game Grand Theft Auto VI. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about the leak, the nature of reporting on situations like this, and the morality of leaks in general. Plus: the story of TheRealInsider, an insider who was not, in fact, real. One More Thing: Kirk: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Maddy: The Zachtronics Solitaire Collection Jason:...
Sep 22, 2022•58 min•Ep. 122
Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their passports and get ready for a trip to Arztotska, the setting of Lucas Pope's brilliant 2013 game Papers, Please, which just came out for phones. They talk about the game's brilliant design, the moral questions it poses, and what it's ultimately trying to say. Who would've thought that being a border inspector could be so fun? One More Thing: Kirk: The Rehearsal Maddy: Not Okay (2022) Jason: Long snappers Links: The famous “Aaron Burr” Milk commercial from 1993: ...
Sep 15, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 121
Jason, Maddy, and Kirk pull out their reading glasses for the very first Triple Read! This week, they discuss the brilliant novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, a decades-sprawling book about the epic journey of a boy and a girl from childhood friends to hit video game developers. The gang dives into the book's themes, its twists and turns, and all the fictional video games that make Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow such a joy to read. Plus: a tribute to our dear fr...
Sep 08, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 120
Who would our dream interview be? What's a "game as a service"? And have you ever played a video game at the wrong time? This week we open up the listener mailbag and take some of YOUR questions on all sorts of topics. Plus: why Kirk and Maddy are replaying the same games over and over and over and... One More Thing: Kirk: Persona 5 Royal Maddy: Assassin’s Creed Origins Jason: The Rehearsal Links: Featuring excerpts from “Crossing the Hill” by Hitoshi Sakimoto from FF Tactics A2: Grimoire of the...
Sep 01, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 119
Kirk, Maddy, and Jason put on their Lamb Pope hats and check out Cult of the Lamb, a new video game that's part Hades, part Animal Crossing, and 100% gruesome animal cult. They talk about scooping up poop, sacrificing their followers and why Cult of the Lamb should've maybe been a little more like a real cult. One More Thing: Kirk: Paper Girls Maddy: A League of Their Own (TV series) Jason: Daredevil (2015 show) Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: ...
Aug 25, 2022•59 min•Ep. 118
This week, the Triple Click gang dives into the world of superhero video games. What makes for a good (and bad) superhero game? Why are Batman and Spider-Man such good protagonists for games? And hey, come to think of it, aren't all video games pretty much about superheroes? Plus: a special surprise! One More Thing: Kirk: Alone Maddy: MultiVersus Jason: Better Call Saul Links: Tom Bissell on Batman: Arkham City: https://grantland.com/features/batman-arkham-city/ Support Triple Click: http://maxi...
Aug 18, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 117
It's time for a NEWS BREAK! Kirk, Jason, and Maddy go through this summer's big stories, from Grand Theft Auto maker Rockstar changing its ways to Ubisoft falling apart to the wave of unionization hitting the games industry. Plus: delays, delays, and more delays! One More Thing: Kirk: Prey (2022) Maddy: Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered (PC) Jason: The Quarry Links: Axios story about Blizzard’s new legal strategy: https://www.axios.com/2022/08/01/bungie-destiny-lawsuits-cheaters-harassers NYT story...
Aug 11, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 116
Xenogears? Xenosaga? Xenoblade? Just what is the deal with all of these Xeno-games? In honor of the recent release of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 for the Switch, Jason walks Kirk and Maddy through the long-running JRPG pseudo-series, from giant robots to anime swords. One More Thing: Kirk: Stray Maddy: Misery (1990) Jason: Live A Live Links: Jason’s Kotaku review of Xenoblade Chronicles 2: https://kotaku.com/xenoblade-chronicles-2-the-kotaku-review-1820903229 Autumn Wright’s Polygon review of Xenobla...
Aug 04, 2022•58 min•Ep. 115
The Triple Click triad takes on Battle Royale - which means they’re spilling the beans on the notorious 2000 film, as well as The Hunger Games, Danganronpa, and Netflix’s recent series Squid Game. CW: More murder than usual, brief discussion of suicide. Note: This bonus episode originally ran in early December 2021. An interesting Inverse feature on some of the film’s stars 20 years later: https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/battle-royale-20-year-anniversary Join the Triple Click Discord: http...
Jul 28, 2022•1 hr 5 min
(Rockapella voice) Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? This week, the Triple Click gang straps on their magnifying glasses and tries to track down the infamous criminal as well as other "edutainment" games, from Oregon Trail to Number Munchers. What made those old games so special? Can "educational" games ever really work? And what's up with all that dysentery? One More Thing: Kirk: Social Media Maddy: Dante’s Inferno (2010) Jason: The West Wing Links: Excerpts From: “Isle Thing” by Weird Al ...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 114
What exactly is "Monkey Island" and why is it so popular? This week, the Triple Click gang revisits the old point-and-click adventure series in preparation for the newly announced Return to Monkey Island, which will be out later this year. They talk about the ups and downs of Monkey Island, the incredible music, and how it reinvigorated the genre by showing the world that adventure games do not, in fact, need to kill you. One More Thing: Kirk: Michael Clayton Maddy: Steam Deck Jason: Steve Jacks...
