Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse

Last updated
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse
The Devil's Playhouse logo.jpg
The Devil's Playhouse logo
Developer(s) Telltale Games [lower-alpha 1]
Publisher(s) Telltale Games [lower-alpha 1]
Director(s) David Bogan
Joe Pinney
Dennis Lenart
Jake Rodkin
Producer(s) Franklin Alioto
Brett Tosti
Designer(s) Chuck Jordan
Andy Hartzell
Joe Pinney
Mike Stemmle
Programmer(s) Andrew Langley
Robert Oates
Randy Tudor
Artist(s) Peter Tsaykel
Derek Sakai
Writer(s) Chuck Jordan
Andy Hartzell
Joe Pinney
Mike Stemmle
Composer(s) Jared Emerson-Johnson
Series Sam & Max
Engine Telltale Tool
Platform(s)
Release
  • iPad
  • April 2, 2010 [lower-alpha 2]
  • Windows, OS X, PS3
  • April 15, 2010
    – August 30, 2010
  • Remastered
  • PS4, Switch, Xbox One, Windows
  • August 14, 2024
Genre(s) Graphic adventure
Mode(s) Single-player

Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse is a graphic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games. It is the third and final season of the Sam & Max episodic series created by Telltale, following Sam & Max Save the World and Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space . The first episode was released as one of the first apps for the iPad on April 2, 2010, [1] and was released for Microsoft Windows, OS X, and the PlayStation 3 (the first Telltale game to appear on that platform) on April 15. A remaster by Skunkape Games was released on August 14, 2024 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. [2]

Contents

Gameplay

Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse is a series of graphic adventure games, requiring the user to control Sam and Max to specific locations, interacting with the environment, collecting and using objects, and talking to other characters in the game in order to solve puzzles and complete the game. The previous two Sam & Max seasons used a traditional point-and-click interface, which is well-suited for Windows and MacOS users but did not translate well to traditional gamepad controls. The game engine for The Devil's Playhouse has been redesigned to handle both the point-and-click scheme and typical console-based controls for third-person perspective games. On a Windows or MacOS computer, the player has the option of plugging in a gamepad to use this second set of controls. [3] Other aspects, such as inventory management, have also been refined to better suit console players or players not familiar with the adventure game genre. [3] The iPad version of the game features direct touch interaction with the characters, scenery, and inventory. [4]

Whereas in previous episodes Max would follow to wherever the player directed Sam, The Devil's Playhouse gives the player direct control over both characters and the ability to swap between characters. This allows for better differentiation between the two characters and increases the variety of gameplay options. A constant theme through the season is a suite of psychic powers that Max gains in each episode, such as the ability to read minds, see glimpses of the future, or teleport himself to any telephone for which he knows the number. This aspect plays into the separate characters' controls in order to solve the puzzles in the game. The PlayStation 3 version of the first episode features an additional psychic power not present in the other versions; [3] this power was restored in the 2024 remaster. [5]

Synopsis

The game begins with a narrator, who explains to the audience that Sam and Max have discovered the "Toys of Power", seemingly harmless toys that grant Max various psychic abilities. They first use them to stop the alien General Skun-ka'pe, who has come to Earth seeking the Toys, and banish him back to the interdimensional prison known as the Penal Zone. During this mission, the Freelance Police encounter a Mole Man cult who have been watching over a mysterious artifact called the Devil's Toybox in the basement of Sam and Max's office. By watching some dusty film reels, they learn that their great-grandfathers, Sameth and Maximus, were chosen by the cryptic Mr. Papierwaite to retrieve the Toybox from the Tomb of Sammun-Mak, an ancient Pharaoh. However, when they successfully recovered it, Papierwaite attempted to use Maximus' psychic powers and the Toybox to summon the Elder God, Yog-Soggoth, and bring about the apocalypse. Sameth and Maximus managed to trick Mr. Papierwaite and stop the ritual, and then tasked the Mole Men with watching the Toybox while accidentally perishing due to a failed protection spell.

