The Name of the Game was actually three series under one title. It rotated among three characters working at Howard Publications, a large magazine publishing company—Jeffrey "Jeff" Dillon, a crusading reporter with People magazine (before there was a real-life People magazine); Glenn Howard, the sophisticated, well-connected publisher; and Daniel "Dan" Farrell, the editor of Crime magazine. Serving as a common connection was Peggy Maxwell, the editorial assistant for each.