What's it like to play games with your partner? Can video games strengthen a relationship... or will they just make it worse? This week, the Triple Click Gang talks about their own experiences playing games with their wives and other significant others over the years. One More Thing: Kirk: Dredge vs. Dave the Diver Maddy: Jaws (1975) Jason: My Perfect Console podcast w/ Simon Parkin LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=t...
Oct 12, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 175
Three years after it first came out, Cyberpunk 2077 is finally finished. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason revisit CD Projekt Red's much-hyped game, which has changed quite a bit thanks to a brand new patch and the Phantom Liberty expansion. They talk story, gameplay, racism, and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Lies of P Maddy: Cocoon Jason: Assassin’s Creed Mirage LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix...
Oct 05, 2023•59 min•Ep. 174
Kirk, Jason, and Maddy revisit the Triple Click Picks, a list of ten games that this podcast unreservedly recommends you play... right now! Which new games made the cut? Which didn't? The answers may (or may not) surprise you. One More Thing: Kirk: Who Shat on the Floor at My Wedding? (Podcast) Maddy: Spyder Games (2001) MTV soap opera Jason: Number Go Up (Zeke Faux) LINKS: Number Go Up Excerpt: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2023-08-17/my-crypto-hell-journey-started-with-a-wrong-number...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 173
It's time for a news roundup! Maddy, Kirk, and Jason break down a whole bunch of recent headlines, from the Unity price hike debacle to the massive Xbox document leak. They also talk layoffs, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Killers of the Flower Moon (David Grann) Maddy: The Other Black Girl (Zakiya Dalila Harris) Jason: The Wager (David Grann) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+c...
Sep 21, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 172
For all, into the Triple Click! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason put on their Constellation outfits and go off into space in search of... now loading... special artifacts that... now loading... are all over the planets of... now loading... Starfield! One More Thing: Kirk: The Bear Maddy: Demi Adejuyigbe’s Letterboxd account ( link ) Jason: Aaron Rodgers LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Joi...
Sep 14, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 171
Maddy, Jason, and Kirk open up the mailbag and pull out some of your hottest questions. What's the best way to get kids into gaming? What minor video game mechanics could be expanded to full games? And what should the Switch 2 launch lineup look like? One More Thing: Kirk: The Making of Karateka Maddy: Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah Jason: Chants of Sennaar LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+cl...
Sep 07, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 170
What's the deal with: Bethesda games? To prepare for Starfield, Jason, Maddy, and Kirk take a trip all the way back to the Elder Scrolls: Arena days and go through the storied company's long history, which of course involves more than forty thousand versions of Skyrim. One More Thing: Kirk: How To with John Wilson (Max) Maddy: Imbeciles by Adam Cohen Jason: Sea of Stars LINKS: Hbomberguy’s videos on: Fallout 3 & Fallout: New Vegas Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click...
Aug 31, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 169
Jason, Kirk, and Maddy have played through all of StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, a game that has aged quite well. They talk about multitasking, the impact of MOBAs on RTS games, and a very epic game of tug-of-war. One More Thing: Kirk: The Afterparty S2 Maddy: Asteroid City (2023) Jason: Traffic (by Ben Smith) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: htt...
Aug 24, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 168
Jason, Maddy, and Kirk are still obsessing over Baldur's Gate 3, the tremendous new roleplaying game from Larian Studios. This week they dive deeper into the game's multiplayer, the pros and cons of its opacity, and of course, exploding barrels. One More Thing: Kirk: Frosthaven Maddy: Angel Jason: Traffic (by Ben Smith) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Disco...
Aug 17, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 167
Maddy, Kirk, and Jason put on their Gauntlets of Ogre Power and jump into Baldur's Gate 3, one of the hottest (and best) games of the year. They talk about this incredible new adaptation of Dungeons & Dragons, look in awe at the game's tremendous scope, and just generally rave about their time with it all. One More Thing: Kirk: “Country Music’s Race Problem” - Into It with Sam Sanders feat. Tressie McMillan Cottom Maddy: I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy Jason: Silicon Valley LINKS: Suppo...
Aug 10, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 166
Baldur's Gate 3 is out this week, and it's primed to be one of the year's biggest games. But why? What's the deal with this series that hasn't received a new game in more than 20 years? Why are people so excited for it? And what do we think of the new game so far? One More Thing: Kirk: The Vorkosigan Saga (Lois McMaster Bujold) Maddy: Pokemon Sleep Jason: Billions LINKS: Baldur’s Gate 1&2 story recap by WolfheartFPS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6L50P-lBGkM Kirk’s Vorkosigan reading order: ht...
