Triple Click4 Huhti 2024

Dragon's Dogma 2 Makes Friction Fun

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

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

Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/join

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Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpod

Triple Click Ethics Policy:

https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/

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

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Help, My Dog Hates My Switch 2 [Mailbag]

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk open up the mailbag to answer your burning questions about all sorts of things, from the gambling epidemic to our favorite funny bugs. And the burningest question of all: What do you do when your dog hates your Switch 2?One More Thing:Kirk: Skate StoryMaddy: MothershipJason: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)LINKS:Subscribe to Maddy’s new website Mothership!! https://mothership.blogDrew Gooden’s video about online gambling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlMLfxxvKD8Jason’s column on the misreported GTA VI rumors: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-01-09/take-two-falls-on-grand-theft-auto-vi-delay-misinformation?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2ODQzMjUyMywiZXhwIjoxNzY5MDM3MzIzLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUOExaRkFLSVVQU0kwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCMUVBQkI5NjQ2QUM0REZFQTJBRkI4MjI1MzgyQTJFQSJ9.zqMjykJYsgvShFQ0bGzmhH9HM7LfldSRDe-MceK28LEKirk’s newsletter about podcasting’s pivot to video: https://www.kirksnotes.com/p/podcasts-for-your-ears“Coastal” by Blood Cultures from the Skate Story OST 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

15 Tammi 1h 10min

Our Predictions for 2026

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason go back through 2025's predictions to see who won the annual bet, then make some new predictions for the year to come!One More Thing:Kirk: The Rose Field (Phillip Pullman)Maddy: The Hundred Line: Last Defense AcademyJason: That’s Not How It Happened (Craig Thomas)PREDICTIONS: JASON:Game: Chrono TriggerGrand Theft Auto VI will have an in-game interactive version of TiktokPersona 6 will be announcedXbox will announce that first-party games will no longer be day 1 on Game PassSteam Machine will slip to June or laterAnother Elden Ring DLC or sequel will be announcedDanganronpa 2X2 will secretly be Danganronpa 4Another Zelda remake will be announcedOne of this year's GOTY candidates at The Game Awards will be 2D (or HD-2D)Final Fantasy XIV will be overhauled againMarathon will peak at less than 10,000 concurrents on SteamBONUS: EA will sell or shut down BioWare / EA will announce BioWare 2KIRKGame: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight PrincessSquare will announce… Final Fantasy VII ReturnGTA VI will feature a character based on Charlie KirkAll three consoles - Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch - will get a price increaseA Roblox game will be nominated for a Game AwardValve will announce a new non-VR Half-Life GameSony will announce a new PlayStation PortableIn Fable, you will be able to plant an acorn and have it grow into a treeTeam Cherry will make The Knight playable in SilksongXbox game pass will come to PlayStation or SwitchNintendo will announce a Star Fox movieBONUS: Epic will add Joe Biden to FortniteMADDYGAME: BioshockIn Grand Theft Auto 6, Lucia will be revealed to be queer / not only attracted to menLeon Kennedy is going to turn out to be Grace’s dad in Resident Evil RequiemA triple-A game advertisement will brag that the game doesn’t use generative AILaura Kinney, aka X-23, will have a cameo in the Wolverine gameThe Switch 2 will get a $50 price increasePhil Spencer will step down as CEOHalo will come to SwitchFF7 Remake part 3 will get a release dateWaluigi will be in the Mario movie sequelLuigi’s Mansion 4 will be announcedBONUS: Nintendo will announce a Metroid film 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

8 Tammi 1h 5min

(BONUS) We Beat The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Jason, Maddy, and Kirk have left the temple of time, set out across Hyrule, and defeated the evil Ganondorf. They can finally go back to being kids again… but will they ever truly be the same?LINKS, ETC:“Ocarina of Time End Credits” by Koji Kondo, 1998Join the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