Just before the last reel, Sam goes to the bathroom and returns to find someone has stolen Max's brain and the Devil's Toybox. Sam tracks the thief to the Museum of Mostly Natural History, where he temporarily reanimates Max's body by putting Sammun-Mak's brain into Max's head. Together, they discover Skun-ka'pe has escaped the Penal Zone and is fighting the curator, the still-living Mr. Papierwaite, for possession of the Toybox and Max's brain. Sammun-Mak uses Max's body to activate the Toybox, creating an alternate reality where he rules over all, with Max's disembodied brain among the only ones to remember the previous reality. With help from the mole cultists and the mysterious Dr. Norrington, Max guides Sam into removing Sammun-Mak's brain, and reality is restored. Sam returns Max's brain to his body, but they find themselves surrounded by an army of Sam clones, who recover the Toybox.

Taking shelter in Stinky's Diner, Sam and Max uncover a cloning chamber where the "Clone Master" is using the clones to gather the remaining toys of power. They encounter Mr. Papierwaite and Dr. Norrington, revealed to be the elder god Yog-Soggoth. The two explain that they were fused together when Sameth and Maximus disrupted Papierwaite's ritual, and that they have been trying to destroy the Devil's Toybox to prevent its use in a ritual to summon Yog-Soggoth's grandson, Junior, which would destroy reality. After discovering Momma Bosco was paid to build the cloning machines and restoring her to life, Sam and Max follow the clones to the Toybox. Before they can recover it, they are stopped by Charlie Ho-Tep, one of the Toys of Power, who reveals himself as the Clone Master. Sam and Max are captured and taken to the Statue of Liberty, where Charlie Ho-Tep plans to complete the ritual in hopes that Junior will play with him. With Yog-Soggoth and Papierwaite's help, Max unleashes his psychic powers and tricks Charlie into destroying the Toybox and himself. However, Max accidentally swallows some of Junior's demonic essence, turning him into a giant eldritch beast.

Sam forms a strike team, alongside Sybil Pandemik, Yog-Soggoth and Papierwaite, to enter Max's body and reverse the changes. Inside, Sam takes control of Max's body and meets the narrator, revealed to be Max's Superego, who plans to blow up Max's brain and the city due to Max's crude instincts and lack of morals. While Girl Stinky and Skun-ka'pe form an evil alliance, Sam attempts to stop the Superego, but is disrupted when Sybil goes into labor. Max's subconscious suddenly shows a desire to save Sybil, and the Superego realizes he has been wrong and decides to make amends, telling Sam and the others to escape. Unable to stop the explosion, the Superego teleports Max to Skun-ka'pe's ship, with Skun-ka'pe, Girl Stinky, and Max perishing in the blast. Despite Momma Bosco's best efforts, they cannot clone Max and Sam walks off alone. At the last moment, he is greeted by the parallel universe Max [lower-alpha 3] whose Sam was destroyed under similar circumstances, and the two head off on another adventure.

Episodes

EpisodeDesigner/WriterDirectorRelease date
"The Penal Zone" Chuck Jordan Chuck JordanApril 2, 2010 / April 15, 2010 (April 16, 2010 on Steam)
  • General Skun-ka'pe, a gorilla from outer space, arrives in town bringing a message of peace and love. However, Sam and Max find out about his true intentions thanks to Max's new psychic power to see the future before his arrival. Now these two must stop him.
"The Tomb of Sammun-Mak"Andy HartzellDave BoganMay 18, 2010 (May 20, 2010 on Steam)
  • Using a strange projector found in the basement of their building Sam and Max view the last adventure of their great-grandfathers, Sameth and Maximus, as they become selected to find the devil's toybox, steal it, survive the train robbery then return the box.
"They Stole Max's Brain!"Joe Pinney
Mike Stemmle 		Joe Pinney
Mike Stemmle
Nick Herman		June 22, 2010 (June 24, 2010 on Steam)
  • Max's brain was stolen during Sam's bathroom break in the last episode! Now Sam must figure out who stole Max's brain, with Skun-ka'pe being the primary suspect.
"Beyond the Alley of the Dolls"Mike Stemmle
Joe Pinney		Dennis LenartJuly 20, 2010 (July 21, 2010 on Steam)
  • Clones of Sam are searching the city for the Toys of Power. Sam and Max must locate the source of these clones and stop whoever is responsible.
"The City That Dares Not Sleep"Chuck Jordan Jake Rodkin August 30, 2010 (August 31 on PSN)
  • Max is transformed into a giant demonic beast and begins terrorizing New York. It's up to Sam and a small team of adventurers to journey inside Max and return him back to his normal size before he and the city are destroyed.

