There's a new Assassin's Creed out, and there's lots to discuss. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about the structure of Assassin's Creed Shadows, the balance between protagonists Naoe and Yasuke, how the game might impact Ubisoft's future, and much more.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Search Engine with Ira Glass

Maddy: Heretic (2024)

Jason: Vantage Point (Sara Sligar)

LINKS:

Featuring excerpts from the AC Shadows soundtrack composed by The Flight and TEKE::TEKE

Shogun’s subtitles: https://www.polygon.com/24124644/star-wars-shogun-influence-subtitle-font

Polygon’s Heretic interviews: https://www.polygon.com/horror/476433/heretic-ending-explained-by-directorsHeretic’s directors unpack its ambiguous ending

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If the Triple Click gang worked in the video game industry, what would they each do? What's it like to pitch a game? And should Steam bring back its Greenlight process to help slow down the barrage of new games every year? This week, it's time for some burning questions!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Notifications

Maddy: We Are Lady Parts 

Jason: Dead Money (Jakob Kerr)

LINKS:

“The Writer Will Do Something” by Matthew Seiji Burns and Tom Bissell: https://matthewseiji.itch.io/twwds

Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread https://faroffgames.com/pages/arydia

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Video games: they're cool! There are a lot of new games out, so let's talk about them. Games discussed this week: Wanderstop, Expelled, Split Fiction, Rise of the Golden Idol DLC, Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage

One More Thing:

Kirk: Reacher (Prime Video)

Maddy: Paradise (Hulu)

Jason: The Corrections (Jonathan Franzen)

LINKS:

Analysis of duplicated host introductions using spectral analysis: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EQmbU451Ob5rmqKUDAdwAjuSysx7oEvW/view?usp=sharing

“The Guilt of the Video Game Millionares” by Simon Parkin for The New Yorker, 2014 https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/the-guilt-of-the-video-game-millionaires

Featuring an excerpt from the Wanderstop theme by C418

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Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their Palicoes and pull out their dual blades for a monster hunt extraordinaire. This week, the gang is talking about Capcom's latest Monster Hunter. They talk about the appeal of the core gameplay loop, the thrill of the combat, and the approachability compared to previous entries.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Murderbot Diaries (Martha Wells)

Maddy: The Contestant (2023)

Jason: Suikoden I&II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars

LINKS:

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What's with the video game industry? Over the last three years, tens of thousands of jobs have been cut, dozens of studios were shut down and countless projects got canceled. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy break down why and how this is all happening, from flattened console growth to the rise of Fortnite and other Black Hole games like it.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Pitt (Max)

Maddy: Moonlight Internet Hosting Tool

Jason: This is the Tom Green Documentary (Amazon Prime)

LINKS:

Matthew Ball’s presentation on the state of the video game industry: https://www.matthewball.co/all/stateofvideogaming2025

Chris Hayes on Know Your Enemy talking about attention and his new book The Siren’s Call: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/blog/know-your-enemy-pay-attention/

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The gang takes a deep dive into Obsidian's latest roleplaying game, Avowed. They talk about the crunchy combat, the ramifications of story decisions, and why the exploration works so well. Plus: SNL turns 50!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Ladies and Gentlemen…. 50 Years of SNL Music (Peacock)

Maddy: Priscilla (2023)

Jason: Lisa Jewell

LINKS:

Featuring “Avowed” by Venus Theory and Justin E. Bell

Hbomberguy’s “Fallout New Vegas is Genuis, Here’s Why”: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzF7aHxk4Y4

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Civilization VII is out this week, and it's time to break down Sid Meier's iconic series. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about their favorite games in the franchise, what "4X" actually means, and why Civ games are so appealing to so many people.

One More Thing:

Kirk: “The Ghosts in the Machine” an excerpt from Mood Machine by Liz Pelly

Maddy: ‘Dragon Age: The Veilguard Just Went From A Good RPG To One Of BioWare’s Most Important Games’ by Ken Shepard [Spoilers]

Jason: Avowed

LINKS:

“Casual Viewing: Why Netflix Looks Like That” by Will Tavlin for N+1: https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/essays/casual-viewing/

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The console wars are over. The winner? PC gaming! This week, the Triple Click gang gets into Maddy's recent quest to build a new PC and some of their favorite PC building experiences. Then they talk about the recent explosion of PC gaming, what's caused it, and what it might mean for the future of games.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver)

Maddy: Citizen Sleeper 2

Jason: The craziest trade in NBA history

LINKS:

Featuring “Sleeper” by Amos Roddy from Citizen Sleeper

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Wondering what makes some video game titles good and some bad? Just bring in Triple Click Consulting — we've got you covered. This week, the gang goes through a whole bunch of names and discusses what makes them work and what doesn't, from Balatro to EA Sports FC.

One More Thing:

Kirk: “All Work and No Play” - Sam Adler-Bell for Dissent, 2021

Maddy: Silo season 2

Jason: You Like It Darker (Stephen King)

LINKS:

The Know Your Enemy Podcast: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/category/podcast/know-your-enemy/

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A good name should be at least two of:

• Memorable (vs. Forgettable)
• Punchy (vs. Floppy)
• Understandable (vs. Confusing)
• Enticing (vs. Off-Putting)
• Surprising (vs. Predictable) (??)

