Editing Sam & Max (section)

===Video games===
{{Video game timeline|compressempty = yes|1993=''[[Sam & Max Hit the Road]]''|2007=''[[Sam & Max Save the World]]''|2008=''[[Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space]]''|2010=''[[Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse]]''|2020=''[[Sam & Max Save the World Remastered]]''|2021=''[[Sam & Max: This Time It's Virtual]]''<br>''[[Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space Remastered]]''|2024=''[[Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Remastered]]''}}
{{main|Sam & Max Hit the Road|Sam & Max: Freelance Police|Sam & Max Save the World|Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space|Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse}}

Following LucasArts' employment of Purcell in 1988, the characters of Sam and Max appeared in internal testing material for new [[SCUMM]] [[game engine|engine]] programmers; Purcell created animated versions of the characters and an office backdrop for the programmers to practice on.<ref name="Golden"/> In 1992, LucasArts offered Purcell the chance to create a video game out of the characters, out of a wish to use new characters after the success of its two other main adventure titles, ''[[Monkey Island (series)|Monkey Island]]'' and ''[[Maniac Mansion]]'',<ref name="retro review">{{cite journal | title = ''Sam & Max Hit the Road'' | journal = [[gamesTM|gamesTM Retro]] | volume = 1 | pages = 128–129 | location = [[United Kingdom]] | publisher = Highbury Entertainment}}</ref> and after a positive reaction from fans to the ''Sam & Max'' comic strips featured in LucasArts' ''The Adventurer'' newsletter.<ref name="Golden"/> Consequently, development on a [[graphic adventure game]], ''[[Sam & Max Hit the Road]]'', began shortly after. Based on the SCUMM engine and designed by [[Sean Clark]], [[Michael Stemmle]], Steve Purcell and his future wife Collette Michaud, the game was partially based on the 1989 comic "On The Road", and featured the Freelance Police travelling across America in search of an escaped [[bigfoot]].<ref name="Golden">{{cite web|url=http://www.telltalegames.com/summerofsamandmax/history/history2|title=The Golden Age|work=The History of Sam & Max|publisher=[[Telltale Games]]|date=2007-06-26|access-date=2008-08-05|archive-date=2007-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070630144852/http://www.telltalegames.com/summerofsamandmax/history/history2|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sam was voiced in the game by comedian [[Bill Farmer]], while actor [[Nick Jameson]] voiced Max.<ref name="retro making of"/> ''Sam & Max Hit the Road'' was originally released for [[DOS]] in November 1993.<ref name="20th">{{cite web|url=http://www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_2.htm|title=20th Anniversary: The Classics|publisher=[[LucasArts]]|access-date=2008-08-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623025112/http://www.lucasarts.com/20th/history_2.htm |archive-date=2006-06-23}}</ref> Soon after ''Sam & Max Hit the Road'', another ''Sam & Max'' game using SCUMM entered planning under Purcell and [[Dave Grossman (game developer)|Dave Grossman]], but was abandoned. In a later interview Grossman described this sequel's highlight as "a giant spaceship shaped like Max's head".<ref>{{cite journal|title=Sam & Max Unseen: The gorgeous nuggets lost forever|page=41|journal=PC Zone|publisher=Future plc|location=London|date=October 2006|issue=172|first=Will|last=Porter}}</ref>

[[Image:Sam & Max 3D.png|thumb|left|Sam and Max made their transition into 3D in 2006; Purcell wanted to ensure that Telltale's series matched the tone of the comics, both visually and in content.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060726/cifaldi_01.shtml|title=Telltale Tells All (Pt. 1) – An Interview with Dave Grossman|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|first=Frank|last=Cifaldi|date=2006-07-26|access-date=2009-04-18|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100509152341/http://www.gamasutra.com/features/20060726/cifaldi_01.shtml|archive-date=May 9, 2010}}</ref>]]

