MacGuffin's Curse

MacGuffin’s Curse is a solid entry into the maze/puzzle genre. It’s low-pressure, you can correct your mistakes quickly, and the writing has a cheesy comedic tone that’s very chill. And as an entry into the werewolf/jewel thief genre, it’s the frontrunner of the year.

84%Game Brain Score

story, humor

gameplay, music

88% User Score Based on 99 reviews

Critic Score 73%Based on 2 reviews

Platforms

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About

MacGuffin's Curse is a single player casual puzzle game. It was developed by Brawsome and was released on April 19, 2012. It received mostly positive reviews from critics and positive reviews from players.

"MacGuffin's Curse" is a single-player adventure game with a compelling story, available for PC and Mac. As the magician-turned-thief-turned-werewolf Lucas MacGuffin, players must sneak and smash their way through a city in lockdown, using both human and werewolf abilities to lift a magical curse. With hilarious dialogue, hand-drawn art, and high replay value, it's a comedy-puzzle-adventure perfect for all skill levels.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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88%

Audience ScoreBased on 99 reviews

story18 positive mentions

music3 negative mentions

MacGuffin's Curse features a clever blend of humor, engaging storytelling, and inventive puzzle mechanics that keep players entertained throughout the game.
The duality of the main character's human and werewolf forms adds depth to the gameplay, allowing for unique puzzle-solving strategies and a satisfying challenge.
The hand-drawn art style and witty dialogue create a charming atmosphere, making the game visually appealing and enjoyable to explore.

Some players found the puzzles to become repetitive and tedious, particularly in the later stages of the game, which can detract from the overall experience.
The requirement to frequently switch between human and werewolf forms for puzzle-solving can be cumbersome and may not appeal to everyone.
While the game offers a humorous narrative, some players felt that the jokes and comedic elements fell flat or were not consistently funny.