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Nintendo officially announced the Switch 2 last week, and there's oh so much to discuss. Jason, Maddy, and Kirk give their initial impressions of Nintendo's next console, talk about how it will fit into a post-Steam Deck world, and debate whether Mario Kart is any good. Then they talk about PlayStation's failing live-service initiative. Plus: a bonus Burning Question!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Trap (dir. M. Night Shaymalan)

Maddy: Building Outside the Lines (HGTV)

Jason: The Puzzle Maker: Cebba’s Odyssey (Steam)

LINKS:

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How have video game budgets skyrocketed to the hundreds of millions? What are some good video games for elderly people? And is it possible there's a game as good as Balatro out there, but nobody has found it yet? This week, the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag and takes some of your questions on all sorts of topics.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Black Doves (Netflix)

Maddy: Steam Families

Jason: The Roottrees Are Dead

LINKS:

Excerpts from “Crowning Celebration” by Paul Misko from The Case of the Golden Idol, 2022 and “New Wells of Conformity” by Paul Alexander from Case of the Golden Idol, 2024 

Kirk’s new prediction: Death Stranding 2 will feature one (1) of the following people: Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Timothée Chalomét, Christopher Nolan, Daniel Craig

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Jason, Kirk, and Maddy revisit last year's predictions to see what game they'll be playing this year, then go through some new predictions for 2025, from the Nintendo Switch 2 to... new Half-Life?

One More Thing:

Kirk: Interviewing your friends & family / StoryCorps

Maddy: Scorcese double feature (Taxi Driver + King of Comedy)

Jason: Encanto (2021)

LINKS:

StoryCorps: https://storycorps.org/

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2025 PREDICTIONS

KIRK

1. At least one game will be released and then un-released within the year
2. Hollow Knight: Silksong will actually come out
3. Valve will announce a new non-VR Half-Life game
4. The new Nintendo console will have the word "Switch" in the name
5. Conan O'Brien or Geoff Keighley will appear in Death Stranding 2 (either/both)
6. Valve will announce a new Steam controller that's on par with Steam Deck
7. You will be able to "pet the dog" in The Game Awards' GOTY, i.e. the game will have a "pet animal" interact prompt
8. At least two TGA GOTY nominees will be for a studio's first game
9. In the new Fable, you will be able to plant an acorn and have it grow into a tree
10. Square Enix will announce Final Fantasy VII.... Return

Bonus: Nintendo will announce they're bringing games to Steam

Game: SOMA

MADDY

1. A Deadpool video game will get announced
2. The Guillemot family will get pushed out of controlling Ubisoft
3. Metroid Prime 2 + 3 will get remasters released on a Switch in 2025
4. A full-length film will be screened in Fortnite
5. A game made on Roblox will become a huge hit/phenomenon on the scale of Pokemon Go or Among Us
6. Microsoft/Xbox will remove the requirement for new Xbox games to be able to also run on Xbox Series S
7. Half-Life 3 will be announced
8. Silksong will get a release date announcement that will be “it’s out right now” (which means I am also implicitly predicting Silksong comes out in 2025)
9. There will be two more prominent live service game failures in 2025 in the style of Concord and Suicide Squad
10. Waluigi will figure into a new Mario game

Bonus: Half-Life 4 will be announced

Game: Super Metroid

JASON

1. Ubisoft will be sold 
2. An Xbox studios game will be nominated for GOTY at The Game Awards (it's never happened before!)
3. A non-VR Half-Life game will be announced
4. A single player playstation game will be announced for PC within 3 months of its PS5 release
5. Ace Attorney 7 will be announced 
6. Bobby Kotick will get involved with the Trump administration in some way
7. EA CEO Andrew Wilson will step down
8. Switch 2 will have an availability crisis
9. Metroid Prime 4 will launch on Switch and Switch 2 - day one of Switch 2
10. There will be fewer industry layoffs than last year

Bonus: Amazon will pull out of the video game industry

Game: Chrono Trigger

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It's a race to the top as Leon, Key, and Bing reckon with a ghost from the past... and some imps in the present. Leon makes a surprising discovery. Key takes a big risk. Bing rearranges the furniture.

LINKS:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

It's time for the best games of the year! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason go through 2024's lineup and talk about their favorites.

GAME OF THE YEAR:

Kirk:

• Balatro
• Animal Well
• Helldivers 2
• 1000xRESIST
• Mouthwashing
• Dragon's Dogma 2
• Tactical Breach Wizards
• Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

Maddy:

• Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown 
• Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree 
• Metaphor: ReFantazio 
• Fields of Mistria 
• Tactical Breach Wizards 
• Balatro 
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard 
• Tales of Kenzera: Zau 
• Animal Well 
• Astro Bot

Jason: 

• Animal Well
• Balatro
• Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
• Metaphor ReFantazio
• Secrets of Grindea
• Astro Bot
• Rise of the Golden Idol
• Ace Attorney Investigations 2
• Dragon Quest 3 HD
• Nine Sols

One More Thing:

Kirk: Detroiters

Maddy: Battle Royale by Koushun Takami

Jason: Happy Endings (Hulu)

LINKS:

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Jason, Kirk, and Maddy talk about The Game Awards 2024 (and determine the predictions winner) before breaking down Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, the latest game in the whip-cracking, fedora-wearing archeologist's adventures. They talk about the puzzles, the fist-fighting, and which parts of the game belong in a museum.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Thank Goodness You’re Here! (PC + Consoles)

Maddy: Drumline (2002)

Jason: Say Nothing (Patrick Radden Keefe)

LINKS:

Featuring Excerpts from “Intergalactic” by The Beastie Boys from Hello Nasty, 1998, and “Raiders March” by John Williams from Raiders of the Lost Ark, 1981

Smack Barm Pey Wet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fid-RMAm4U

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Finally, it's time for gaming's biggest night. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason go through each category at the 2024 Game Awards, from Game of the Year to Content Creator of the Year, and make their predictions. They talk about the biggest snubs, what they expect, and which game announcements they hope to see.