Aug 03, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 165
These days, just about every video game either claims to be an RPG or has "RPG elements." But what does that mean? What is a role-playing game, exactly? And what that signify in this day and age? From Baldur's Gate 3 to Disco Elysium, let's discuss! One More Thing: Kirk: Planet of Lana (Xbox, PC) Maddy: They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix) (2023) Jason: Search Engine (with PJ Vogt) LINKS: Triple Click on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/tripleclickpod (Starcraft 2 Stream July 21 at 8PM Eastern) Support Triple ...
Jul 27, 2023•59 min•Ep. 164
Has StarCraft II aged well? What's with all the proper nouns? And how does it feel to play an old RTS game in 2023? This week, Triple Click revisits Blizzard's classic strategy game, playing through a chunk of Legacy of the Void and some multiplayer... for Aiur! One More Thing: Kirk: Overcooked 2 Maddy: Barbie (2023) Jason: It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO (John Koblin and Felix Gillette) LINKS: Triple Click on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/tripleclickpod (Starcraft 2...
Jul 20, 2023•59 min•Ep. 163
Do indie studios live or die based on day-one game sales? How do you make games for girls? And is it OK to cheat in JRPGs? Maddy, Kirk, and Jason open up the mailbag for some of YOUR questions on all sorts of things. Plus: meet Ghost Maddy! One More Thing: Kirk: Jury Duty Maddy: The Werewolf Experiment (Escape Room In A Box) Jason: New PC build LINKS: Triple Click on Twitch: https://twitch.tv/tripleclickpod (Starcraft 2 Stream July 21 at 8PM Eastern) Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/j...
Jul 13, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 162
Jason, Maddy, and Kirk strap in their Torgals and take a wild ride to Valisthea to talk about Final Fantasy XVI, the latest RPG from Square Enix. How does the new combat hold up? What's the deal with the story? And does it feel like a Final Fantasy game? All those questions answered... and much more. One More Thing: Kirk: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective Maddy: Boston Strangler (2023) (Hulu) Jason: Everybody Knows (Jordan Harper) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple C...
Jul 06, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 161
Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about the opening hours of Final Fantasy XVI, a game with some very strange pacing, and use that as a springboard to talk about pacing in general. How do you deal with pacing in video games when the player is control? And do big, emotional moments need a cigarette afterwards? One More Thing: Kirk: Beef (Netflix) Maddy: Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card Jason: Nintendo Direct LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfuns...
Jun 29, 2023•59 min•Ep. 160
The triple click trio dimension-hop to the gritty dystopia of Dinohattan, where they fight for freedom against the villainous politician Koopa, an evolved T-rex who wants to reunite the dimensions and… turn humans into monkeys using de-evolution technology… wait, how is this a Mario movie? LINKS Featuring an excerpt from “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was), 1987 A chronology of script rewrites for Super Mario Bros. ‘93: http://www.smbmovie.com/SMBArchive/preproduction/script.htm A Collider stor...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 1 min
It's June, which means it's time for... *checks notes*... Summer Game Fest? What the heck is that? The gang breaks down all of the big news and commercials, and Jason reports live from Not E3 in Los Angeles, where he's played the new Cyberpunk DLC and one of his best games of the show is... Crash Team Rumble? Note: Triple Click is off next week! One More Thing: Kirk: Diablo IV Maddy: Diablo IV (as a Rogue) Jason: Writers Strike LINKS: Kirk’s Arc Lash Sorcerer Build: https://www.youtube.com/watch...
Jun 15, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 159
Things get bloody as the Triple Click Trio dive into Diablo 4. One More Thing: Kirk: Mrs. Davis (Peacock) Maddy: Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Theatrical) Jason: I Think You Should Leave Season 3 (Netflix) LINKS: The LOST chapter from Maureen Ryan’s forthcoming book Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2023/05/lost-tv-show-culture Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstor...
Jun 08, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 158
Hope you're not too sick of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom yet, because it's all we can play. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy take another deep dive into Hyrule, talking about physics engines (and what makes them tick), dungeons, and tales from their adventures through one of this year's finest games. One More Thing: Kirk: Silo (Apple TV+) Maddy: Missing (2023) Jason: Final Fantasy XVI LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+cli...
Jun 01, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 157
It's the very first TRIPLE CLICK LIVE!!! From the Bell House in Brooklyn, Jason, Kirk, and Maddy talk about... well, what else? The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Plus: live Q&A and live One More Things. One More Thing: Kirk: Somebody, Somewhere S2 Maddy: Monitor arms Jason: Bojack Horseman LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Triple Click Merch: https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=last Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/...
