Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse
Encyclopedia
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse is a graphic adventure
video game developed by Telltale Games
. It is the third "season" of the Sam & Max
episodic series created by Telltale Games, 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, and was released on April 15, 2010 for Microsoft Windows
, Mac OS X
, and the PlayStation 3
, the first Telltale game to appear on that platform.
s, 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 seasons of "Sam & Max" have 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. Other aspects, such as inventory management, have also been refined to better suit console players or players not familiar with the adventure game genre. The iPad version of the game features direct touch interaction with the characters, scenery, and inventory.
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 series will be a new psychic power 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.
Just before the last reel is played, Sam goes to the bathroom and returns to find that somebody has stolen Max's brain. After interrogating several suspects, Sam tracks the brain stealer to the Museum of Mostly Natural History, where he temporarily re-animates Max's body by putting the brain of the Pharaoh Sammun-Mak into Max's head. Together, they discover that Skun-ka'pe who has escaped the Penal Zone and that Mr. Papierwaite who is somehow still alive are fighting for possession of the Toybox and Max's brain. Seeing Sam, they form a temporary alliance and plan to use Max's brain to recollect the Toys of Power and energize the Toybox. Investigating the museum, Sam witnesses an exchange between Papierwaite and a seemingly invisible being called Dr. Norrington. He also meets the museum security guard Sal, a cockroach, who is working for Mr. Papierwaite who has become the museum's curator. Though Sam is able to break-up the alliance between Skun-ka'pe and Papierwaite, Sammun-Mak in Max's body activates the Toybox and creates an alternate reality where Sammun-mak rules over all. Max, who is still a brain inside a jar, Dr. Norrington and the Mole Cultists are the only ones to rememember the previous reality and together, they convince Sam that he must get close to Sammun-Mak and remove his brain from Max's body. After evading both Papierwaite and Skun-ka'pe, Sam removes the brain and normal 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 and begin a search for the remaining toys.
Taking shelter along with the Stinkies and Skun-ka'pe, who is soon abducted by the clones, at Stinky's Diner, Sam and Max uncover a mysterious cloning chamber underground where the mysterious 'Clone Master' is using the clones to gather the toys of power. They begin a search for the Clone Master and soon meet Mr. Papierwaite and the enigmatic Dr. Norrington who is revealed to be the elder god Yog-Soggoth. The two explain that they were fused together when Sameth and Maximus disrupted Papierwaite's ritual in the past. Yog-Soggoth further explains that the Devil's Toybox is that of his own son, Junior, and if all the Toys are returned to it, Junior will be summoned and bring about the end of the world. Sam and Max learn that Momma Bosco is missing from Boscotech and after calling her back in a seance, she reveals that she was paid handsomely by the Clone Master to supply the technology. Sam and Max help to restore her to life using the cloning machine in exchange for her help. Back in Stinky's Diner, Flint Paper is interrogating Stinky over the mysterious underground passages and exchanges between Stinky and her lover 'Mr. S'. Sam and Max help her escape from the Diner and then follow her to a meeting with Mr. S who is revealed to be Sal. Shortly afterwards, the two fall under the control of the Clone Master but with their indirect help, Sam and Max follow the clones to where the Toybox has been taken. Before they can recover the toy box, they are stopped by Charlie Ho-Tep, one of the Toys of Power in their possession who reveals himself to be the Clone Master. Sam and Max are captured and taken to the Statue of Liberty where Charlie Ho-Tep plans to complete the ritual to summon Junior in the hope that he will be played with. With the help of Dr. Norrington and Papierwaite who have also been captured by Charlie, Max unleashes his psychic powers so that he no longer needs the Toys to defeat Charlie and destroy the Toybox, ending the threat. However, Max accidentally swallows some of the goo left by Junior, causing him to turn into a giant beast.