One More Thing:

Kirk: A Man on the Inside (Netflix)

Maddy: Scream (2022)

Jason: The Diplomat (Netflix)

LINKS:

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Grab your D20 and roll initiative — it's time to talk Dungeons & Dragons. Inspired by their recent Triple Quest journey, the gang talks about their experiences playing with Matthew Mercer this year. They also get into their personal D&D histories, the game's recent surge of popularity, and how Baldur's Gate 3 has impacted it all.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Mouthwashing (PC/Steam)

Maddy: Infinity Nikki

Jason: Secrets of Grindea

LINKS:

Luke Winkie’s 2023 interview with Matt Mercer: dragons-critical-role-matthew-mercer-twitch.html">https://slate.com/life/2023/08/dungeons-dragons-critical-role-matthew-mercer-twitch.html

Mages and Murderdads: https://rangedtouch.com/mages-murderdads/

Jason on Secrets of Grindea: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-05-31/-secrets-of-grindea-the-hit-indie-video-game-that-took-13-years-to-make

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On part two of Triple Quest, the trio visits the library. Leon and Luther take their relationship to the next level. Bing plays some piano. Key gets into pottery.LINKS:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

It's a Thanksgiving cornucopia full of video games as the Triple Click gang talks about what they've been playing. They discuss Rise of the Golden Idol, STALKER 2, Loco Motive, and Tactical Breach Wizards. Plus: spatchcocking!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Slow Horses (Mick Herron)

Maddy: Les Miserables (2012)

Jason: Thanksgiving

LINKS:

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You all asked for advice, so here it is! Kirk, Maddy, and Jason open up the mailbag for a special Burning Questions all about life advice. They talk about how to make friends as adults, how to have better conversations, how to convince your children to cook with you and much more.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Echo Point Nova

Maddy: Scream 2 + 3

Jason: Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake

LINKS:

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Kirk and Maddy have played a lot of Dragon Age: The Veilguard! Jason... well, Jason can just listen. The gang talks about BioWare's latest RPG and how much it changes after the first few hours, mostly for the better.

One More Thing:

Kirk: City Cast

Maddy: Evil Men (podcast)

Jason: Rise of the Golden Idol

LINKS:

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Triple Click gathers their party for a discussion of ensemble casts. They talk about Metaphor: ReFantazio, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and other RPGs this year to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each game's party. No, not that party. The other one.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Black Ops IIIIII

Maddy: Metaphor: ReFantazio

Jason: The Unseen World (Liz Moore)

LINKS:

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For the first time in ten years, a new Dragon Age is out this week. Maddy and Jason give some quick impressions on Dragon Age: The Veilguard, then get into overall series discussion with Kirk. The three of them talk about the long shadow of Origins, how the series has evolved over the years, and why people love Dragon Age characters so much.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Legend of Vox Machina (Prime Video)

Maddy: Scream (1996)

Jason: We Solve Murders (Richard Osman)

LINKS:

Kirk’s 2014 Dragon Age lore explainer: https://kotaku.com/a-beginners-guide-to-all-things-dragon-age-1658487212

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Bing, Leon, and Key hear from an old friend. A tchotchke seller has an unexpected windfall. Thornhold's friendliest guard makes some new acquaintances.

Listen to Act Two right now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.SCHEDULE:Triple Quest will be told in three acts, along with a "session zero" planning session. All episodes will be published to the members-only feed first, and will hit the main feed a month later. Part One and the planning session will debut at the end of September. Parts Two and Three will debut at the ends of October and November, respectively.  

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Maddy, Jason and Kirk sit down with guest game master Matthew Mercer to roll their characters and plan out the coming adventure.

Listen to Act Two right now by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.SCHEDULE:Triple Quest will be told in three acts, along with a "session zero" planning session. All episodes will be published to the members-only feed first, and will hit the main feed a month later. Part One and the planning session will debut at the end of September. Parts Two and Three will debut at the ends of October and November, respectively. 

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How do you handle that one jerk in your gaming group? What games are good for each season? And what don't Kirk, Jason, and Maddy agree on? This week, we're opening up the mailbag for your burning questions on all that and much more.