Development and release

The Devil's Playhouse was the third Sam & Max game produced by Telltale Games since acquiring the license after the cancellation of Sam & Max: Freelance Police in 2004. The game was initially expected to be released in 2009, [6] a year after Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space . Though the game failed to materialize, towards the end of 2009 Telltale alluded to the Sam & Max sequel in the final chapter of Tales of Monkey Island , directing players to the game's preliminary website. Industry media later noted that the title Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse as well as the title of the first episode, "The Penal Zone", had been registered with the OFLC, the Australian film and video game classification body. [7] Telltale officially announced The Devil's Playhouse at the Game Developers Conference in March 2010, for release for Windows, the PlayStation Network and Mac OS. [8]

While The Devil's Playhouse was originally announced for PC and the PlayStation 3 for release on April 15, an iPad version of the game became available on April 2, as one of the first applications for the release of the device. Telltale's CEO, Dan Connors, revealed that they chose to develop the series for the iPad as a new opportunity as it "really revolutionizes the way our stuff is played". [4] Connors also stated that once they started testing the iPad version, they felt the device helped to give more immersion to the game, as opposed to the other platforms where they play out more as an interaction movie. [4] Telltale was able to keep most of the features that they had already developed for the PC and console releases, including 3D graphics limited only by the shader technology on the iPad, while including features that took advantage of the iPad's technology, such as a touch-based interface. [4]

A remaster by Skunkape Games was released on August 14, 2024 for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. [2] Like Skunkape's remasters of the previous two Sam & Max games, the remastered version features updated character models and lighting, and new cinematography, environment design, and music. [2] The remastered version also includes the "Nutri-Specs", an additional power for Max that was previously exclusive to the PlayStation 3 release of "The Penal Zone". [5]

Promotional giveaway

In April 2010, game developer Valve announced that anyone who purchased The Devil's Playhouse through Steam would receive three bonus items in Team Fortress 2 : a hat based on Max's head, Max's pistol, and Sam's revolver. The promotion ended on April 26. [9] This was later expanded to include people who purchased the games through the Telltale store.

Notes

  1. 1 2 Remastered version developed and published by Skunkape Games.
  2. ↑ The Penal Zone was the only episode released on the platform.
  3. ↑ Introduced in the previous season, Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space

Related Research Articles

<i>Sam & Max</i> American media franchise

Sam & Max is an American media franchise about Sam and Max, a pair of anthropomorphic vigilante private investigators. The characters, who occupy a universe that parodies American popular culture, were created by Steve Purcell in his youth, and later debuted in a 1987 comic book series. The characters have since been the subject of a graphic adventure video game developed by LucasArts, a television series produced for Fox in cooperation with Nelvana Limited, and a series of episodic adventure games developed by Telltale Games. In addition, a variety of machinima and a webcomic have been produced for the series.

<i>Sam & Max Hit the Road</i> 1993 video game

Sam & Max Hit the Road is a graphic adventure video game released by LucasArts during the company's adventure games era. The game was originally released for MS-DOS in 1993 and for Mac OS in 1995. A 2002 re-release included compatibility with Windows. The game is based on the comic characters of Sam and Max, the "Freelance Police", an anthropomorphic dog and "hyperkinetic rabbity thing". The characters, created by Steve Purcell, originally debuted in a 1987 comic book series. Based on the 1989 Sam & Max comic On the Road, the duo take the case of a missing bigfoot from a nearby carnival, traveling to many American culture tourist sites to solve the mystery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Video game remake</span> Closely adapted game

A video game remake is a video game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game with updated graphics for newer hardware and gameplay for contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake of such game software shares essentially the same title, fundamental gameplay concepts, and core story elements of the original game, although some aspects of the original game may have been changed for the remake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LucasArts adventure games</span> Adventure games produced by LucasArts

From the late 1980s to the early 2000s, LucasArts was well known for their point-and-click graphic adventure games, nearly all of which received high scoring reviews at the time of their release. Their style tended towards the humorous, often irreverent or slapstick humor, with the exceptions of Loom and The Dig. Their game design philosophy was that the player should never die or reach a complete dead-end, although there were exceptions.

