Sam & Max Unofficial FAQ (Please Read Before Posting)
Sam & Max Unofficial FAQ (Last Updated November 24, 2015)
Note that all information in this FAQ is compiled by community moderators Jennifer and Vainamoinen. We check our facts thoroughly and have a lot of Telltale experience on our backs, but this is not an 'official' source, we're just volunteers!
What is Sam & Max?
Sam & Max is a franchise starring the Freelance Police consisting of Sam, an anthropomorphic canine shamus, and Max, a hyperkinetic rabbity thing. The series was created by Dave Purcell in his youth, and was given to his brother Steve as a birthday present, as Steve would often make parodies of Dave's comics with off-model characters and crazy dialog. This craziness continued into the commercial products, when Sam & Max first appeared in comics in 1987.
They've appeared in comics on and off since then, a 1993 adventure game by LucasArts titled Sam & Max: Hit the Road, a 1997 television series titled The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police, a 2001 Flash short titled Our Bewildering Universe, three seasons of episodic games and fifteen machinima short cartoons by Telltale Games, and in Telltale's crossover poker games Poker Night at the Inventory and Poker Night 2.
Will Telltale make more games starring Sam & Max?
This is very likely, but it hasn't been confirmed. In 2013, Telltale's co-founder and current CEO, Kevin Bruner, stated that they intend to release more games with Sam & Max in the future. However, he noted that the games are likely to be Poker Night sized, as opposed to a full season.
Season Three FAQ
(1) What is Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse?
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse, also known as Sam & Max: Season Three, is the third series of episodic games starring Sam & Max. This season breaks from the mold of the previous series, giving Max psychic powers, which are gained incrementally throughout the season. This season also has a more cohesive narrative, with one long narrative continued throughout cliffhangers in each episode, as Telltale first demonstrated with Tales of Monkey Island, and later continued in their cinematic story games such as The Walking Dead.
(2) Was Steve Purcell involved with the game?
Steve Purcell wasn't as involved as he was in previous seasons, where he acted as a co-writer and co-designer, but he still was there to make sure that the game stayed true to the greater universe of Sam & Max, and supplied additional art for the game.
(3) What is gameplay like?
This game was released before the cinematic story games such as The Walking Dead, so the gameplay doesn't consist of choices and consequences (minus one small choice at the end of the last episode of the season). The gameplay consists of puzzles which are mostly solved through using Max's psychic powers, which are learned throughout the season and can be controlled at will once Max learns them.
(4) For which platforms is season three available?
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse is available for PC, Mac, and PSN on PlayStation 3. Episode 1 used to be available for iOS, but it is no longer available to purchase.
(5) How much does The Devil's Playhouse cost?
The price varies by system. The game can be purchased for $9 per episode on PSN on PlayStation 3. The entire season (five episodes) can be purchased for PC and Mac for $20 on Steam or for $35 for PC on GOG.com. It also can be purchased for PC and Mac through the Telltale Store for $20 or in a package with all three seasons for $40.
(6) How many episodes are there in season three?
There are five episodes. The episode titles are The Penal Zone, The Tomb of Sammun-Mak, They Stole Max's Brain, Beyond the Alley of the Dolls, and The City that Dares Not Sleep.
(7) Will season three be ported to other platforms?
This is unlikely as Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse is several years old now and Telltale mainly only ports their newer games to other platforms.
(8) Is there a bonus/free collector's DVD version for season three available from the Telltale store?
There was, but unfortunately the collector's DVD is now out of print.
(9) Is there a soundtrack CD available for season three?
Unlike the first two seasons, no soundtrack CD was ever produced for The Devil's Playhouse. Since Telltale has mostly moved on from physical merchandise, it seems unlikely that a soundtrack CD for the season will be released in the future.
Season Two FAQ
(1) What is Sam & Max: Season Two?
Sam & Max: Season Two, also known as Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space, is the second series of episodic games starring Sam & Max. This season continues in much the same mold as the first, however there are new characters and new locations for Sam & Max to explore.
(2) Was Steve Purcell involved with the game?
Steve Purcell was heavily involved with the season, as he acted as a co-writer and co-designer.
(3) What is gameplay like?
This game was released before the cinematic story games such as The Walking Dead, so the gameplay doesn't consist of choices and consequences. The gameplay consists of puzzles which are mostly solved through manipulating objects and talking to characters.
(4) For which platforms is season two available?
Sam & Max: Season Two is available for PC, Mac, Wii, iOS, PSN on PlayStation 3, and XBLA on Xbox 360.
(5) How much does season two cost?
The price varies by system. The Wii version was for retail only and is now out of print. The entire season (five episodes) can be purchased for $19.99 on XBLA for Xbox 360 or on PSN for PlayStation 3. The entire season can also be purchased for PC and Mac for $20 on Steam or for $30 for PC on GOG.com. It also can be purchased for PC and Mac through the Telltale Store for $20 or in a package with all three seasons for $40.
(6) How many episodes are there in season two?
There are six episodes. The episode titles are Ice Station Santa, Moai Better Blues, Night of the Raving Dead, Chariots of the Dogs and What's New Beelzebub?.
(7) Will season two be ported to other platforms?
This is unlikely as Sam & Max: Season Two is several years old now and Telltale mainly only ports their newer games to other platforms.
(8) Is there a bonus/free collector's DVD version for season two available from the Telltale store?
There was, but unfortunately the collector's DVD is now out of print.
(9) Is there a soundtrack CD available for season two?
There was, but unfortunately it is now out of print. Since Telltale has mostly moved on from physical merchandise, it seems unlikely that the season two soundtrack CD will be re-released in the future.
Season One FAQ
(1) What is Sam & Max: Season One?
Sam & Max: Season One, also known as Sam & Max Save the World, is the first series of episodic games starring Sam & Max. This season was Telltale's first continuously running episodic series, a format that they would continue throughout their history, even into the cinematic story games such as The Walking Dead.
(2) Was Steve Purcell involved with the game?
Steve Purcell was heavily involved with the season, as he acted as a co-writer and co-designer.
(3) What is gameplay like?
This game was released before the cinematic story games such as The Walking Dead, so the gameplay doesn't consist of choices and consequences. The gameplay consists of puzzles which are mostly solved through manipulating objects and talking to characters.
(4) For which platforms is season one available?
Sam & Max: Season One is available for PC, Wii, and XBLA on Xbox 360.
(5) How much does season one cost?
The price varies by system. The Wii version was for retail only and is now out of print. The entire season (five episodes) can be purchased for $19.99 on XBLA for Xbox 360. The entire season can also be purchased for PC and Mac for $20 on Steam or for $30 for PC on GOG.com. It also can be purchased for PC and Mac through the Telltale Store for $20 or in a package with all three seasons for $40.
(6) How many episodes are there in season one?
There are six episodes. The episode titles are Culture Shock, Situation: Comedy, The Mole, the Mob, and the Meatball, Abe Lincoln Must Die!, Reality 2.0 and Bright Side of the Moon.
(7) Will season one be ported to other platforms?
This is unlikely as Sam & Max: Season One is several years old now and Telltale mainly only ports their newer games to other platforms.
(8) Is there a bonus/free collector's DVD version for season one available from the Telltale store?
There was, but unfortunately the collector's DVD is now out of print.
(9) Is there a soundtrack CD available for season one?
There was, but unfortunately it is now out of print. Since Telltale has mostly moved on from physical merchandise, it seems unlikely that the season one soundtrack CD will be re-released in the future.