One More Thing:

Kirk: I Am Your Beast (PC/Steam)

Maddy: The “I Hate Bill Maher” podcast

Jason: Sunderfolk

LINKS:

The New York Times on Xalavier Nelson Jr: nelson-strange-scaffold.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/22/arts/xalavier-nelson-strange-scaffold.html

Jason’s Bloomberg interview with Mike Morhaime: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2024-10-10/dreamhaven-s-morhaime-on-creating-games-that-connect-and-the-next-hit

Luke Plunkett on replaying Bully in 2024: https://aftermath.site/bully-rockstar-pc-steam

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Jason, Kirk, and Maddy take a deep dive into Metaphor: ReFantazio, the new game from a team of former Persona directors at Atlus. They talk about Metaphor's gameplay, its similarities to (and differences from) Persona 5, and what they like and don't like about this stylish new RPG.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024)

Maddy: Agatha All Along

Jason: LOST (2004)

LINKS:

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Maddy, Jason, and Kirk conjure echoes of themselves to record a podcast and then sit back and eat some chips. It's time to talk The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Delicious in Dungeon (Netflix)

Maddy: Elsbeth [Paramount+]

Jason: Metaphor: ReFantazio

LINKS:

Featuring excerpts from the Echoes of Wisdom score and “Sleep Walking Orchestra” by BUMP OF CHICKEN from Delicious in Dungeon

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Here's a special treat — the first chapter of Jason Schreier's PLAY NICE: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment, read by Ray Chase and free for all Triple Click listeners. You can buy the audiobook right here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781668639818/

MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

How did Blizzard transform from one of the most beloved game companies on the planet into a shell of itself? This week, Maddy and Kirk probe Jason about his new book — PLAY NICE: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment (out October 8) — which chronicles the 33-year history of the company behind Warcraft, StarCraft, Overwatch, and Diablo. They talk about Blizzard's string of corporate parent companies, the development struggles of Overwatch 2, the wild story of Blizzard North, and much more.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster

Maddy: XBPlay

Jason: The Afterparty season 2

LINKS:

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A ton of indie games have come out over the last few weeks and months, so it's time for a roundup! Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about UFO 50 (which is really 50 games in one), Arranger, The Operator, Tactical Breach Wizards, and The Plucky Squire. Some they like... some they don't!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Apple TV

Maddy: Crime Scene Cleaner

Jason: The NFL preseason

LINKS:

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We're doing something pretty cool.

MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

It's time for some news! The Triple Click gang gathers to talk about the newly announced PS5 Pro ($700!), the Annapurna Interactive exodus, and the tragic demise of Concord, a game that lasted less than two weeks.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Rebel Ridge (2024, Netflix)

Maddy: Nimona (2023, Netflix)

Jason: Fleishman Is In Trouble (Taffy Brodesser-Akner)

LINKS:

The (really good!) NYT article about Ezra Edelman’s lost Netflix Prince documentary: netflix-ezra-edelman-documentary.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/08/magazine/prince-netflix-ezra-edelman-documentary.html

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The new PlayStation 5 exclusive Astro Bot is an extraordinary platformer, one that just continues to surprise and delight Jason, Maddy, and Kirk. The gang talks about their favorite moments, what makes a platformer feel good, and whether all those PlayStation references might be a little much.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

Maddy: The Fall Guy (2024)

Jason: The God of the Woods (Liz Moore)

LINKS:

Oli Welsh’s Astro Bot review: https://www.polygon.com/review/447564/astro-bot-review

Jason’s interview with the game’s director: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-09-06/playstation-s-astro-bot-is-a-model-for-the-video-game-industry?srnd=undefined

Featuring excerpts from “Astro Bot,” “Crash Site,” and “Disco Tree” by Kenneth CM Young from Astro Bot, 2024

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Kirk, Maddy, and Jason grab their blasters and hop on their speeder bikes for a trip to Star Wars Outlaws, the latest game in a galaxy far, far away. They talk about what they like, what they don't like, and break down the Star Wars-iness of it all.

One More Thing:

Kirk: StReam Deck

Maddy: Love Lies Bleeding (2024)

Jason: Ace Attorney Investigations Collection

LINKS:

Featuring excerpts from “Star Wars” by John Williams from Star Wars and “Kay Vess, Outlaw” and “The Trailblazer”  by Wilbert Roget II from Star Wars Outlaws

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What's the best way to run a video game company? Do people care less about graphics these days? And did Maddy get a say in the Polygon redesign? It's time to answer some burning questions!

One More Thing:

Kirk: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Netflix)

Maddy: 5-4 podcast

Jason: Star Wars Outlaws

LINKS:

Ethan failing every QTE in Heavy Rain’s best chase scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSTYpaRp5kQ

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Jason, Maddy, and Kirk finish up their playthrough of Resident Evil 2 Remake. They talk about their second run through the game (as Leon this time), that big, beautiful police station, and that truck driver at the end... which, like, what?

