There's Always a Madman: The MacGuffin

Secret agent Franklin Benjamin's former-mentor-turned-rogue-agent Dustin MacGuffin has resurfaced to take from you that which you hold most dear. In this single-player interactive spy novel, play as secret agent Franklin Benjamin and use your particular set of skills to save Virginia from the clutches of the madman Dustin MacGuffin. Which means - you’d better get the MacGuffin!

Your Mission

It was supposed to be the rarest of all things - a day with no mission. That is, until you woke up to find Virginia gone and a note left behind telling you she had been taken. That note was left behind by your old partner, Dustin MacGuffin, who's since gone rogue - now he's up to something and using her as leverage to keep you from getting involved. Talk about a grave miscalculation

Now, you're taking matters into your own hands to get her back. This is not a sanctioned mission, so you're on your own this time using resources outside the usual channels. But you will get the MacGuffin ... whatever it takes

There's Always a Madman: The MacGuffin can be played with just a mouse. Gameplay consists of selecting the action or dialog you wish to take given the situation you’re facing. Although the life of a secret agent is complicated, playing There's Always a Madman: The MacGuffin is simple

Sequel or Standalone

There's Always a Madman: The MacGuffin is the fourth entry in the There's Always a Madman series, but it tells a standalone story. Like a classic James Bond novel or film where you can pick any one up independent of the rest, you can pick this story up without having experienced any prior stories in the There's Always a Madman franchise. However, I would recommend starting with the first game There's Always a Madman: Fight or Flight if you care to experience the series in its intended order

Make Them Talk

Will you go on a full rampage or are you just a professional applying your particular set of skills? Choose the tools for how you want to get the job done, interrogate the henchmen standing in your path, and work your way up the chain to get to the man behind it all

This Time, It's Personal

For the first time in the There's Always a Madman series, we learn what Franklin Benjamin was like as a rookie agent and how he paired with his mentor at the time - the agency's top man, Dustin MacGuffin

Sounds like a Winner

Although the game is text-based like a novel, an emphasis is placed on visuals and music to set the appropriate mood for each scene, changing based on whether you're in a safe location or you're exposed to danger. It also features a theme song (with lyrics) written specifically for this game

Short and Not-So-Sweet

There's Always A Madman: The MacGuffin aims to be about the length of a movie for a single playthrough (roughly two hours). During that time, you may very well have to do some not-so-nice things to succeed. But that's okay - as they say, nice guys finish last. And you to come out on top

For reference, here are some similar games outside the There's Always a Madman series to help you get a further sense for what the There's Always A Madman games are like: GoldenEye 007 (and other James Bond games like Everything or Nothing), Mission: Impossible, Alpha Protocol, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Henchman Story, Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise, Framed, I Expect You To Die, Batman Telltale Series, The Wolf Among Us

Q: Why make this game text-based? Why not use visuals?

A: James Bond, Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher, and Jack Ryan all started off in text format with novels. I believe this is the right move for the project - as they say, the book is always better, so I think a more book-like experience works here. The game's text will of course be supplemented with music to set the appropriate mood, such as whether you're in danger or in a safe spot

Get the MacGuffin before the MacGuffin gets you!

Each game in the There's Always a Madman series is designed as a standalone adventure, but if you wish to play the games in order, this is the order of release (and the recommended order to play):

1. There's Always a Madman: Fight or Flight

2. There's Always a Madman: Do Your Worst

3. There's Always a Madman: Bring the Thunder

4. There's Always a Madman: The MacGuffin

5. There's Always a Madman: V.I.C.T.O.R.

And don't forget to check out my debut game, the cozy RPG A Weekend in Puzzleburg. There's Always a Madman is technically a spin-off of A Weekend in Puzzleburg since There's Always a Madman is based on the Franklin Benjamin character first seen on a channel from the Puzzleburg hotel room TV