Secret agent Franklin Benjamin will stop at nothing to save the world. In the single-player interactive spy novel villain team-up game There's Always a Madman: V.I.C.T.O.R., you play as his greatest adversaries. Can the criminal enterprise known as V.I.C.T.O.R. (short for a "Very Important Collective of Terrorists, Operatives, and Rogues") defeat the only man standing between them and world domination? To the VICTOR go the spoils!

Your Mission

Having been foiled by secret agent Franklin Benjamin time and time again, a group of madmen decide to team up to take Franklin Benjamin out once and for all. Brandy and The Silver Fox collect a group of six madmen from across the previous four games who theoretically should be enough to take out the only man who is an obstacle to total victory

But what tricks does the unparalleled secret agent Franklin Benjamin have up his sleeve? What lengths will he go to in order to save the world - and himself!

There's Always a Madman: V.I.C.T.O.R. 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 madman is complicated, playing There's Always a Madman: V.I.C.T.O.R. is simple

Sequel or Standalone

There's Always a Madman: V.I.C.T.O.R. is the fifth 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 meet each madman in their own one-off stories before they all come together in this fifth game

The Underworld is Not Enough

Fed up with being confined to operating in the shadows, do you and your squad have what it takes to eliminate the only man standing between you and world domination? The world is yours for the taking

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Madmen from the four previous games join forces with a common goal. But will your cobbled-together crew coalesce around a singular vision and best Franklin Benjamin once and for all or will you succumb to infighting? Put your best foot forward and make nice with a group of madmen

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: V.I.C.T.O.R. 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've had enough finishing last against the great secret agent Franklin Benjamin

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, Hitman games, Splinter Cell games, 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

Will the criminal organization known as V.I.C.T.O.R. come out on top? Look out, Franklin Benjamin - this time, it's winner take all!

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 (which is recommended), this is the order of release:

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