Developer Sunny Demeanor Games is pleased to announce a release trailer for There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight revealing the game will launch on March 15, 2024. The game will also have a Kickstarter campaign launching on October 9, 2023, which coincides with participation in the October Steam Next Fest. And there is a new free demo out now for the currently underway Steam Visual Novel Festival.
Players can wishlist and play the free demo for There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight on Steam here: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2390500/Theres_Always_a_Madman_Fight_or_Flight
The new release date trailer can be found on the company YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaHFkzHblsQfyuQF-mR-MPA
And players can sign up to be notified when the Kickstarter launches here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sunnydemeanorgames/theres-always-a-madman-fight-or-flight
Why release on the Ides of March (March 15)?
The main antagonist of There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight is a man named Brutus, so it's definitely fitting that players should beware the Ides of March (3/15). Plus, one of the many reference points for the game is Mission: Impossible, and the climactic scene on the train in the first Mission: Impossible film is referred to in-movie as "Job 3:15" (taking place after the memorable acquisition of the NOC list, otherwise known as "Job 3:14")
What's new about this demo?
The new demo contains 5 out of the 11 chapters from the full game, up from the 2 chapters contained in the previous demo. This new demo covering five chapters will remain up indefinitely (at least through the October Steam Next Fest) and is not limited to the one-week Visual Novel Festival.
What rewards will the Kickstarter have when it launches October 9, 2023?
The Kickstarter’s purpose is not to fund development of the full game but is instead to fund development of a James Bond-style title track with lyrics for the game. The rewards will include early bird discounts for the game and soundtrack, as well as Kickstarter-exclusive perks like getting the backer’s name in the credits, getting the game up to two weeks before the release date, or having a character in the game named after the backer.
About the game and franchise
Throughout the There’s Always a Madman series, you will play as the suave secret agent Franklin Benjamin as he takes on seemingly insurmountable obstacles with the fate of the world always hanging in the balance. Drive fast cars, seduce beautiful women, and do whatever it takes to save the day against impossible odds. Because there’s always a madman, and you’re the best agent we’ve got!
In the first game in the series, There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight, a madman is threatening the world with sophisticated satellite technology that can strike anywhere at any time, including wiping out other satellites. So it's up to you to ferret out the madman’s identity and bring him to justice - or take him out entirely.
Assisting you in this endeavor is your usual team - your experienced partner in the field, Virginia, and the team’s resident tech whiz, Hatcher. But the success or failure of this mission rests on your shoulders and yours alone. You’re our top agent, and this is a single-player game, after all.
There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight is text-based like a spy thriller novel where you decide what actions to take and what quips to say. Despite the text-based nature of the game, though, an emphasis is placed on audio to set an appropriate mood for each scene, as the game contains music that adapts based on whether you're in a safe location or you're exposed to danger.
There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight can be played with just a mouse. Gameplay consists of selecting the action or dialog you wish to take given whatever situation you’re facing. Although the life of a secret agent is complicated, playing There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight is simple.
For the sake of comparison, There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight is similar to the following games: GoldenEye 007 (and other James Bond games like Everything or Nothing), Mission: Impossible, Alpha Protocol, Framed, Hitman games, Splinter Cell games, Henchman Story, Batman Telltale Series, Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise, Vera Blanc, and the Choice Of games (e.g. Undercover Agent).
It also draws inspiration from non-video game sources such as: James Bond, Mission: Impossible, 24, Get Smart, Austin Powers, Archer, Jack Ryan, Jack Reacher, the “Threat Level Midnight” episode of The Office, and the “You Only Move Twice” episode of The Simpsons.
For further information about There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight as well as assets for use in articles or other publications, please see the game’s press kit. As a solo developer, I also publish a company blog about my games (and whenever I post a new blog, I send out a tweet on the company Twitter account @SunnyVideoGames). More details about the game can be found in the press kit, such as why make this specific game in the first place, will the game be “verified” for the Steam Deck, will the game be available in languages besides English, will the game be available in storefronts other than Steam (such as consoles), etc.
For any press inquiries, you can reach out to the developer Adam through media@SunnyDemeanorGames.com.
Please wishlist There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight on Steam today ahead of its release on March 15, 2024. We're all counting on you to save the day. After all - if you don't save the world, then there can't be a sequel.
About Sunny Demeanor Games
Sunny Demeanor Games is a one-person studio focusing on games containing puzzles, narrative, and a dose of humor. The studio’s first game is A Weekend in Puzzleburg which was featured in Kotaku’s Ten New Games On Steam That Are Bursting With Imagination.
Have a sunny day.
Quick Hits:
Game: There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight (Steam page here and Kickstarter sign-up page here)
Developer and Publisher: Sunny Demeanor Games (Steam developer page here)
Release Date: March 15, 2024
Platform: PC (Steam)
Genre: Spy Thriller Interactive Novel
Similar Games: GoldenEye 007 (and other James Bond games like Everything or Nothing), Mission: Impossible, Alpha Protocol, Framed, Hitman games, Splinter Cell games, Henchman Story, Batman Telltale Series, Agent A: A Puzzle in Disguise, Vera Blanc, and the Choice Of games (e.g. Undercover Agent)
Press Kit: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JEw_r99uzERAWqJIU2tOwzl3AKQdPc_O
News: The spy thriller interactive novel There’s Always a Madman: Fight or Flight will release on the Ides of March (March 15, 2024) with a Kickstarter on October 9, 2023 and a new demo out now for the Steam Visual Novel Festival