Balatro is one of the best games of 2024 so far — and certainly the most addictive. This week, the Triple Click gang dives into the new poker roguelike and dissects what makes it so great. They talk about the three phases of Balatro players, the appeal of randomness, and the thrill of this game's parade of interesting decisions. One More Thing: Kirk: Dragon’s Dogma 2 Maddy: Princess Peach Showtime! Jason: The Last Murder at the End of the World (Stuart Turton) LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https...
Mar 28, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 198
Happy MaxFunDrive! This week, the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag and takes some listener questions: Are libraries ethical? How bad will ads in video games get? And when does a game developer know if it's time to cancel a project? One More Thing: Kirk: FF7 Rebirth Piano Minigame & Music Notation Maddy: Shogun Jason: Dragon’s Dogma 2 LINKS: Hearthstone’s Ben Brode on Search Engine: https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/how-do-you-make-an-addictive-video Tantacrul’s incredibly good video about ...
Mar 21, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 197
Jason, Maddy, and Kirk pull up their strategem monitors and dive into Helldivers 2. They share their favorite memeable moments, talk about the game's unique story, and dive into what does and doesn't work about the hit new game. One More Thing: Kirk: Home Safety Hotline (PC) Maddy: The Insurrectionist Next Door (2023) Jason: Unicorn Overlord (Current Consoles) LINKS: Featuring Johan Lindgren’s Helldivers 2 theme Joel the game master: https://www.pcgamer.com/we-have-an-actual-person-with-the-titl...
Mar 14, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 196
Kirk, Maddy, and Jason travel back in time and make their way up Mt. Nibel for a deeper look at the stellar Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, a game about traveling the world and playing animal soccer. One More Thing: Kirk: Our Last Best Hope (Magpie Games) Maddy: True Detective: Night Country (Max) Jason: The Dynasty (by Jeff Benedict) LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy Trip...
Mar 07, 2024•58 min•Ep. 195
Kirk, Maddy, and Jason return to the world of buster swords and moogles to hunt Sephiroth, trying not to get too distracted by all the minigames along the way. It's time for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the sequel to Final Fantasy VII Remake. How good is it? Let's discuss! One More Thing: Kirk: Oppenheimer in 70mm Maddy: True Detective S3 Jason: Balatro LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Support Triple Click: http://maximu...
Feb 29, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 194
Xbox recently announced plans to bring four games to PlayStation and Switch. But why? What's Microsoft's gaming strategy? And why are they even bothering to keep selling consoles? The Triple Click gang discusses. One More Thing: Kirk: Helldivers 2 (PS5, PC) Maddy: Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World (Naomi Klein) Jason: Everyone On This Train Is A Suspect (Benjamin Stevenson) LINKS: Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/ Sup...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 193
It's time to analyze roguelikes — the latest trend sweeping games from God of War to The Last of Us — as Kirk, Jason, and Maddy get ready to dive into a dungeon full of random levels, cool weapons, and permadeath. One More Thing: Kirk: Scavenger’s Reign (Max) Maddy: King of the Hill Jason: Super Bowl 58 LINKS: “Grounded II: The Making of The Last of Us Part 2”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC3C7GMMfDU Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/978...
Feb 15, 2024•59 min•Ep. 192
The Triple Click gang takes a look at Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, the latest game from Rocksteady Studios and a new entry into the oversaturated "live service" market. They talk about why publishers love service games, superhero fatigue, and how this new Suicide Squad game came to be. One More Thing: Kirk: Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2024) (Amazon Prime) Maddy: True Detective S2 (HBO) Jason: Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment (Jason Schreier) LINKS: Preorder Jaso...
Feb 08, 2024•58 min•Ep. 191
Xbox laid off nearly two thousand people last week. Before that, Riot laid off hundreds more. Why does this keep happening, and how does it affect people's lives? This week, Jason, Kirk, and Maddy talk about the video game layoff epidemic and try to pinpoint the causes and effects. One More Thing: Kirk: One Piece (Netflix) Maddy: True Detective S1-S2 Jason: Cultish (Amanda Montell) LINKS: Ezra Klein on the hollowing out of media: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/21/opinion/pitchfork-gq-internet-m...
Feb 01, 2024•59 min•Ep. 190
We have no objections to Ace Attorney, Capcom's brilliant series about lawyers attacking each other with dangerous weapons. To celebrate this week's release of the Apollo Justice collection (aka: Ace Attorney 4-6), the gang explains why this adventure game series is so appealing, from the zany courtroom antics to the truly absurd animations. One More Thing: Kirk: Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) Maddy: Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie (2018) Jason: Palworld LINKS: Bloomberg ar...
Jan 25, 2024•58 min•Ep. 189
Less than three weeks into 2024, we've already discovered what will likely be one of the year's best games: Ubisoft's Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which the gang is loving. Maddy, Jason, and Kirk talk about the new game's satisfying platforming, the time-twisting story, and how it feels a whole lot like Hollow Knight. One More Thing: Kirk: Guitar Zero: The Science of Becoming Musical at Any Age by Gary Marcus Maddy: Liftoff by Casey Johnston Jason: Battle of Ink and Ice by Darrell Hartman L...
Jan 18, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 188
Jason, Maddy, and Kirk open up the mailbag to answer listener questions on all sorts of things. Why do games like Skull & Bones languish in development hell forever? What makes Chants of Sennaar such a bad name? And, uh, what's the best investment advice? One More Thing: Kirk: Fargo Seasons 4 and 5 (FX/Hulu) Maddy: A Little To The Left Jason: I hate advertisements LINKS: Reddit Personal Finance https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/commontopics “Fargo Season 5 Theme” by Jeff Russo A ...