One More Thing:

Kirk: Godzilla Minus One

Maddy: Fields of Mistria

Jason: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)

LINKS:

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How can video games made by a single person surpass $200 million AAA beasts? What are some weird things that have happened to the Triple Click gang because of games? And has the era of paid expansions come to an end? This week, Kirk, Jason, and Maddy answer listener questions!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Mistborn (Sanderson)

Maddy: Hacks

Jason: The Bright Sword (Lev Grossman)

LINKS:

Featuring an excerpt from the Balatro theme by LouisF

Ben Abraham’s “Permanent Death,” a 2009 permadeath run through Far Cry 2: death-complete-saga.html">https://drgamelove.blogspot.com/2009/12/permanent-death-complete-saga.html

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The Triple Click gang puts on their cartography monocles and mulls over the eternal question of what makes for a video game map? They talk about what they like and don't like in the maps of games like Resident Evil 2 and Elden Ring, what maps say about our relationship with games, and the joy of exploring!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Steamworld Heist II 

Maddy: Dream Scenario (2023)

Jason: Red Dead's History (Tore C. Olsson)

LINKS:

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Kirk won last year's predictions bet, so it's time to play the Resident Evil 2 remake! The Triple Click gang makes their way through the police station, gets chased by Mr. X, and screams a lot of obscenities in a gross sewer.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Operator

Maddy: The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions

Jason: Long Island Compromise (Taffy Brodesser-Akner)

LINKS:

https://www.polygon.com/lord-of-the-rings/22811800/gollum-lord-of-the-rings-actor-andy-serkis-weta-digital

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When is it OK to cheat in a video game? When is it not OK? This week, the Triple Click gang ponders all things cheating, from codes to mods, and talks about the ethical dilemmas (or lack thereof) when it comes to altering the intended experience in a video game.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Twister (1996)

Maddy: Suicide Squad Isekai

Jason: Blink 182 (Live at Citi Field)

LINKS:

You Are Good’s Twister episode: https://www.podpage.com/you-are-good/twister-w-niko-stratis/

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In this bonus episode, Kirk, Jason and Maddy each picked five games that played a formative role in their development as little lower-case “g" gamers. And then they talked about them!

KIRK:TMNT: Fall of the Foot Clan (1990)  Kings Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow (1992)  Quest For Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness (1993)  The 7th Guest (1993)  Magic: The Gathering (1993)

MADDY:Tetris (1989)Super Mario Land 2: Six Golden Coins (1992)The Oregon Trail Deluxe (1992)Myst (1993)Doom (1993)

JASON:Zork Zero (1988)  Final Fantasy IV (1991)  Warcraft II:Tides of Darkness (1995)  Evergrace (2000)  Aliens vs. Predator MUD (1997)

------------

Featuring musical excerpts from Tetris (Russian trad.) and Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness (Aubrey Hodges)

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Who makes money when a game is sold but its developer has shut down? What otherwise good behaviors might tank creative projects? And what are the best (bad) movie tie-in games? This week, the gang opens up the mailbag to take some of your excellent questions.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Elantris (Brandon Sanderson)

Maddy: Selaco

Jason: Final Fantasy XIV

LINKS:

Jason’s Suicide Squad Story: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-06/-suicide-squad-warner-bros-s-200-million-flop-haunts-the-gaming-industry

Jason's Hironobu Sakaguchi interview: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-07-03/-final-fantasy-creator-hironobu-sakaguchi-reunites-with-square-enix?srnd=technology-vp

Riley MacLeod’s Aftermath article about the Dr. Disrespect story: https://aftermath.site/dr-disrespect-allegations-twitch-journalism

X-Men Arcade Game Source Material, “Pryde of the X-Men”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBI8GIjf5HA

Luke Plunnkett on Chuds and Star Wars: The Acolyte: https://aftermath.site/the-acolyte-star-wars-controversy-ratings-this-is-all-terrible

IGN article by Matt Kim about Asian representation and Assassin’s Creed Shadows: https://www.ign.com/articles/assassins-creed-shadows-yasuke-asian-protagonist

Writing Tools by Roy Peter Clark

How To Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy

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It's time to revisit Elden Ring... again. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason are still obsessed with Shadow of the Erdtree (or should we say Scadu of the Erdtree?) and its sprawling new regions and dungeons. They talk about why they're captivated, what makes its level design so great, and those pesky quests that will lock you out if you breathe on them wrong.

One More Thing:

Kirk: 1000xResist (Switch and PC)

Maddy: Master Chef Junior

Jason: Real Americans [Rachel Khong]

LINKS:

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Kirk, Jason, and Maddy put on their finest Tarnished gear and get ready for a trip to the Shadow Realm. How does Elden Ring's big expansion compare to the base game? What's it like to revisit the game in 2024? And is it really too difficult?

One More Thing:

Kirk: Hit Man (2024, Netflix)

Maddy: Butterfly In The Sky (Reading Rainbow documentary)

Jason: Babel (R.F. Kuang)

LINKS:

Kirk’s Dragon Age Explainer: https://kotaku.com/a-beginners-guide-to-all-things-dragon-age-1658487212

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Kirk, Jason, and Maddy unwind from this year's not-E3 by getting back into it. They talk about the big Xbox showcase, the big Nintendo showcase, and some of the embargoed games they saw at Summer Games Fest, such as Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Star Wars Outlaws.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Tactical Breach Wizards

Maddy: Valorant (new Xbox port)

Jason: The Spectacular Failure of the Star Wars Hotel (Jenny Nicholson)

LINKS:

IGN story on development of Perfect Dark: https://www.ign.com/articles/xboxs-perfect-dark-reboot-is-still-years-away

Cory Doctorow’s “enshittification” essay: https://pluralistic.net/2023/01/21/potemkin-ai/#hey-guys

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LIVE FROM LOS ANGELES... it's Maddy, Jason, and Kirk! The gang talks about what we all saw at Summer Game Fest, what they played, and how much they miss E3. Plus: audience Q&A!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth

Maddy: Dune Part Two

Jason: Holly (Stephen King)