Telltale Incorporated was an American video game developer based in San Rafael, California. The company was founded in July 2004 by former LucasArts developers Kevin Bruner, Dan Connors and Troy Molander, following LucasArts' decision to leave the adventure game genre. Telltale established itself to focus on adventure games using a novel episodic release schedule over digital distribution, creating its own game engine, the Telltale Tool, to support this. It closed in October 2018 after filing for bankruptcy protection.

An episodic video game is a video game of a shorter length that is commercially released as an installment to a continuous and larger series. Episodic games differ from conventional video games in that they often contain less content but are developed on a more frequent basis.

<i>Sam & Max: Freelance Police</i> Unreleased 2004 video game

Sam & Max: Freelance Police was a graphic adventure video game developed by LucasArts from 2002 until its cancellation in 2004, and the final game in the company's adventure game era. Freelance Police was originally intended for release for Windows in early 2004 as a sequel to the 1993 title Sam & Max Hit the Road. The game was based on the characters Sam & Max: an anthropomorphic dog and "hyperkinetic rabbity thing" who debuted in a 1987 comic book series created by Steve Purcell. Freelance Police was announced in August 2002, and showcased at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in 2003. Like its predecessor, Freelance Police was designed as a point-and-click adventure game, but used a 3D game engine in place of the SCUMM and GrimE engines used in older LucasArts adventure games. The project's development was led by Michael Stemmle, one of the original designers for Sam & Max Hit the Road, while Steve Purcell assisted in developing the game's plot and providing artistic direction.

<i>Sam & Max Save the World</i> 2006-2007 episodic video game

Sam & Max Save the World is a graphic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games. The game was originally released as Sam & Max: Season One before being renamed in early 2009. Save the World was developed in an episodic fashion, comprising six episodes that were released for Microsoft Windows over the course of late 2006 and early 2007. The episodes were initially distributed online by GameTap and Telltale Games themselves, although the later retail releases of the game were published by The Adventure Company. A Wii port of the game was published in late 2008, and an Xbox Live Arcade version was released in mid-2009. A remaster of the game by Skunkape Games was released in December 2020 for Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows, in August 2021 for Xbox One, and in September 2022 for PlayStation 4.

<i>Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space</i> 2007-2008 episodic video game

Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space, originally released as Sam & Max: Season Two, is an episodic graphic adventure video game by Telltale Games based on the Sam & Max comic book series created by Steve Purcell. It is a sequel to Telltale's previous Sam & Max game, Sam & Max Save the World, and was originally released as five episodes for Microsoft Windows over the course of late 2007 and early 2008, before being ported to other platforms in the following years. A remaster of the game by Skunkape Games was released in December 2021 for Windows, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One, and in September 2022 for PlayStation 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jared Emerson-Johnson</span> American video game composer

Jared Nathaniel Emerson-Johnson is an American video game music composer, sound designer, voice director and voice actor. Emerson-Johnson is the Music Supervisor and lead composer at Bay Area Sound, an audio production company specializing in sound design, music and voiceover for video games. His work has been predominantly featured in games developed by Telltale.

<i>Tales of Monkey Island</i> 2009 video game

Tales of Monkey Island is a 2009 graphic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games under license from LucasArts. It is the fifth game in the Monkey Island series, released nearly a decade after the previous installment, Escape from Monkey Island. Developed for Windows and the Wii console, the game was released in five episodic segments, between July and December 2009. In contrast to Telltale's previous episodic adventure games, whose chapters told discrete stories, each chapter of Tales of Monkey Island is part of an ongoing narrative. The game was digitally distributed through WiiWare and Telltale's own website, and later through Steam and Amazon.com. Ports for OS X, the PlayStation Network, and iOS were released several months after the series ended.

<i>Poker Night at the Inventory</i> Poker video game

Poker Night at the Inventory is a poker video game developed by Telltale Games. It features four characters from different franchises: Tycho Brahe from the Penny Arcade webcomic, Max from the Sam & Max franchise, the RED Heavy Weapons Guy from Team Fortress 2, and Strong Bad from the Homestar Runner web series. The game was released on November 22, 2010. A sequel, Poker Night 2, was released in 2013. The game was delisted from Steam on May 23rd, 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Rodkin</span> American video game designer

Jake Rodkin is an American video game designer, writer, graphic designer, and podcaster. He was the co-project leader of Tales of Monkey Island and the co-project leader and co-writer of The Walking Dead, Poker Night at the Inventory, and Puzzle Agent 2. He was also the director of the fifth episode of Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse, and designer and writer of Firewatch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chuck Jordan (game designer)</span> American video game designer

Charles "Chuck" Jordan is an American game designer, writer, and programmer. He co-wrote The Curse of Monkey Island, wrote three episodes of Sam & Max Save the World, was the lead writer and co-designer of Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space, designed and co-wrote two episodes of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, and was the designer of Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse: The Penal Zone, as well as season lead designer for the Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse season on the whole.