{{Anchor|Plunge Through Space}}
In September 2001, development began on a new project, ''Sam & Max Plunge Through Space''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mixnmojo.com/php/site/gamedb.php?gameid=103|title=''Sam & Max Plunge Through Space''|publisher=The International House of Mojo|access-date=2008-08-09 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080617105039/http://www.mixnmojo.com/php/site/gamedb.php?gameid=103 |archive-date = June 17, 2008}}</ref> The game was to be an [[Xbox (console)|Xbox]] exclusive title, developed by Infinite Machine, a small company consisting of a number of former LucasArts employees. The story of the game was developed by Purcell and fellow designer [[Chuck Jordan (game designer)|Chuck Jordan]] and involved the Freelance Police travelling the galaxy to find a stolen [[Statue of Liberty]]. Infinite Machine went bankrupt within a year, partially due to the failure of their first game, ''[[New Legends]]'', and the project was abandoned.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telltalegames.com/summerofsamandmax/history/history4|title=After Darkness Comes the Light|work=The History of Sam & Max|publisher=[[Telltale Games]]|date=2007-07-24|access-date=2008-08-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105051637/http://www.telltalegames.com/summerofsamandmax/history/history4 |archive-date=2008-01-05}}</ref>

At the 2002 [[E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo)|Electronic Entertainment Expo]] convention, nearly a decade after the release of ''Sam & Max Hit the Road'', LucasArts announced the production of a PC sequel, entitled ''[[Sam & Max: Freelance Police]]''.<ref name="Freelance Police Telltale">{{cite web|url=http://www.telltalegames.com/summerofsamandmax/history/history4b|title=After Darkness Comes the Light (Part 2)|publisher=[[Telltale Games]]|work=The History of Sam & Max|date=2007-07-24|access-date=2008-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231125906/http://www.telltalegames.com/summerofsamandmax/history/history4b |archive-date=2007-12-31}}</ref> ''Freelance Police'', like ''Hit the Road'', was to be a point-and-click graphic adventure game, using a new [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[game engine]]. Development of ''Freelance Police'' was led by Michael Stemmle. Steve Purcell contributed to the project by writing the story and producing [[concept art]].<ref name="Freelance Police Telltale"/> Farmer and Jameson were also set to reprise their voice acting roles. In March 2004, however, quite far into the game's development, ''Sam & Max: Freelance Police'' was abruptly cancelled by LucasArts, citing "current market place realities and underlying economic considerations" in a short press release.<ref name="Freelance Police Missing">{{cite web|url=http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/502/502326p1.html|title=Missing in Action: The Lost Games of the PC, Part 1|website=[[IGN]]|first=David|last=Adams|date=2004-03-26|access-date=2008-08-07}}</ref> The fan reaction to the cancellation was strong; a petition of 32,000 signatures stating the disappointment of fans was later presented to LucasArts.<ref name="Freelance Police Telltale"/>