GAMES DISCUSSED

• Civilization VII
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• Heartworm
• Dragon Age: The Veilguard
• WanderStop
• Metaphor: ReFantazio
• Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
• UFO 50
• Arranger
• Building Relationships
• Stormgate & Battle Aces
• SpinRhythm XD
• Slitterhead
• Alan Wake II: Night Springs

LINKS:

Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/

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It's time for not-E3 — aka Summer Games Fest — where the video game industry will once again convene on Los Angeles for a week full of game demos, trailers, and exciting reveals. Well... sort of. This week, the Triple Click gang talks about their hopes, expectations, and predictions for the weekend ahead. Plus: don't miss Triple Click live in Los Angeles!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Crow Country

Maddy: My inflatable kayak

Jason: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

LINKS:

Oli Welsh on the death of console exclusives: https://www.polygon.com/24166647/aaa-exclusive-games-are-dead-playstation-xbox-multiplatform

Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/

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Where are all the pregnant video game NPCs? What happens when you grow out of a video game genre? And what's it like to be both friends and professional podcast coworkers? This week, the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag for some wacky listener questions, and confesses that they're actually all secretly enemies.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Ed Wood (1994)

Maddy: Elden Ring

Jason: Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (Remake)

LINKS:

Kirk's 2018 Kotaku piece "Real Guns, Virtual Guns, and Me" 

Jason's interview with Jake Solomon: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-05-14/game-makers-at-midsummer-studios-look-to-take-on-the-sims

Lorelei and the Laser Tampon: https://www.polygon.com/gaming/24162613/lorelei-and-the-laser-eyes-tampon-why-reason-item

Shadow of the Erdtree Miyazaki interview: https://www.famitsu.com/news/202402/22335199.html

Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/

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Kirk is back and there's much to discuss. This week, the gang does a lightning round of topics, from the fallout of the Xbox shutdowns to Assassin's Creed racism and Hades 2 and the plethora of other killer indie games that have come out this year.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Lois McMaster Bujold’s fantasy novels (The Curse of Chalion (2001), Paladin of Souls (2003), The Sharing Knife (2006-9))

Maddy: Hades 1

Jason: The Lost Shtetl (Max Gross)

LINKS:

Featuring an excerpt from “The Crossroads” by Darren Korb from Hades 2

Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/

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Animal Well is one of the best video game surprises in recent memory, and we'll be talking about it for years. This week Jason, Maddy, and special guest Russ Frushtick (Polygon, The Besties) give their impressions of the game in three increasingly obsessive phases.

One More Thing:

Maddy: Doppelganger by Naomi Klein (she finished it!)

Jason: Minishoot Adventures

LINKS:

Russ's gaming podcast The Besties and his Polygon review of Animal Well

Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/

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Kirk is out this week, so Jason and Maddy convene to talk about a grab bag full of topics including the Xbox mess, the Helldivers 2 debacle, and two games they're really enjoying: Hades 2 and Animal Well.

One More Thing:

Maddy: Master Chef

Jason: Demon Copperhead (Barbara Kingsolver)

LINKS:

Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/

Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

Jason's been playing Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, a game that feels a lot like Suikoden, which made the Triple Click gang wonder: how does nostalgia impact our enjoyment of video games? Can it make games better? Worse? Both at once? Let's discuss!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Fiasco (Jason Morningstar)

Maddy: Hades 2 technical test

Jason: Girls5eva

LINKS:

Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/

Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

When is video game lore good? When is it bad? This week, the Triple Click gang talks about Skyrim books, Elden Ring item descriptions, Destiny guns, and all the other delectable morsels of plot that exist underneath the stories of video games. 

One More Thing:

Kirk: Heavenly Creatures (1994)

Maddy: Tales of Kenzera: Zau

Jason: Eiyuden Chronicles

LINKS:

Mossbag’s Hollow Knight Lore video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XDiWYFGGqY

Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/

Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

Eight years after it first came out, Stardew Valley is still getting patches. But what's the deal with this one-man-developed farming simulator? How was it created, and what makes it so appealing? Allow us to explain!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Children of the Sun (Steam)

Maddy: Wingspan (board game version)

Jason: Fallout (Amazon Prime)

LINKS:

Search Engine: “What are we gonna do about all these cats?” https://pjvogt.substack.com/p/whatre-we-gonna-do-about-all-these

Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teragram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/

Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

It's the 200th episode of Triple Click, and to celebrate, it's time for a mailbag! The gang answers listener questions such as "could we ever see gambling in video games?" and "are games really a waste of time?"