Brendan Q. Ferguson is an American computer game designer, writer, programmer, and voice actor. He was the co-designer and co-writer of Sam & Max Save the World and Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space. He was also the co-designer of Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People.

<i>Poker Night 2</i> 2013 video game

Poker Night 2 is a poker video game developed by Telltale Games. It is the sequel to Poker Night at the Inventory and, like its predecessor, features characters from different franchises. The game was released for Steam, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in April 2013, with an iOS version released the following month. Due to expiring licenses, the game was pulled from sale in September 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicki Rapp</span> American voice actress

Nicki Rapp, often credited as Nikki Rapp, is an American voice actress known for providing the voices for Lili Zanotto in Psychonauts, Morgan LeFlay in Tales of Monkey Island, Lilly in The Walking Dead video game, and the children in several games in The Sims franchise.

<i>Tales from the Borderlands</i> Episodic video game

Tales from the Borderlands is an episodic interactive comedy graphic adventure sci-fi video game based on the Borderlands series. It was developed by Telltale Games under license from Gearbox Software, the developer of the Borderlands series, and 2K, its publisher. The game was released in November 2014 for Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and in 2021 for Nintendo Switch.

<i>Disney Infinity 2.0</i> 2014 toys-to-life sandbox video game

Disney Infinity 2.0 is a 2014 toys-to-life action-adventure game published by Disney Interactive Studios. It is the sequel to Disney Infinity (2013) and was announced on April 8, 2014. The game was released on September 23, 2014, in North America, September 19, 2014, in the United Kingdom, September 18, 2014, in Australia and the rest of Europe for iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PlayStation Vita on May 9, 2015.

<i>The Walking Dead: Michonne</i> 2016 episodic graphic adventure video game

The Walking Dead: Michonne is a 2016 episodic graphic adventure video game by Telltale Games, based on The Walking Dead comic book series. Taking place between issues 126 and 139 of the comic series, the game shows events of what Michonne was up to during her temporary departure from the group of survivors led by Rick Grimes in the midst of a zombie apocalypse. Samira Wiley voiced Michonne in the game. The three-episode series was released between February and April 2016 for Windows personal computers, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One consoles, and mobile devices.

References

    1. ↑ Maxwell, Ben (2010-04-02). "Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse series may cost £30 on iPad, Penal Zone available now". Pocket Gamer . Retrieved 2010-04-02.
    2. 1 2 3 Romano, Sal (2024-06-27). "Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Remastered launches August 14". Gematsu. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
    3. 1 2 3 Klepek, Patrick (2010-03-16). "Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Preview". G4TV . Archived from the original on 2018-06-03. Retrieved 2024-08-13.
    4. 1 2 3 4 North, Dale (2010-04-03). "Telltale's Dan Connors on the iPad, Sam & Max". Destructoid. Archived from the original on 2010-04-05. Retrieved 2010-04-03.
    5. 1 2 Skunkape Games [@skunkape] (June 27, 2024). "Oh oh oh wait, one more thing before we go! The elusive Nutri-Specs are hidden deep in the game, on all platforms. Have fun finding them!" (Tweet). Retrieved August 13, 2024– via Twitter.
    6. ↑ Thang, Jimmy (2008-05-27). "Sam & Max Season 3 Coming 2009". IGN . Retrieved 2010-09-15.
    7. ↑ Sliwinski, Alexander (2010-02-09). "Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse outed by OFLC". Joystiq. Archived from the original on 2010-02-12. Retrieved 2010-09-15.
    8. ↑ Hatfield, Daemon (2010-03-11). "GDC 10: Sam & Max Season 3 First Look". IGN . Retrieved 2010-09-15.
    9. ↑ "It is a good day to be giant man". TeamFortress.com. Valve. 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2010-04-15.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.