Jul 14, 2022•58 min•Ep. 113
Kirk, Jason, and Maddy dig into Citizen Sleeper, one of this year's, uh, sleeper hits. Set in a dystopian future full of corporations and depression, Citizen Sleeper is sort of a cross between a visual novel and a life simulation game. The gang talks about escaping digital poverty, the game's unique aesthetic style, and what it'd really be like to have your consciousness implanted into a robot body. One More Thing: Kirk: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Maddy: Patricia Wants To Cuddle b...
Jul 07, 2022•59 min•Ep. 112
This week, the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag and takes some of YOUR questions about all sorts of fun things. Wouldn't it be nice if games let you turn off all the microtransactions? What's it like revisiting old games with a modern eye? And what are our favorite board games (aside from Candyland)??? One More Thing: Kirk: Players Maddy: Neon White Jason: Craps Links: BitCulture’s remix of Maddy’s song “Bad Feeling” (feat. Kirk on sax) - https://maddymyers.bandcamp.com/track/bad-feeling-b...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 111
Story or gameplay... WHO WINS? This week, the Triple Click gang dives into an age-old debate and discusses the tension between action and narrative in video games. What does a "video game story" actually mean? What's more important, story or gameplay? And does it even really matter? One More Thing: Kirk: Vampire Survivors Maddy: First Kill Jason: AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES - nirvanA Initiative Links: Clint Hocking’s “Ludonarrative Dissonance in BioShock” - https://clicknothing.typepad.com/click_nothi...
Jun 23, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 110
E3 is here... or at least it would be, if it hadn't been canceled in January. So instead we have this: a smattering of haphazard events all loosely taking place in June, except for the ones coming later. This week, Jason, Kirk, and Maddy try to untangle Not E3 2022 and talk about the highlights (and lowlights) so far, from Starfield to Silksong. One More Thing: Kirk: Josh Strife Hays’ Diablo loot video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o17lBUZgjTs Maddy: Venom: Let There Be Carnage Jason: How I B...
Jun 16, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 109
Maddy, Kirk, and Jason are playing Blizzard's new game Diablo Immortal and wondering... what about this is fun? Is it really all that appealing to keep collecting shiny things and watching our bars go up? From there they start wondering about loot in video games. What is it about items that get players so excited? What makes a good loot system? A bad one? And is Diablo inherently corrupt? One More Thing: Kirk : Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Maddy: Moon Knight Jason: The Quarry Links: Maddy’s art...
Jun 09, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 108
How did Overwatch become such a phenomenon? Why have hardcore players stuck with it (or failed to) over the last few years? And what's up with Overwatch 2? The Triple Click gang brings on Overwatch expert Nico Deyo to help guide us through Blizzard's wonderful world of costumed vigilantes and super-intelligent gorillas. One More Thing: Kirk: Tango Maddy: Misery by Stephen King Jason: The Flight Attendant Links: Nico Deyo and Tyler Colp’s Overwatch feature for Vice Games: https://www.vice.com/en/...
Jun 02, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 107
Maddy, Jason, and Kirk get themselves a castle, go on missions abroad, and finally face down the vicious Luca Blight. In the second part of this Suikoden II playthrough, the gang talks about how their feelings have changed since the first chunk of the game, how the game's awful localization impacts the story, and how that epic fight played out. One More Thing: Kirk: D&D - Eberron: Rising from the Last War Maddy: Heartstopper Jason: The G-Word with Adam Conover Links: Support Triple Click: ht...
May 26, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 106
BOO! To celebrate Spooky Spring, Jason, Maddy, and Kirk dive into some of their favorite horror games and talk about what makes a video game scary. How does interactivity enhance horror? What's the difference between "dread" and "panic"? And are controls sometimes meant to be terrible? One More Thing: Kirk: Persona 4 Golden/Persona 5 Royal Maddy: Elden Ring Jason: Eternal Threads Links: Maddy talks with Dead Space 2 director Wright Bagwell about the infamous eyeball scene: https://www.polygon.co...
May 19, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 105
It's time for another episode of BURNING QUESTIONS!!! Jason, Kirk, and Maddy open up the mailbag and take some listener questions on all sorts of things. Why do video games leak? What are some one-of-a-kind video games we'd like to see more of? And what's the deal with video game strategy guides? One More Thing: Kirk: Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe (Venom) Maddy: What’s Up, Doc? (1972) Jason: Disrupting the Game (Reggie Fils-Aime) Links: Jason interviews a strategy guide writer: https://kotaku.com...