One More Thing:

Kirk: “Behind F1’s Velvet Curtain” by Kate Wagner 

Maddy: Sailor Moon

Jason: The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

LINKS:

“Behind F1’s Velvet Curtain” by Kate Wagner, preserved in archive form: https://web.archive.org/web/20240301170542/https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a46975496/behind-f1-velvet-curtain/ and at Escape Collective: https://escapecollective.com/behind-f1s-velvet-curtain/

Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teagram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/

Preorder Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

What is "friction" in video games? We've got a taxonomy, of course! This week, the Triple Click gang talks about how Dragon Dogma 2 tries to push players away, the necessity of video game friction, and what it means when a game is impenetrable.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Girls5Eva (Netflix)

Maddy: The Holdovers (2024)

Jason: Secrets of Grindea

LINKS:

Triple Click LIVE in LA! Saturday, June 8, 6:30PM at the Teagram Ballroom: https://teragramballroom.com/tm-event/triple-click-podcast/

Tim Rogers’ “In Praise of Sticky Friction,” 2010 https://kotaku.com/in-praise-of-sticky-friction-555816

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Kirk’s Three Types of Video Game Friction

Mechanical Friction: Relating to inputs and interaction. i.e. kinesthetics, “game feel”

• Certain moves require complex inputs or timing
• Beating a boss means not just attacking but reacting/countering
• Combat’s relationship to animation, e.g. locked animation means you can't interrupt attacks and dodge whenever you want
• No jump button, you have to use the world to get vertical advantage (souls, monster hunter)
• Enemies can stagger or stun-lock you just like you can them
• Stamina bar limits the number of chained inputs you can give
• Delay on spellcasting means relying on teammates to provide cover
• Slow or complex reloads with modifiers, minigames for healing, sub-inputs required while in the heat of action (stratagems, active reload, far cry healing animations, etc)
• "Sticky Friction" (TM Tim Rogers) - inertia, weight, acceleration, the feel and heft of movement and interaction tied to pause/delay/rhythm and animation

Logistical Friction: Relating to planning, (in)flexibility, the need to prepare

• Customization is costly or difficult. e.g. to change classes or appearance, you have to go see a vendor in a town
• There's limited fast travel, so you have to plan trips carefully. Or can only travel from certain points on map
• The game's map is an in-game object and doesn't pause
• No pause option in general
• Penalty for death - lost progress, maybe the game even becomes harder
• Finishing a mission requires extraction, waiting, defending
• You can't save just anywhere, or have a limited number of saves
• Loot and upgrades don’t unlock unless you complete the mission
• Quests are complex and require a lot of micro-managing or specific steps
• Crafting and other similar activities require in-game actions or specific locations
• Often referred to as “Player Friendly/Unfriendliness”

Informational Friction: Relating to what the game does/doesn’t tell you

• The game doesn't tell you what you're supposed to do next
• The game doesn't spell out for you what's going on with the story and leaves it for you to figure out (Narrative Friction)
• There are a lot of concepts, mechanics, or rules to keep track of or understand (Conceptual Friction)
• The game's map doesn't tell you very much, or the game has no map (Navigational Friction)
• Branching narratives aren’t signposted, little or no warning for consequential decisions
• The interface is opaque or requires a lot of inputs to use
• You don't get notifications about status effects in the HUD, you have to look at your character (general world > hud approach)
• The game has hidden systems that you have to learn about via word of mouth or experimentation (e.g. If you want to explore the castle without getting arrested, wear the guard armor to blend in. If you die, your world becomes steadily darker. This guy will kill your NPCs, but there’s an elaborate hidden spell to revive them. Etc)
• Other players can leave notes to help you, but the notes are often vague; other player’s pawns can show you secrets, but you have to listen
• In-game multiplayer communication options are limited
• Item descriptions don't give specific stats, they just say vague stuff

MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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 music notation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq3bUFgEcb4

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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-title-of-game-master-a-single-helldivers-2-dev-named-joel-is-pulling-the-strings-on-its-galactic-war-like-an-all-powerful-dandd-dungeon-master-war-will-become-more-and-more-sophisticated-over-time/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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/

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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/

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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/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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/9781538725429/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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 Jason’s Book! https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/jason-schreier/play-nice/9781538725429/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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: gq-internet-media.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/21/opinion/pitchfork-gq-internet-media.html

With an excerpt from Netflix’s One Piece theme by Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli

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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 article about Palworld: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-22/what-is-palworld-pokemon-like-game-with-guns-goes-viral-irks-nintendo-fans?srnd=undefined

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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

LINKS:

Maddy’s Prince of Persia review: https://www.polygon.com/24033589/prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown-review-ubisoft-switch

Featuring excerpts from the Lost Crown soundtrack by Gareth Coker and Mentrix

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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 Little to the Left Screenshots: https://bsky.app/profile/midimyers.com/post/3kib5xfds3g23

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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 McKinney’s essay “Learning To Play Piano Where There Is No Recital”: https://defector.com/learning-to-play-piano-when-there-is-no-recital

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PREDICTIONS

KIRK

1. The new Nintendo console will have "Switch" in the name
2. Ubisoft will be acquired
3. REDACTED will still die in FFXVII Rebirth
4. An indie game (small team) will win GOTY at the game awards
5. Nintendo will announce a remake of A Link to The Past
6. At least one video game will use generative AI in the game itself
7. Bethesda/Microsoft will announce an Elder Scrolls TV show
8. Hollow Knight: Sillksong will come out in May
9. Valve will announce a non-VR Half-Life game
10. Nvidia will announce a Steam Deck Competitor

Bonus: Apple buys Nintendo

Game: Far Cry 2

MADDY

1. The Switch 2 will be called the Super Nintendo Switch
2. Metroid Prime 4 will be a launch game on the Switch 2 in 2024
3. Summer Game Fest 2024 will get material participation from either Sony or Nintendo (showing games on campus)
4. Warner Bros. will announce a sequel to Hogwarts Legacy
5. Tears of the Kingdom will announce DLC after all
6. FF7 Rebirth will NOT kill off that one character who we all know died in the original game and instead a different character will be killed in that same way
7. Three major games will use AI voices in a method similar to The Finals, meaning human actors’ performances are bolstered by AI trained on their voices
8. Geoff Keighley will become embroiled in a career-threatening scandal (people will refer to him as “canceled”)
9. We will see a major biopic film announced about a video game streamer
10. Dragon Age Dreadwolf will be canceled

