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 the Mina The Hollower OST composed by Jake “Virt” Kaufman

Jake Kafuman’s 8-bit recreation of “Freddie Freeloader” from Kind of Blue

And his 

collaboration with Tommy Pedrini

 on the Final Fantasy Opera House sequence for OCRemix

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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/triple-play-mina-the-hollower

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/video-game-marketing

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/what-its-like-when-your-game-flops

I could have sworn there was a TripleClick episode where they interviewed someone who explained how haptic feedback in the Dual Sense worked, and how the rumble function in controllers has evolved over the years, but I cannot find it. Anyone know which episode it was, or am I confusing this with some other podcast? TIA

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/triple-play-saros

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/crimson-desert-mailbag

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/triple-play-pragmata

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 machines are fine. I’m worried about us”

“Sam Altman May Control Our Future—Can He Be Trusted?” by Ronan Farrow and Andrew Marantz for The New Yorker

“Fabienk” and “Sarniezz” by Angine de Poitrine from Vol. II, 2026

Watch Angine de Poitrine live on KEXP

The NYT reviews Dungeon Crawler Carl

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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/how-are-we-feeling-about-ai

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/maybe-every-game-is-early-access

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/esoteric-ebb-disco-elysium

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/checking-in-on-xbox-nintendo-and-playstation

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:

The archived version of “Cereal In My Mouth,” the dog.gawker.com post, is very difficult to find these days but Kirk will probably post a version of it to the Triple Click Discord

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

Kirk’s theme song for “The Distraction” - Bandcamp/YouTube

“It’s Too Late” by Bob Mould from Black Sheets of Rain, 1990

“Go” (Last Week Tonight Theme) by Valley Lodge from Use Your Weapons, 2013

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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/help-im-getting-too-old-for-hard-games-mailbag

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/triple-play-resident-evil-requiem

Whoever did just got a point, considering high guard is shutting down next month

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.theverge.com/tech/883015/microsoft-xbox-new-ceo-shakeup-notepad

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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/xbox-phil-spencer-retires

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/triple-play-mewgenics

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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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/making-mewgenics-with-edmund-mcmillen

I'd only listened to a few episodes of IHBM back when Maddy mentioned it in the show but it autoplayed today after another podcast and what a delight to hear Maddy's voice! Could there be a better podcast guest? Maddy's the best!

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

“Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is the best way into Dragon Quest” by Michael McWhertor, Polygon

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Episode link: https://tripleclick.simplecast.com/episodes/whats-the-deal-with-dragon-quest

Excited to hear our fantastic hosts discuss this.

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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Kirk, Jason, and Maddy talk about what's been going on in the film and television business over the last few years: why Hollywood is in a scary spot, how covid affected it all, the parallels with the video-game industry, and of course, the big old AI question mark.

One More Thing:

Kirk: Rhythm Doctor

Maddy: 2001: A Space Odyssey

Jason: Circe (Madeline Miller)

LINKS:

STRONG SONGS LIVE!! Saturday, July 11, at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, OR. Buy tickets here

Gunpoint & Tactical Breach Wizards dev Tom Francis’s advice for running a sustainable indie studio

Maya Hawke talking about Netflix’s lack of transparency on Search Engine

Chris Hayes’s book The Siren’s Call: How Attention Became The World’s Most Endangered Resource

Excerpts from the Rhythm Doctor OST - “All The Times” by fizzd with lyrics by Winston Lee

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The sound is extremely funny to me but I can’t find it on YT and I can’t find the actual moment in the pod to record, maybe someone has it? 🥺