story
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
The story of "Macguffin's Curse" is characterized by its whimsical charm, featuring a lighthearted and humorous narrative filled with over-the-top characters and engaging dialogue. While the main plot is straightforward, it is complemented by a rich world with numerous side quests and collectibles that enhance the experience. Players appreciate the blend of storytelling and puzzle-solving, although some feel that the abundance of puzzles can overshadow the narrative at times.
- “Hand-drawn environments are detailed, expressive, and full of personality, giving the world a whimsical charm that perfectly complements the story’s playful tone.”
- “Overall, Macguffin’s Curse is an entertaining game that offers a satisfying mix of humor, storytelling, and brain-teasing puzzles.”
- “The story is well-crafted and offers a lot of funny as well as some touching moments.”
- “Keeping in mind that it is an over-the-top cartoon story – it isn’t that huge of a deal, but still, it just rubbed me the wrong way.”
- “If you want to play through the story, you might end up skipping puzzles like me because there's so many of them (over 150!).”
- “The story is ok but what really shines is the world and all of the side quests within it.”
humor
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
"Macguffin's Curse" is praised for its inventive blend of humor, clever mechanics, and quirky narrative, making it a memorable puzzle-adventure. The game features engaging characters, witty dialogue, and a lighthearted atmosphere, though opinions on the humor's effectiveness vary, with some finding it charming and others less impressed. Overall, it offers a satisfying mix of storytelling and brain-teasing puzzles, appealing to both seasoned and casual gamers.
- “Macguffin’s Curse is a refreshingly inventive puzzle-adventure that combines humor, clever mechanics, and a quirky narrative into a single, enthralling experience.”
- “Quirky characters and sharp dialogue inject humor and warmth, transforming what could have been a standard puzzle game into a memorable narrative adventure.”
- “The puzzles are challenging, the characters are engaging, and the dialogue is hilarious.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
36%
21%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming top-down cartoon style with cozy colors and well-executed animations, appealing to both casual and seasoned gamers. While some reviews note the pixelated graphics as simple and amateurish, they complement the game's unique humor and creative puzzles, contributing to an overall enjoyable experience. The art style, though not groundbreaking, enhances the game's personality and atmosphere, making it a delightful visual experience.
- “The graphic element overall is very charming with a top-down cartoon style, cozy colors and lighting, and well-done animations.”
- “The hand-drawn artwork and humorous dialogue add an appealing personality, making it accessible to both seasoned adventurers and casual gamers.”
- “Something about the graphics, the absurd characters, and the commitment to having unique dialogue for almost every object in the game; it all comes together as an extremely generous experience.”
- “The graphics are pixelated and nothing to brag about, but they lend themselves well to the game.”
- “Relatively simple box-sliding puzzle game with just-acceptable graphics.”
- “The artwork is a little amateurish, but the writing is genuinely funny, the puzzles are fiendishly creative, and the game has a lot of content to it.”
gameplay
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
Macguffin’s Curse offers a unique puzzle-adventure experience through its inventive gameplay mechanics, particularly the ability to switch between human and werewolf forms, which adds depth to puzzle-solving. While the game features clever design and engaging challenges, some players note that certain sections can become tedious and difficult, especially towards the end. Overall, the blend of humor, narrative, and strategic gameplay creates an intellectually stimulating and entertaining experience.
- “Macguffin’s Curse is a refreshingly inventive puzzle-adventure that combines humor, clever mechanics, and a quirky narrative into a single, enthralling experience.”
- “The duality of Lucas’s human and beast forms lies at the heart of the gameplay: human form allows careful exploration and interaction with objects, while werewolf form grants strength and the ability to manipulate the environment in ways impossible otherwise.”
- “The game cleverly builds on the mechanics you’ve learned, introducing new elements like steel boxes that can only be pushed or water hazards that require human dexterity to navigate.”
- “It would have been cool to gain a slightly different obstacle/mechanic or, maybe, a style in which they are presented as Lucas keeps moving forward.”
- “The core puzzle mechanic is solid, but some of the rooms can get a bit tedious, with a lot of shuffling back and forth to navigate boxes in tight corners.”
- “The werewolf bit is a joke only there for a run-of-the-mill story and gameplay limiter.”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
55%
27%
The music in the game is generally praised for its effectiveness in enhancing the atmosphere without being intrusive, with standout tracks like the jazz noir being particularly enjoyed. However, some users noted that certain pieces, such as the city hall track, can be grating, and the soundtrack may become repetitive during prolonged gameplay. Overall, the attention to detail in the music and the ability to unlock and play tracks adds to the game's charm.
- “The soundtrack is understated yet effective, reinforcing the game’s atmosphere without ever becoming intrusive.”
- “It has great music too and offers a lot of attention to detail.”
- “The soundtrack gets a bit repetitive after a while, especially if you're stuck thinking on a puzzle for a while.”
- “It was mentioned in the developer's commentary that a conscious decision was made to avoid composing music which would get on our nerves in those situations.”
- “The music I thought was really well done.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find that while the game offers a sense of adventure through goals, side quests, and loot, some aspects of grinding can become tedious, particularly with repetitive puzzles and navigation. Although the core mechanics are solid, certain late-game puzzles may lead to frustration and boredom, prompting some players to rely on autosolvers to expedite their progress. Overall, the experience remains enjoyable despite these grinding elements.
- “Game quickly becomes tedious and repetitive!”
- “Towards the end, I was so bored and fed up I was just using the autosolver on the most tedious of rooms so I could finish.”
- “The core puzzle mechanic is solid, but some of the rooms can get a bit tedious, with a lot of shuffling back and forth to navigate boxes in tight corners.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by an understated yet effective soundtrack, featuring high-quality instrumental tracks that adapt to various locations, from a biker gang's junkyard to a city library, seamlessly reinforcing the overall mood without being intrusive.
- “Good quality instrumental tracks that vary from location to location, and they fit the atmosphere of each perfectly, be it a biker gang-run junkyard or a city library.”
- “The soundtrack is understated yet effective, reinforcing the game’s atmosphere without ever becoming intrusive.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its well-crafted story, which balances humor with poignant moments, evoking a range of feelings from somber reflection to genuine laughter. Players have reported experiencing a deep emotional connection, sometimes leading to a contemplative silence during gameplay.
- “It made me feel like I was at some pompous funeral, so I ended up playing the entire chapter in silence.”
- “The story is well-crafted and offers a lot of funny as well as some touching moments.”

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73%Critics’ scoreBased on 2 critic reviews

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8h Median play time

8h Average play time

8-8h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

MacGuffin's Curse is a casual puzzle game.

MacGuffin's Curse is available on Nintendo Switch, PC, Mac OS, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 8 hours playing MacGuffin's Curse.

MacGuffin's Curse was released on April 19, 2012.

MacGuffin's Curse was developed by Brawsome.

MacGuffin's Curse has received mostly positive reviews from players and mostly positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

MacGuffin's Curse is a single player game.

Similar games include Ittle Dew, Quantum Conundrum, Hue, Carto, The Cave and others.

MacGuffin's Curse

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