Bonus: Kristen Stewart will get cast as Link in the Zelda movie

Game: Ocarina of Time

JASON

1. Metroid Prime 4 will launch on Switch and Switch 2 - day one of Switch 2
2. Konami will release the Suikoden remastered collection within 4 weeks of Eiyuden Chronicle
3. A different character will die instead of REDACTED in FFVII Rebirth
4. Elden Ring DLC is so substantial it turns into a standalone budget-priced game (like Lost Legacy)
5. Nintendo will do something substantial with the Mother series (Earthbound remake, rerelease, etc)
6. Apple will announce a big-budget exclusive game for Apple Vision Pro 
7. Civilization 7 will be announced and released this year
8. Microsoft's Activision will bring back Guitar Hero
9. The new Switch will make you pay for backwards compatibility
10. Saudi Arabia will buy a major video game company

Bonus: The Zelda movie will feature a COMPLETELY SILENT Link

Game: Crosscode

MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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. Wonder

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GAMES OF THE YEAR

Jason

1. Octopath Traveler 2
2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
3. Baldur’s Gate 3
4. Chants of Sennaar
5. Super Mario Bros. Wonder
6. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
7. Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo
8. Spider-Man 2
9. Diablo IV
10. Case of the Golden Idol DLC

Kirk

1. Jusant
2. Dredge
3. Lies of P
4. Hi-Fi Rush
5. Alan Wake 2
6. Baldur's Gate 3
7. Chants of Sennar
8. Cyberpunk 2077 2.0
9. Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew
10. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Maddy

1. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
2. Alan Wake 2
3. Baldur's Gate 3
4. Metroid Prime Remastered
5. Venba
6. Dredge
7. Chants of Sennaar
8. Cocoon
9. Dead Space
10. Super Mario Wonder

MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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.LINKSKirk's 2013 article about the game's ending

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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, and the A Highland Song soundtrack, composed by Laurence Chapman

Games Discussed: Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, A Highland Song, Lil’ Gator Game, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, Fortnite (Lego Fortnite, Rocket Racing, Fortnite Festival/Main Stage), God of War Ragnarok: Valhalla

Jason’s GTA VI article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-07-27/gta-6-release-date-rockstar-cleans-up-image-after-employee-backlash

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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: JusantMaddy: Chants of SennarJason: Going Infinite (Michael Lewis)

LINKS:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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 collection of stories and characters that exist in parallel across media and occasionally intersect, often abstractly but sometimes concretely. A great source of easter eggs. E.g. any transmedia adaptation, MCU, novel adaptation, TLOU show, Alien: Isolation, so many more

Multiverse - An explicit fictional construct in which multiple timelines exist in parallel, allowing for infinite variations of various characters, storylines, and events. E.g. Everything Everywhere All at Once, Spider Man: No Way Home, Into/Across the Spider-Verse, Flash and the Arrowverse, Post-Thanos MCU, Dungeons & Dragons, etc.

Brand-iverse - A collection of characters united primarily by their shared brand ownership and/or licensing deals between IP owners. E.g. Space Jam, Smash Bros, MultiVersus, the Sonyverse, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale, Fortnite, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Indie game cameos

Fan-iverse - A shared universe as imagined and defined by fans of an existing set of characters or stories. E.g. The Zelda Timeline, The Pixar Theory

Abstractiverse - A shared universe defined according to abstract, shifting rules. Often but not always the product of a single creative vision. E.g. Zelda, The Kingiverse, Final Fantasy, The Remedy Connected Universe, Mario, Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop settings

One More Thing:

Kirk: Steam Deck OLED

Maddy: Venba

Jason: Billions

LINKS:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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 Dead Redemption 2: https://kotaku.com/red-dead-redemption-2-the-kotaku-review-1829984369

A great reading order for the Vorkosigan Saga: https://bookriot.com/vorkosigan-saga-reading-order/

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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 Marvel Studios: https://variety.com/2023/film/features/marvel-jonathan-majors-problem-the-marvels-reshoots-kang-1235774940/

Polygon feature on Blue Eye Samurai director Jane Wu: https://www.polygon.com/23945186/blue-eye-samurai-action-jane-wu-animation

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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-scam-text

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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: https://bookriot.com/vorkosigan-saga-reading-order/

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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)

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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 Stream July 21 at 8PM Eastern)

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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)

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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:

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MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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?LINKSFeaturing an excerpt from “Walk the Dinosaur” by Was (Not Was), 1987A chronology of script rewrites for Super Mario Bros. ‘93: http://www.smbmovie.com/SMBArchive/preproduction/script.htmA Collider story recounting the film's troubled production: https://collider.com/super-mario-bros-movie-1993-history-explained/Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

MaxFunDrive ends on March 28, 2025! Support our show now and get access to bonus content by becoming a member at maximumfun.org/join.

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?v=STHHBCPnywc

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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

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