May 12, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 104
Jason, Kirk, and Maddy talk about the most important tool in any video game player's arsenal: the controller! From fight sticks to Wiimotes to the Steam Deck, controllers have a lot to offer. This week, the gang goes back in time to talk about the best, the worst, and the just plain weird. One More Thing: Kirk: Switch Sports Maddy: Better Call Saul Jason: Barry Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple Click t-shirt: https://topatoco.com/collections/maximum-fun/product...
May 05, 2022•59 min•Ep. 103
Ever throw a controller at the wall? Kick your computer in half? This week the Triple Click gang talks rage-quitting -- bailing from a video game in a state of heightened irritation. From competitive multiplayer to Souls to good old poker, Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about what brings out the anger and even share some of their own experiences rage-quitting games. One More Thing: Kirk: Divinity Original Sin 2 Maddy: My Dress-Up Darling Jason: Abbott Elementary Links: Support Triple Click: http://...
Apr 28, 2022•58 min•Ep. 102
Maddy, Jason, and Kirk talk about one of this year's hit indie games, Tunic, a Zelda-like adventure filled with mystery and cute foxes. But does it live up to the hype? Or is the bouncy combat too frustrating to make Tunic quite the gem that Triple Click hoped it would be? One More Thing: Kirk: Advanced Steam Deck (or, more like StReam Deck) Maddy: Kirby and the Forgotten Land Jason: Better Call Saul Links: Excerpt from the Tunic soundtrack by Lifeformed x Janice Kwan: https://lifeformed.bandcam...
Apr 21, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 101
It's the 100th episode! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason celebrate the big milestone with some talk about the past and future of video games, then play some fun games, revisiting two years worth of Triple Plays and competing in some glorious One More Thing trivia! Thank you to all the listeners who have allowed us to make so many episodes of this wonderful show. One More Thing: Kirk: Steam Deck Maddy: Norco Jason: Nobody Saves The World Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy a Triple ...
Apr 14, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 100
Few video game series have a musical tradition as rich as The Legend of Zelda . This bonus cross-post from Kirk's music podcast Strong Songs takes a deep dive into the musical legacy of Nintendo's legendary adventure series. From Zelda's Lullabye to Epona's Song to the Great Fairy Fountain and Dragon Roost Island, Kirk unravels some of his favorite Zelda music and explores how Nintendo's composers keep weaving them back together into beautiful new patterns. Written by: Main themes by Koji Kondo,...
Apr 11, 2022•57 min
Whip out your metal detector and start combing the desert — it's time to talk about secrets. Jason, Kirk, and Maddy talk about the hunt for secrets in two recent video games, Elden Ring and Tunic, and some of their favorite secrets in modern times. And in true Triple Click fashion, they can't help but come up with some taxonomical categories. One More Thing: Kirk: Our Flag Means Death Maddy: Tunic Jason: The Dropout Links: Jason and Kirk’s old podcast about the Secret Hunters of Destiny: https:/...
Apr 07, 2022•57 min•Ep. 99
What's your favorite video game boss fight? Kirk, Maddy, and Jason break down all the options with a brand new taxonomy of bosses, from The Preview to The Gimmick to The Final Exam. They talk about some of the most memorable boss fights in gaming history, like Metal Gear Solid 3's The End and Metroid's Ridley, then dissect what makes each one unique. One More Thing: Kirk: Elden Ring’s Story Maddy: The Afterparty Jason: Triangle Strategy Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy...
Mar 31, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 98
Kirk, Jason, and Maddy open up the mailbag and answer some of YOUR questions about why they stopped playing Destiny, what games they use to relax, and whether it's a good idea to buy the stocks of video game companies. As always, these are real questions from our listeners. You can reach us with your own questions at [email protected] One More Thing: Kirk: Elden Ring Maddy: Kimi (2022) Jason: Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Links: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/j...
Mar 24, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 97
Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most lucrative games of all time. Why??? Kirk, Jason, and Maddy aren't really sure, but at least they can tell you all about Rockstar's hit action shooting game. The gang talks about 2013 nihilism, the innovations that GTA V brought to the open-world party, and how crime doesn't pay... except when it does. One More Thing: Kirk: Turning Red Maddy: Horizon Forbidden West Jason: Triangle Strategy Links: Ukraine support: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/03/02...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 96
You may have heard: Elden Ring is out. And the Triple Click crew has been playing it — for a combined 200+ hours. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy put on their Burger King wizard hats and take a trip to The Lands Between, where they're collecting Great Runes and trying not to fall off cliffs. They talk about the vast scope of the game, the brilliance of player notes, how to avoid burnout, the rewards of exploration, and oh so much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Carrie & Salem’s Lot Maddy: Alias Jason: In...
Mar 10, 2022•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 95
