Buy There's Always a Madman: The MacGuffin PC key

There's Always a Madman: The MacGuffin is a single-player interactive spy novel starring secret agent Franklin Benjamin, also known as Agent 707. His former mentor and partner, Dustin MacGuffin—once Agent 606—has gone rogue and kidnapped Virginia, leaving Franklin to rescue her without agency authorization or the usual channels. This fourth entry in the series tells a standalone story, and a playthrough takes roughly two hours.

The mission

Franklin sets out to find Virginia and confront MacGuffin, using his skills and whatever resources he can access on his own. You choose actions and dialogue in response to each situation, select tools for the job, interrogate henchmen and work your way up the chain toward the person behind it all. You can take a violent approach or rely on professional methods.

The story also reveals what Franklin was like as a rookie agent and how he was paired with his mentor, the agency's top man, Dustin MacGuffin.

Text and atmosphere

The game is text-based, with visuals and music used to establish the mood of each scene. The music changes depending on whether Franklin is somewhere safe or in danger, and the game includes a theme song written specifically for it, with lyrics. You play by selecting actions and dialogue, using only a mouse.