Weeks later, Max has been ravaging the city and Sam forms a strike team alongside a heavily-pregnant Sybil who has just returned from her honeymoon, Dr. Norrington and Papierwaite who intend to get inside Max and reverse the changes. Inside, Sam takes control of Max's giant body with the help of Sal, who dies from heavy radiation poisoning. Sam then meets with Max's Super-Ego, who tells him that he plans to blow up Max's brain and take the city with it. In order to destroy the tumour and stop the Super-Ego, Sam recovers the Cthonic Destroyer from the now teamed-up Skun-ka'pe and Girl Stinky with the help of Flint Paper but before he can use it, Sybil goes into labor. Max's subconscious suddenly shows signs of sacrifice, wanting to save Sybil and the Super-Ego decides that he has been wrong and that he will save the city rather than destroy it. Sam and the others escape and the Super-Ego teleports Max to the location of Skun-ka'pe's ship before he explodes, seemingly killing himself, Girl Stinky and Skun-ka'pe in the process. Despite Momma Bosco's best efforts, they cannot clone Max and Sam walks off by himself. At the last moment, he is greeted by the parallel universe Max (from the previous season, Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space) who have both undergone similar experiences. Together again, the two head off on another adventure.
, 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. Telltale officially announced The Devil's Playhouse at the Game Developers Conference
on March 11, 2010 for release for Windows
, the PlayStation Network and Mac OS
.
While The Devil's Playhouse was originally announced for PC and the PlayStation 3 for release on April 15, 2010, an iPad
version of the game became available on April 2, 2010 as one of the first applications for the release of the device. Telltale's CEO, Dan Conners, 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". Conners 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. 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. Telltale hopes to bring its other products to the iPad in time, and are looking to reduce the installed size on the iPad. Though the initial cost of the first episode suggested that the full series would be more than the cost of the complete series on the other platforms, Conners hopes to find a way to offer a season pricing detail for those planning to buy all five episodes.
announced that anyone who purchased The Devil's Playhouse through Steam would receive three bonus items in Team Fortress 2
: a Max hat, Max's pistol, and Sam's revolver. The promotion ended on April 26. This was later expanded to include people who purchased the games through the Telltale store.
Graphic adventure game
A graphic adventure game is a form of adventure game. They are distinct from text adventures. Whereas a player must actively observe using commands such as "look" in a text-based adventure, graphic adventures revolutionized gameplay by making use of natural human perception...
video game developed by Telltale Games
Telltale Games
Telltale Games is a leading independent digital first publisher and game developer founded in June 2004 as Telltale, Incorporated. Based in San Rafael, California, the studio includes designers formerly employed by LucasArts...
. It is the third "season" of the Sam & Max
Sam & Max
Sam & Max is a media franchise focusing on the fictional characters of Sam and Max, the Freelance Police. 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...
episodic series created by Telltale Games, following Sam & Max Save the World
Sam & Max Save the World
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 episodic fashion, comprising six episodes that were released for Microsoft Windows...
and Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space. The first episode was released as one of the first apps for the iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
on April 2, 2010, and was released on April 15, 2010 for Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, and the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
, the first Telltale game to appear on that platform.
Gameplay
Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse is a series of graphic adventure gameGraphic adventure game
A graphic adventure game is a form of adventure game. They are distinct from text adventures. Whereas a player must actively observe using commands such as "look" in a text-based adventure, graphic adventures revolutionized gameplay by making use of natural human perception...
s, 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 seasons of "Sam & Max" have used a traditional point-and-click
Point-and-click
Point-and-click is the action of a computer user moving a cursor to a certain location on a screen and then pressing a mouse button, usually the left button , or other pointing device...
interface, which is well-suited for Windows and MacOS users but did not translate well to traditional gamepad
Gamepad
A gamepad , is a type of game controller held in two hands, where the digits are used to provide input. Gamepads generally feature a set of action buttons handled with the right thumb and a direction controller handled with the left...
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. Other aspects, such as inventory management, have also been refined to better suit console players or players not familiar with the adventure game genre. The iPad version of the game features direct touch interaction with the characters, scenery, and inventory.
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 series will be a new psychic power 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.
