Triple Click

The Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag to answer some of your best questions. What are our video game habits? What books would make for good video games? And does Wolverine's hand-holding go too far?

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexendre Dumas)

Maddy: Dolly Parton’s America (Radiolab limited series podcast)

Jason: Echo Weaver

LINKS:

Game File interview with the director of Echo Weaver: https://www.gamefile.news/p/indie-developer-has-a-plan-to-keep

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The Triple Click gang dives into Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, the new Switch 2 exclusive that blends grid-based strategy combat with... a whole lot more. They talk about the sprawling story, the tactical battles, and whether the whole thing is just Too Much.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Fields of Mistria

Maddy: “Sex, AI, and the apocalypse” by Ian K. Duncan

Jason: Tokyo Game Show

LINKS:

Into the Aether’s excellent recent episode on Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave

Time article about Effective Altruism and sexual abuse

Tre...

Jason's on assignment, so Kirk and Maddy are joined by guest host Lucy James of the lookingfor.game newsletter and the FPS podcast! They share some early impressions of Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave, some final thoughts on Marvel's Wolverine, along with a (well signposted) spoiler discussion, and Kirk and Lucy also share some bonus early impressions of Control Resonant. 

ONE MORE THING

Kirk: Control Resonant
Maddy: The Guy She Was Interested In Wasn’t A Guy At All (ongoing manga, soon to be anime)
Lucy: Ride Lonesome by Beck

LINKS & REFERENCE:

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy open up the mailbag to tackle listener questions about the expectations surrounding Nintendo surprises, what Valve's 30% Steam sales cut means for studios, Wikipedia's "list of video games listed among the best," one listener's Triple Click Dream, and more.

One More Thing:
Kirk: Marvel’s Wolverine
Maddy: The Rehearsal S2 (finally)
Jason: Sleep Deprivation (AKA: The NFL Is Back, Baby)

LINKS

One listener's Claude-assisted database of Triple Click One(s) More Thing(s)

List of video games listed among the best (Wikipedia)

Kirk’s 20...

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason dive into Star Wars: Zero Company, the wonderful new strategy game that's best described as a cross between Star Wars and XCOM. They talk about the strategy, the characters, and what a bummer it is that the development team was furloughed before launch. This episode has a 95% chance to hit! 

One More Thing:

Kirk: Silo Season 3 (Apple)

Maddy: On Together (update)

Jason: Big Walk

LINKS:

Totilo’s Game File story on the Bit Reactor furloughs

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Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about The Blood of Dawnwalker, a new vampire game from ex-Witcher 3 developers. They talk about the game's unique time system, the brutal story, and how it all compares to The Witcher 3.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Reading out loud to someone

Maddy: Monsters of God (HBO docu-series)

Jason: The Wedding People (Alison Espach)

LINKS:

Check out Kirk’s new podcast, Definitely Fiction! 

Patreon - YouTube - RSS - Apple Podcasts - Spotify - Trailer

The Blood of Dawnwalker theme by...

The Triple Click gang convenes for a long-awaited update on the Triple Click Picks — our list of games we highly recommend — with some surprising new additions and removals.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Mean Streets (1973)

Maddy: Ludwig (Britbox)

Jason: Time to Burn (Ellery Lloyd)

LINKS:

Triple Click Picks Update History

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Welcome to Big Walk, a Triple Click corporate trust exercise that has made us all better co-workers and better people. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy break down the new hit game from House House and talk about their experiences playing it together... and falling off cliffs.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Martyr! (Kaveh Akbar)

Maddy: The Other Bennet Sister (Amazon Prime/Britbox)

Jason: Homeland (2011)

LINKS:

Daniel Dennett on Wikipedia, and a cool Big Think video featuring him and his work

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The Triple Click gang talks about SOMA, the 2015 sci-fi horror game that tells a riveting story about brain scans. They talk about the game's strengths (the story!) and the flaws (the voice acting...) as they prepare to send their consciousnesses into space.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime

Maddy: Savant-Garde (podcast)

Jason: Heather (Caitlin Mullen)

LINKS:

A recent (fairly harrowing!) WSJ article about the “jury duty” scam

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Jason, Kirk, and Maddy open up the mailbag to answer some more listener questions. Why do we love replaying games? Why don't indie games cost more? And why are there so many remakes??