May 25, 2023•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 156
Kirk, Jason, and Maddy do the only thing that could justify taking a break from playing Zelda: talking about playing Zelda! This week, they give their initial impressions of the impossibly big The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. They talk about how the new abilities work, what it's been like exploring the skies and depths, and how strange it is that Nintendo made a direct sequel in this way. Then they all go back to playing Zelda. One More Thing: Kirk: Ashes of the Unhewn Throne #1: The E...
May 18, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 155
The Triple Click crew opens up the mailbag to answer some listener questions about all sorts of things: why the United Kingdom can block Microsoft-Activision, what jobs we'd turn into sim games, and what Kirk thinks of Zelda's jazzy sax. Plus: One more week until Triple Click Live! One More Thing: Kirk: Party Down Season 3 (Starz) Maddy: Zelda: Breath of the Wild (still) Jason: Magic for Liars (Sarah Gailey) Links: Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-clic...
May 11, 2023•59 min•Ep. 154
Kirk, Jason, and Maddy strap on their blasters and take a trip to Koboh for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the latest game in a universe far, far away. They talk about PC performance problems, whether Survivor is too much of a direct sequel, the brilliant traversal mechanics, and the cutest droids in the galaxy. One More Thing: Kirk: PsychOdyssey Maddy: Dredge Jason: Case of the Golden Idol DLC Links: Digital Foundry’s analysis of Jedi Survivor’s PC Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI6eAVvvmg...
May 04, 2023•56 min•Ep. 153
The Triple Click gang offers some early impressions on the new game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, then dives into a brief history of Star Wars games. When were they good? When weren't they? And what makes for the best kind of Star Wars game these days? Plus: Jason played Tears of the Kingdom! One More Thing: Kirk: The Last House on Needless Street (Catriona Ward, 2021) Maddy: Blank Check podcast archives Jason: Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Links: Jason’s 2015 story on the death of LucasArts: https://...
Apr 27, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 152
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is just three weeks away, which means it's a good time to revisit The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about how 2017's Zelda shook up the series, what pros (and cons) it has over other Zelda games, and how it feels to play in 2023. One More Thing: Kirk: Shadow and Bone Season 2 Maddy: Chess Jason: Unlock! Exotic Adventures Links: Triple Click LIVE IN BROOKLYN, May 18th: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/triple-click-live-ticke...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 151
Maddy, Jason, and Kirk bring on special guest Casey Newton (Platformer, The Verge, Hard Fork) to talk about the generative AI craze that's sweeping the land. Artificial intelligence: what even is it? How did it become such a popular trend? And what does it all mean for video games? One More Thing: Kirk: Nope (2022) Maddy: The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) Jason: Talk to Me: How to Ask Better Questions, Get Better Answers, and Interview Anyone Like a Pro by Dean Nelson Links: Casey Newton’s news...
Apr 13, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 150
Resident Evil 4: it's remade! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason step into the shoes of himbo Leon Kennedy and take a trip to rural Spain to rescue the president's daughter in this remake of one of the most influential games ever made. One More Thing: Kirk: Tár Maddy: Misericorde: Volume One Jason: The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Links: Mike Mahardy on RE4’s lasting legacy: https://www.polygon.com/23660168/resident-evil-4-remake-the-last-of-us-pc-hbo Kim Stanley Robinson’s extremely great 2020 interv...
Apr 06, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 149
Kirk, Jason, and Maddy have spent a whole bunch of time with Diablo IV! Well, act one of it. The Triple Click gang talks about their time with the beta, the classes they played, their overall thoughts, and much much more. After all, you can't click click click click click click click click click click click without triple click! One More Thing: Kirk: The Ministry for the Future (Kim Stanley Robinson) Maddy: Metroid Fusion Jason: Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone (Benjamin Stevenson) Links...
Mar 30, 2023•59 min•Ep. 148
Kirk, Jason, and Maddy open up the mailbag to answer some of YOUR burning questions. Do we ever return to side quests after beating a game? Can a game succeed while making you feel bad for playing it? And what kind of impact did the pandemic have on video game endings? Plus: Video game novels! One More Thing: Kirk: New Morning Routine Maddy: Triangle of Sadness Jason: Unscripted by James Stewart and Rachel Abrams Links: MaxFunDrive Livestream! Wednesday March 29, 8PM Eastern: https://www.twitch....
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 147