Synopsis
Sam & Max have come to learn of the "Toys of Power", toys that Max is able to use to perform various psychic abilities such as teleportation and precognition. They first use the toys to stop the alien General Skun-ka'pe from destroying the city, who has come to Earth to seek out the Toys himself, and banish him to the Penal Zone. During this mission, the Freelance Police encounter a cult of Mole Men who have been watching over a mysterious artifact called the Devil's Toybox. By watching some dusty film reels, they learn that their great-grandparents, Sameth and Maximus, were chosen by the cyptic 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 Max's psychic powers and the Toybox to summon the Elder God, Yog-Soggoth, and bring about the end of the world. Sameth and Maximus managed to stop Mr. Papierwaite by tricking him into saying the summoning words himself and then tasked the Mole Men of the time with watching the Toybox in the basement under their office building.Just before the last reel is played, Sam goes to the bathroom and returns to find that somebody has stolen Max's brain. After interrogating several suspects, Sam tracks the brain stealer to the Museum of Mostly Natural History, where he temporarily re-animates Max's body by putting the brain of the Pharaoh Sammun-Mak into Max's head. Together, they discover that Skun-ka'pe who has escaped the Penal Zone and that Mr. Papierwaite who is somehow still alive are fighting for possession of the Toybox and Max's brain. Seeing Sam, they form a temporary alliance and plan to use Max's brain to recollect the Toys of Power and energize the Toybox. Investigating the museum, Sam witnesses an exchange between Papierwaite and a seemingly invisible being called Dr. Norrington. He also meets the museum security guard Sal, a cockroach, who is working for Mr. Papierwaite who has become the museum's curator. Though Sam is able to break-up the alliance between Skun-ka'pe and Papierwaite, Sammun-Mak in Max's body activates the Toybox and creates an alternate reality where Sammun-mak rules over all. Max, who is still a brain inside a jar, Dr. Norrington and the Mole Cultists are the only ones to rememember the previous reality and together, they convince Sam that he must get close to Sammun-Mak and remove his brain from Max's body. After evading both Papierwaite and Skun-ka'pe, Sam removes the brain and normal 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 and begin a search for the remaining toys.
Taking shelter along with the Stinkies and Skun-ka'pe, who is soon abducted by the clones, at Stinky's Diner, Sam and Max uncover a mysterious cloning chamber underground where the mysterious 'Clone Master' is using the clones to gather the toys of power. They begin a search for the Clone Master and soon meet Mr. Papierwaite and the enigmatic Dr. Norrington who is revealed to be the elder god Yog-Soggoth. The two explain that they were fused together when Sameth and Maximus disrupted Papierwaite's ritual in the past. Yog-Soggoth further explains that the Devil's Toybox is that of his own son, Junior, and if all the Toys are returned to it, Junior will be summoned and bring about the end of the world. Sam and Max learn that Momma Bosco is missing from Boscotech and after calling her back in a seance, she reveals that she was paid handsomely by the Clone Master to supply the technology. Sam and Max help to restore her to life using the cloning machine in exchange for her help. Back in Stinky's Diner, Flint Paper is interrogating Stinky over the mysterious underground passages and exchanges between Stinky and her lover 'Mr. S'. Sam and Max help her escape from the Diner and then follow her to a meeting with Mr. S who is revealed to be Sal. Shortly afterwards, the two fall under the control of the Clone Master but with their indirect help, Sam and Max follow the clones to where the Toybox has been taken. Before they can recover the toy box, they are stopped by Charlie Ho-Tep, one of the Toys of Power in their possession who reveals himself to be the Clone Master. Sam and Max are captured and taken to the Statue of Liberty where Charlie Ho-Tep plans to complete the ritual to summon Junior in the hope that he will be played with. With the help of Dr. Norrington and Papierwaite who have also been captured by Charlie, Max unleashes his psychic powers so that he no longer needs the Toys to defeat Charlie and destroy the Toybox, ending the threat. However, Max accidentally swallows some of the goo left by Junior, causing him to turn into a giant beast.