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Message from Deep Space

Maddy: Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Jason: Spider-Man: Brand New Day

LINKS:

ScrapMan’s playthrough of Cairn

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For the rest of this episode, and many (many!) more bonus episodes, join Maximum Fun using the link below.

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It's an episode full of questions this week as Kirk, Maddy, and Jason reach into the mailbag for some hot, hot queries. Is FromSoftware basically Christopher Nolan? Why do companies shut down game studios instead of spinning them out? And when is life like a video game?

One More Thing:

Kirk: Still Life (Louise Penny)

Maddy: Hell Clock

Jason: Alan Opts Out (Courtney Maum)

LINKS:

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Jason, Maddy, and Kirk pull out their spyglasses and zoom in on Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, the remake of the 2013 classic for modern platforms. They talk about the sea battles, the game's gruff hero, and what works (and doesn't work) about this new reimagining.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Denshattack! 

Maddy: Little House on the Prairie (2026)

Jason: The Mermaid Mask

LINKS:

Kirk’s 2013 review of AC IV: https://kotaku.com/assassins-creed-iv-black-flag-the-kotaku-review-1453735783

Stephen’s newsletter on Resynced’s take on the modern day stuff: https://www.gamefil...

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk took a break and everything fell apart! This week, they're talking about two of the biggest news stories to hit the video-game industry this year: Xbox's restructuring and PlayStation ditching discs.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Rhythm Heaven Groove

Maddy: Love & Deepspace

Jason: The Incident at Galley House

LINKS:

Maddy on female attraction: https://www.mothership.blog/email/b724125b-8ddc-4410-af68-4cc82a1b86c9/

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Grab the gabagol, secure the McMansion, and embrace the technique of positive visualization: Jason, Maddy, and Kirk are rewatching The Sopranos, one of the most acclaimed and influential TV shows of all time. Maddy’s never seen it before, and Kirk has seen it multiple times but hasn’t watched it in years. Jason, meanwhile, can quote every episode by heart. Armed with those different perspectives, they returned to the first season to see how it all fits together.

LINKS, ETC.

It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO by Felix Gillett...

Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about how the affordability crisis is impacting gaming, reading some listener emails to talk about how people pay for games these days. Plus: we've got Steam Machines and have some thoughts. Those two topics are very related!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Steam Machine

Maddy: Balance: A Perimenopause Journey

Jason: Steam Machine

LINKS:

Strong Songs Live! July 11, Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland. Livestream Tickets HERE

Chris Person’s review of the Steam Machine for Aftermath

Kirk’s Rhythm Heaven stre...

What makes stealth games appealing? What makes them suck? Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about their favorite and least favorite aspects of the sneakiest drama, from 007 First Light to Dishonored and much more.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Rush

Maddy: Broomgate: A Curling Scandal

Jason: Gentoo Rescue

LINKS:

Rick Beato’s interview with Anika Nilles, and their performance of “Tom Sawyer” with Rush in LA

An overheard guard conversation in No One Lives Forever, which is much, much longer than the snippet in the episode

Stro...

Why is Xbox in such dire straits? Kirk, Jason, and Maddy open up the mailbag and take some of YOUR listener questions, mostly about Xbox but also about a couple of less bleak topics.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Boroughs

Maddy: On Together

Jason: Adventures of Elliot

LINKS:

Strong Songs Live! July 11, Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland. Livestream Tickets HERE

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Summer Game Fest is over, and now it's time to soak in all the gaming news. Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about everything, from God of War Laufey to the Ocarina of Time remake, and plenty of indies along the way.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The RecklessBen/Bricks & Minifigs Fiasco

Maddy: American Hustle (2013)

Jason: Yesteryear (Caro Claire Burke)

LINKS:

Strong Songs Live! July 11, Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland. Livestream Tickets HERE

Mike Masnick’s lengthy Techdirt breakdown of the RecklessBen vs. Bricks & Minifigs fiasco at Te...

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about IO Interactive's new James Bond game 007: First Light, which is way better than any of them were expecting. But first, it's time for some hopes and predictions for next week's Summer Game Fest 2026. 

*We had to republish this episode and delete the first one, so if you already downloaded it, you might see two copies. Sorry about that!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Widow's Bay (Apple)
Maddy: Forrest Valkai (“Renegade Science Teacher”)
Jason: Tomodachi Life

LINKS:

Strong Songs Live! July 11, Alberta Rose Theat...

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk talk about IO Interactive's new James Bond game 007: First Light, which is way better than any of them were expecting. But first, it's time for some hopes and predictions for next week's Summer Game Fest 2026. 

