In the Inspector Gadget game (based on the cartoon of the same name), players take on the role of the titular bungling cyborg detective in a quest to capture villains from the MAD (Mean And Dirty) organization.

Players move on the board along a circular track by using the results of a spinner. Along the track are spaces that move a player piece, stop it, or make the player lose a turn. There are also villain tokens placed on the board that move around. Players capture these villains by landing their Inspector Gadget exactly onto the tokens. Players can also steal a villain token from each other by landing on their opponents. Lastly, villains can liberate their fellow criminals by moving onto the players' pieces.

The first player to reach the Jail, while holding three or more villains captive, wins the game.