Jan 11, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 187
What will this next year bring? And what does it mean for gaming? Kirk, Maddy, and Jason go over last year's predictions to see who won the big bet, then throw down some hot new declarations for what's to come in 2024. One More Thing: Kirk: Learning to Play Piano When There Is No Recital, by Kelsey McKinney Maddy: Dark Souls Jason: Ace Attorney 4: Apollo Justice LINKS: Chris Dahlen’s excellent 2012 essay about Dark Souls: https://kotaku.com/what-dark-souls-is-really-all-about-5874599 Kelsey McKi...
Jan 04, 2024•56 min•Ep. 186
It is time once again for that wonderful annual tradition: the best video games of 2023. One More Thing: Kirk: Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation (Kevin Roose, 2021) Maddy: Pit Bulls and Parolees Jason: Dredge LINKS: Jason’s piece on the Insomniac hack: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-12-22/playstation-employees-at-insomniac-studio-fear-identity-theft-after-massive-hack Featuring soundtrack excerpts from Jusant, Hi-Fi Rush, Alan Wake 2, and Super Mario Bros....
Dec 28, 2023•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 185
Jason, Maddy and Kirk take on the clickers once more in this spoiler-filled discussion of HBO's hit adaptation of The Last of Us. LINKS Kirk's 2013 article about the game's ending 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/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ Help support this show and un...
Dec 21, 2023•1 hr 19 min
Kirk, Jason, and Maddy determine who won last week's award predictions before jumping into a jam-packed episode full of hot news and video games. They talk about The Game Awards, the GTA VI reveal, and the cancellation of E3, then talk about games like Avatar, Fortnite, and God of War Ragnarok's new Valhalla DLC, plus much more. One More Thing: Kirk: GPT4 Maddy: Amsterdam (2022) Jason: Eiyuden Chronicles LINKS: Featuring excerpts from “Love is a Long Road” by Tom Petty from Full Moon Fever, 1989...
Dec 14, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 184
The Triple Click Trio takes on The Game Awards: Who will win? Who'll get snubbed? What's an Action/Adventure game, again? Also, the hosts make some predictions! One More Thing: Kirk: Jusant Maddy: Chants of Sennar Jason: Going Infinite (Michael Lewis) 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/tripleclickpod Triple Click Ethics Policy: h...
Dec 07, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 183
Maddy, Kirk, and Jason pull out their red-stringed corkboards for a dive into the world of connected universes. What's the deal with games that seem connected in both subtle and blatant ways? Why does Jason hate multiverses so much? And what's a "brand-iverse"? The Types of Connected Universe: Shared Universe - A collection of stories and characters that all occupy the same time and place, e.g. MCU, most Marvel Comics, Star Trek, Star Wars, Assassin's Creed, Persona, etc. Transmediaverse - A col...
Nov 30, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 182
Maddy, Kirk, and Jason take a trip to the Mushroom Kingdom and almost get skewered by a giant sword as they play through Super Mario RPG, the new remake of the iconic Super Nintendo game. The gang talks about how it's aged in 2023, the turn-based combat, and just how damn funny the whole thing is. One More Thing: Kirk: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Maddy: Grand Theft Auto 5 Jason: Interest rates LINKS: J Kenji López-Alt’s YouTube Channel and his book, The Food Lab Support Triple Click: http://maximumf...
Nov 23, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 181
What's the deal with multiple endings? Does the gang save-scum and look up which ones they're going to get? Are multiple endings better than singular ones? And is this all just a thinly veiled excuse for Maddy, Kirk, and Jason to keep talking about Baldur's Gate 3? One More Thing: Kirk: The Vorkosigan Saga (Lois McMaster Bujold) Maddy: The Marvels (2023) Jason: Red Dead Redemption 2 LINKS: A More Civilized Age plays Knights of the Old Republic: https://amorecivilizedage.net Kirk’s review of Red ...
Nov 16, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 180
Jason, Maddy, and Kirk pull out their flashlights and go spelunking in the Dark Place for this week's episode, all about the wonderful new game Alan Wake 2. They talk about the increasingly fascinating Remedyverse, the game's Resident Evil inspirations, and try to figure out if Mr. Door was supposed to be played by Lance Reddick. One More Thing: Kirk: Blue Eye Samurai (Netflix) Maddy: Quiz Lady (2023) Jason: MCU (Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, Gavin Edwards) LINKS: Variety on the turmoil at Mar...
Nov 09, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 179
What video games went through turbulent development cycles and still turned out good? What are some tips for getting into video game journalism? And should we gender-swap... Kratos? This week: your questions, answered! One More Thing: Kirk: El Paso, Elsewhere Maddy: Us (2019) Jason: Killers of the Flower Moon 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...
Nov 02, 2023•59 min•Ep. 178
Super Mario Bros. Wonder is joy bottled up into a video game. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk break down the ubiquitous plumber's latest adventure to save the... err, to stop Bowser from being a castle. They talk about what makes Wonder so special, 2D vs. 3D Mario games, and how this is basically just one big music game. One More Thing: Kirk: Deadloch (Amazon) Maddy: If Books Could Kill (podcast) Jason: The Fall of the House of Usher (Netflix) LINKS: Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join Buy T...
Oct 26, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 177
With great power comes... something something. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk put on their spidersuits and get their senses tingling for a dive into the new PS5 exclusive Spider-Man 2. They talk about the game's strengths, its weaknesses, and just how incredible it all looks. One More Thing: Kirk: Zodiac (2007) Maddy: The Golden Bachelor Jason: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth LINKS: Blank Check’s Zodiac episode with Leslye Headland: https://soundcloud.com/griffin-and-david-present/zodiac-with-leslye-headland ...
Oct 19, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 176
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%5Bpr...
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...
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