One More Thing:

Kirk: Widow's Bay (Apple)
Maddy: Forrest Valkai (“Renegade Science Teacher”)
Jason: Tomodachi Life

LINKS:

Strong Songs Live! July 11, Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland. Tickets HERE

“Mad World” by Roland Orzabal, covered by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews

“GHOST TRICK” from Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, co...

It's finally here: after six years of development, Yacht Club's Mina the Hollower has arrived. And it's a winner. Kirk, Maddy, and Jason burrow into the crevasses of this new Game of the Year contender, which smashes Zelda, Castlevania and Bloodborne to great success.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Subnautica 2

Maddy: Doomguy by John Romero

Jason: The New York Knicks

LINKS:

Jason on Yacht Club Games’ “make-or-break” moment

Jason on Bungie planning layoffs after ending Destiny 2

Jason on the Subnautica 2 drama

Clips from t...

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk open up the mailbag for some questions about video-game marketing, female protagonists, what's going on at Studio ZA/UM, and much more.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Mixtape

Maddy: Knotwords

Jason: Planet Money

LINKS:

Kirk’s essay about Mixtape, and the YouTube video version

https://www.mothership.blog/irene-kohs-angel-arcade-is-about-the-fighting-game-community-emphasis-on-community/

Garbage Day’s most recent article on modern marketing firms, social astroturfing, Geese, and that whole mess

Marketing 

The Roottrees Are Dead

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Veteran game designer Nels Anderson joins the show to talk about his latest game, Generation Exile, which didn't reach the audience he was hoping to reach. Nels talks about the development challenges, what he thinks went wrong, and what's next for his company, Sonderlust Studios.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Margo’s Got Money Troubles (Apple)

Maddy: Couples Therapy (Paramount+)

Jason: London Calling (Patrick Radden Keefe)

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Kirk, Jason, and Maddy descend on the planet Carcosa to talk about Saros, the latest PlayStation 5 exclusive from the developers of Returnal. They talk about the game's difficulty, the ballet of bullets, and why it feels so good to play.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Steam Controller

Maddy: Secrets of the Bees (National Geographic / Hulu)

Jason: Like This, But Funnier (Hallie Cantor)

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Why have players taken to Crimson Desert when critics haven't? Is the PS4 Pro really the PS5? And is it worth going to Summer Game Fest if you're not media? All those questions and more as the Triple Click gang opens up the mailbag!

One More Thing:

Kirk: Deadloch Season 2

Maddy: Summer of 69 (2025)

Jason: Beef Season 2

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Maddy, Jason and Kirk return to Raccoon City for a no-spoilers-barred discussion of Resident Evil Requiem. What did they think of the story? What was Gideon actually trying to achieve? Was Zeno…. like, what was going on there? There’s so much to discuss.

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Kirk, Jason, and Maddy are playing Pragmata, a video game about being a dad in outer space. They talk about the unique hacking-shooting mechanics, the story (for what it is), and the beautiful 3D-printed world you get to explore. 

One More Thing:

Kirk: Reanimal

Maddy: Matlock (the 2025 reboot starring Kathy Bates)

Jason: Titanium Court

LINKS:

Was that viral essay written by AI? https://boxobark.ing/3mj42airv3s2o#fingerprints-of-the-beige-liebox

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It's time for an AI check-in! Maddy, Kirk, and Jason catch up on how they're feeling about generative AI in 2026, what it's doing to creativity, how it's impacting the job market, and of course, how it's affecting video games. 

One More Thing:

Kirk: Dungeon Crawler Carl (Matt Dinniman)

Maddy: Slay the Princess

Jason: American Pastoral (Philip Roth)

LINKS:

Adam Neely’s video “Suno, AI Music, and the bad future”

“AI As Normal Technology” by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor  

Astrophysicist Minas Karamanis’ blog post “The machi...

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk open up the mailbag to take some of your questions on all sorts of things. How do you deal with a creatively unfulfilling job? Why don't more game studios allow employees to work remotely? And is it worth buying a Switch 2 now before it inevitably gets more expensive, even if you're on the fence?