1 Tammi 1h 11min

Our Favorite Video Games of 2025

Kirk, Maddy, and Jason cap off 2025 with a hearty discussion of the year's best games.One More Thing:Kirk: The Onion (Print Edition)Maddy: Hedda (2025)Jason: ChronoquartzLINKS:Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/GAMES OF THE YEARKirk:DispatchSunderfolkBlue PrinceSplit FictionNews TowerDonkey Kong BananzaHollow Knight: SilksongThe Roottrees Are DeadKingdom Come Deliverance IIThe Hundred Line: Last Defense AcademyJason:DispatchBlue PrinceHollow Knight: SilksongThe Roottrees are DeadThe Hundred Line: Last Defense AcademyAvowedNurikabe WorldThe Séance of Blake ManorStrange JigsawsFantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals TimeMaddy:Blue PrinceCitizen Sleeper 2: Starward VectorClair Obscur: Expedition 33Consume MeDeath Stranding 2: On The BeachElden Ring: Nightreign (w/ Yeui’s Multiplayer Mod)Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice ChroniclesKeeperHollow Knight: SilksongThe Séance of Blake Manor 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

25 Joulu 20251h 24min

The Good And Bad Of The Game Awards 2025

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk talk through this year's Game Awards show, from the big reveals (Star Wars! Divinity!) to the Clair Obscur sweep. They talk about what the show did well, what sucked, and why they chose to end on a hero shooter. Plus: some quick thoughts on Netflix buying Warner Bros.!One More Thing:Kirk: School AnnouncementsMaddy: Masters of Doom by David Kushner (2003)Jason: Pluribus LINKS:Jason talks to Swen Vincke: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-12-16/-baldur-s-gate-3-maker-promises-divinity-will-be-next-level?srnd=undefined“Hundred Days,” “Invasion,” “Midnight” by Masafumi Takada and Jun Fukuda from The Hundred Line: Last Defense AcademySupport Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

18 Joulu 20251h 15min

Triple Play: Metroid Prime 4

Maddy, Jason, and Kirk put on their Varia Suits for a dive into Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, the latest adventure of bounty hunter Samus Aran. They talk about how this fourth entry has evolved the series, what they like (and don't like) about the game, and that dreadful desert.One More Thing:Kirk: Death By Lightning (Netflix)Maddy: Metropolis (1927), as re-edited in 1984 by Giorgio MoroderJason: Wellness (Nathan Hill)LINKS:Metroid Prime 4:Beyond original score excerpts composed by Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano“Death By Lightning” by Ramin Djawadi from Death By Lightning, 2025“Call Me” by Debbie Harry & Giorgio Moroder; performed by “Blondie” aka Debbie Harry & a studio band feat. Harold Faltermeyer on keys“Death of the Author: An Alan Wake Series Retrospective” by Noah Caldwell-Gervais: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRh3r_AhUw0Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

11 Joulu 20251h 10min

Gaming's Biggest Night XII: The Revenge

Will Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sweep The Game Awards? Why was Blue Prince snubbed? And does The Burnt Peanut have a chance against Sakura Miko? This week, the Triple Click gang makes their predictions for Gaming's Biggest Night, from Game of the Year to... "Best Ongoing."One More Thing:Kirk: The Night Watchman (Louise Erdrich)Maddy: System Shock (2023 remake)Jason: MegabonkLINKS:“Flying Waters - Rain from the Ground” by Lorien Testard from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33Kirk’s 2015 story about Nightdive’s failed attempts to remake No One Lives Forever: https://kotaku.com/the-sad-story-behind-a-dead-pc-game-that-cant-come-back-1688358811Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

4 Joulu 20251h 16min

Which Parts of EA Would We Want To Buy?

What would Triple Click do if they had the chance to buy pieces of EA? Why do so many people talk about games before finishing them? How do patches impact the way we experience games? All those and lots more questions on this week's Thanksgiving special Burning Questions.One More Thing:Kirk: Fela Kuti: Fear No ManMaddy: Secure Boot settingsJason: 1929 (Andrew Ross Sorkin)LINKS:Support Triple Click: http://maximumfun.org/joinBuy Some Triple Click Merch!! https://maxfunstore.com/search?q=triple+click&options%5Bprefix%5D=lastJoin the Triple Click Discord: http://discord.gg/tripleclickpodTriple Click Ethics Policy: https://maximumfun.org/triple-click-ethics-policy/ 🚀 SUPPORT TRIPLE CLICK:Join Maximum Fun | Buy TC Merch💬 JOIN THE TRIPLE CLICK DISCORD🎮 Triple Click Ethics Policy📱 SOCIALS | @tripleclickpodInstagram | YouTube | TikTok | Twitch

27 Marras 20251h 6min

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