Weeks later, Max has been ravaging the city and Sam forms a strike team alongside a heavily-pregnant Sybil who has just returned from her honeymoon, Dr. Norrington and Papierwaite who intend to get inside Max and reverse the changes. Inside, Sam takes control of Max's giant body with the help of Sal, who dies from heavy radiation poisoning. Sam then meets with Max's Super-Ego, who tells him that he plans to blow up Max's brain and take the city with it. In order to destroy the tumour and stop the Super-Ego, Sam recovers the Cthonic Destroyer from the now teamed-up Skun-ka'pe and Girl Stinky with the help of Flint Paper but before he can use it, Sybil goes into labor. Max's subconscious suddenly shows signs of sacrifice, wanting to save Sybil and the Super-Ego decides that he has been wrong and that he will save the city rather than destroy it. Sam and the others escape and the Super-Ego teleports Max to the location of Skun-ka'pe's ship before he explodes, seemingly killing himself, Girl Stinky and Skun-ka'pe in the process. Despite Momma Bosco's best efforts, they cannot clone Max and Sam walks off by himself. At the last moment, he is greeted by the parallel universe Max (from the previous season, Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space) who have both undergone similar experiences. Together again, the two head off on another adventure.
Episodes
| Episode | Release date |
|---|---|
| "The Penal Zone" | April 2, 2010 / April 15, 2010 (April 16, 2010 on Steam) |
|
|
| "The Tomb of Sammun-Mak" | May 18, 2010 (May 20, 2010 on Steam) |
|
|
|
| "They Stole Max's Brain!" | June 22, 2010 (June 24, 2010 on Steam) |
|
Michael Stemmle Michael J. Stemmle is a computer game writer, designer, and director who cocreated some of LucasArts' adventure games in the 1990s and early 2000s... |
|
| "Beyond the Alley of the Dolls" | July 20, 2010 (July 21, 2010 on Steam) |
|
|
|
| "The City that Dares Not Sleep" | August 30, 2010 (August 31st on PSN) |
|
Jake Rodkin Jake Rodkin is an American computer game designer, writer, and graphic designer. He was the co-director Tales of Monkey Island, was the director the fifth episode of Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse, was the co-leader and co-writer of Poker Night at the Inventory, and was the co-leader and... |
|
Development
The Devil's Playhouse is 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, 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 IslandTales of Monkey Island
Tales of Monkey Island is a 2009 graphic adventure video game developed by Telltale Games and 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...
, 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
Australian Classification Board
The Australian Classification Board is a statutory classification body formed by the Australian Government which classifies films, video games and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in Australia since its establishment in 1970. The Australian Classification Board was originally incorporated...
, the Australian film and video game classification body. Telltale officially announced The Devil's Playhouse at the Game Developers Conference
Game Developers Conference
The Game Developers Conference is the largest annual gathering of professional video game developers, focusing on learning, inspiration, and networking...
on March 11, 2010 for release for Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, the PlayStation Network and Mac OS
Mac OS
Mac OS is a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems. The Macintosh user experience is credited with popularizing the graphical user interface...
.
While The Devil's Playhouse was originally announced for PC and the PlayStation 3 for release on April 15, 2010, an iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
version of the game became available on April 2, 2010 as one of the first applications for the release of the device. Telltale's CEO, Dan Conners, 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". Conners 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. 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
Shader
In the field of computer graphics, a shader is a computer program that is used primarily to calculate rendering effects on graphics hardware with a high degree of flexibility...
technology on the iPad, while including features that took advantage of the iPad's technology, such as a touch-based interface. Telltale hopes to bring its other products to the iPad in time, and are looking to reduce the installed size on the iPad. Though the initial cost of the first episode suggested that the full series would be more than the cost of the complete series on the other platforms, Conners hopes to find a way to offer a season pricing detail for those planning to buy all five episodes.
Promotions
On April 15, 2010, game developer ValveValve Corporation
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States...
announced that anyone who purchased The Devil's Playhouse through Steam would receive three bonus items in Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Valve Corporation. A sequel to the original mod Team Fortress based on the Quake engine, it was first released as part of the video game compilation The Orange Box on October 10, 2007 for Windows...
: a Max hat, Max's pistol, and Sam's revolver. The promotion ended on April 26. This was later expanded to include people who purchased the games through the Telltale store.
External links
- Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse at Telltale GamesTelltale GamesTelltale Games is a leading independent digital first publisher and game developer founded in June 2004 as Telltale, Incorporated. Based in San Rafael, California, the studio includes designers formerly employed by LucasArts...