One More Thing:

Kirk: Weapons (2025)

Maddy: “Iran,” Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (2014)

Jason: People of Note

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What's the deal with Early Access? What are the pros and cons? Kirk, Jason, and Maddy sit down for a wide-ranging conversation about all the ins and outs of what it means to sell an early, unfinished game, from Baldur's Gate 3 to Star Citizen and so much more.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Contrapoints on Saw (YouTube)

Maddy: Beyond Good & Evil (2003)

Jason: Wonder Man (Disney+)

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Esoteric Ebb: bad name, great game. Jason, Kirk, and Maddy dive into this new Disco-like where you play as a cleric tasked with investigating the explosion of a tea shop in a fantasy world where the voices in your head are D&D attributes. It's a lot of fun.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir) (Ray Porter Audiobook)

Maddy: 30 Rock

Jason: Void Stranger

LINKS:

“Norvik” from Esoteric Ebb composed by Anders Bach, Brian Batz, and Kristian Paulsen

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Is it just us, or has this console generation been... weird? Kirk, Jason, and Maddy assess the current state of console gaming on the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X/S, and the Nintendo Switch 2. They talk about diminishing returns on graphics, the huge leaps in pricing, and why it'd be bonkers if the PS6 came out next year.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Resident Evil 4 Remake

Maddy: Pokopia

Jason: Ratcheteer DX

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Kirk, Jason, and Maddy open up the listener mailbag to answer some of your questions! When should you let kids start playing video games? What gaming terms should be more mainstream? And what do you do when you're just too old for this shit?

One More Thing:

Kirk: Hunchback (Saou Ichikawa)

Maddy: How To Get To Heaven From Belfast

Jason: Pokopia

LINKS:

"Cereal In My Mouth," archived from dog.gawker.com

NYT coverage of the couple who got married at Bad Bunny’s halftime show

The Triple Click gang pull out their blood harvesters for a trip into Resident Evil Requiem, the latest entry in the longrunning horror-action-goofball series. They talk about playing as Grace and Leon, exploring the care center and all the shades of Resident Evil 2.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Your Name (2016)

Maddy: “The Pill” by Meg Elison

Jason: Esoteric Ebb

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Kirk, Maddy, and Jason dive into the year's biggest gaming news so far: Xbox boss Phil Spencer retiring. They talk about what led to this big shakeup, discuss whether new boss Asha Sharma really needs to be a gamer, and try to figure out if there's any way to salvage the Xbox brand.

One More Thing:

Kirk: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (HBO)

Maddy: Icebreakers (New Yorker documentary)

Jason: Under the Island 

LINKS:

"Inside Microsoft’s big Xbox leadership shake-up" (Tom Warren / The Verge) https://www.the...

Fresh off their interview with Mewgenics co-creator Edmund McMillen, the Triple Click gang dives into the game itself. They talk about the gross-out humor, the brilliant combat, and that truly spectacular soundtrack. (All of my nights, I'm chasin' rats!)

One More Thing:

Kirk: Suno, AI Music, and the Bad Future - Adam Neely, YouTube/Nebula

Maddy: Overwatch update

Jason: Lost Lambs (Madeline Cash)

LINKS:

“Eatin’ Rats” by Ridiculon from the Mewgenics OST, 2026

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Jason, Kirk, and Maddy bring on veteran game designer Edmund McMillen (Binding of Isaac, Super Meat Boy) to talk about his latest game, Mewgenics, which was first announced in 2012 (!) and is out this week. They talk about the long development cycle, why McMillen parted ways with his Team Meat partner Tommy Refenes, breeding cats, and much much more.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Cairn

Maddy: Code 3 (2025)

Jason: The Chair Company (HBO)

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Jason, Maddy, and Kirk dive into Dragon Quest, one of the biggest video game franchises in Japan. What's special about it? What makes it so popular? And what's the deal with this week's release, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined?

One More Thing:

Kirk: Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Maria Semple)

Maddy: Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator

Jason: How I Met Your Mother

LINKS:

“I Am Jack Bauer” - Japanese 24 Advertisement

“Dragon Quest Theme” by Koichi Sugiyama, from DQ7 Reimagined (2026) and recorded by the Tokyo Strings Orchestra, 1986

“Drag...

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason talk about mods in video games: the history of the form, their favorite mods, and how cool it is that video games can be altered, expanded, and changed by players in all sorts of ways, from DOOM to Skyrim to explicit sex scenes in The Sims.

One More Thing:

Kirk: The Fireman (Joe Hill)

Maddy: Platonic

Jason: TR-49

LINKS:

Maddy’s Mothership article about people who mod games

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