After LucasArts' license with Steve Purcell expired in 2005, the ''Sam & Max'' franchise moved to [[Telltale Games]], a company of former LucasArts employees who had worked on a number of [[LucasArts adventure games]], including on the development of ''Freelance Police''. Under Telltale Games, a new [[Episodic video game|episodic series]] of ''Sam & Max'' video games was made.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/sammaxep1/news.html?sid=6133326&mode=all|title=''Sam & Max'' resurrected|website=[[GameSpot]]|first=Brendan|last=Sinclair|date=2005-11-15|access-date=2008-12-06|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717221302/http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/sammaxep1/news.html?sid=6133326&mode=all|archive-date=2012-07-17}}</ref> Like both ''Sam & Max Hit the Road'' and ''Freelance Police'', ''[[Sam & Max Save the World]]'' was in a point-and-click graphic adventure game format. The game used a new 3D game engine, different from the one used in ''Freelance Police''. The first season ran for six episodes, each with a self-contained storyline but with an overall story arc involving [[hypnotism]] running through the series. The first episode was released on [[GameTap]] in October 2006, with episodes following regularly until April 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/sammaxep1/news.html?sid=6157254&mode=all|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120720035146/http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/sammaxep1/news.html?sid=6157254&mode=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-20|title=''Sam & Max'' GameTap-ping October 17|website=[[GameSpot]]|first=Tor|last=Thorsen|date=2006-11-08|access-date=2008-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/sam-max-season-1-episode-6-bright-side-of-the-moon/|title=''Sam & Max: Season 1'' Episode #6: Bright Side of the Moon (PC)|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|access-date=2008-12-06}}</ref> Sam is voiced by David Nowlin, while Max is voiced by William Kasten in all episodes except the first one, where [[Kid Beyond|Andrew Chaikin]] voices the character.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=1:52166~T3|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121203093644/http://www.allgame.com/cg/agg.dll?p=agg&sql=1:52166~T3|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 3, 2012|title=''Sam & Max: Season One'' Credits|publisher=[[Allgame]]|access-date=2008-12-06}}</ref> In addition, Telltale Games produced fifteen [[machinima]] shorts to accompany the main episodes. These shorts were released in groups of  three in between the release of each episode, showing the activities of the Freelance Police in between each story.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.machinima.com/channel/view&id=43 |title=''Sam & Max'' |publisher=[[Machinima.com]] |access-date=2008-12-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611132824/http://www.machinima.com/channel/view%26id%3D43 |archive-date=June 11, 2008}}</ref>

A second season of episodic video games was developed by Telltale Games.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/samandmaxseason2/news.html?sid=6175655&mode=all|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723151557/http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/samandmaxseason2/news.html?sid=6175655&mode=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-23|title=''Sam & Max'' return for ''Season Two''|website=[[GameSpot]]|first=Tom|last=Magrino|date=2007-07-26|access-date=2008-12-06}}</ref> ''[[Sam & Max Beyond Time and Space]]'' followed the same overall format as ''Save the World'', with each episode having an overarching storyline involving time travel and laundering of the [[Soul (spirit)|soul]]s of the dead.<ref name="Gspot S2">{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/samandmaxseason2/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130124041417/http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/samandmaxseason2/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review|url-status=dead|archive-date=2013-01-24|title=''Sam & Max: Season Two'' Review|website=[[GameSpot]]|first=Brett|last=Todd|date=2008-08-19|access-date=2008-12-06}}</ref> As with ''Save the World'', episodes were originally published on GameTap before being made available for general release.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/samandmaxseason2/news.html?sid=6175640&mode=all|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120715073904/http://uk.gamespot.com/pc/adventure/samandmaxseason2/news.html?sid=6175640&mode=all|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-15|title=Telltale and Gametap Announce ''Sam & Max: Season Two''|date=2007-06-25|access-date=2008-12-06}}</ref> The season consisted of five episodes and ran from November 2007 to April 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/sam-max-season-2-/|title=''Sam & Max: Season 2'' Episode #1: Ice Station Santa (PC)|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|access-date=2008-12-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/sam-max-season-2-episode-5/|title=''Sam & Max: Season 2'' Episode #5: What's New Beelzebub? (PC)|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|access-date=2008-12-06}}</ref> Nowlin and Kasten both returned to reprise their voice roles. In addition to the main games, a twenty-minute machinima video was produced, taking the form of a ''Sam & Max'' Christmas special.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://samandmaxchristmas.com/|title=Sam & Max Nearly Save Christmas|publisher=[[Telltale Games]]|access-date=2008-12-06|archive-date=2008-12-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209065315/http://www.samandmaxchristmas.com/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A third game entitled ''[[Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/702725/New-Sam-and-Max-Season-Will-Be-Called-Sam--Max-The-Devils-Playhouse.html|title=New Sam and Max Season Will Be Called ''Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse''|first=Stephen|last=Johnson|work=The Feed|publisher=[[G4 (American TV network)|G4TV]]|date=2010-02-22|access-date=2010-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601071851/http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/702725/new-sam-and-max-season-will-be-called-sam-max-the-devils-playhouse/ |archive-date=2012-06-01}}</ref> was scheduled for release in 2009;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/876/876768p1.html|title=''Sam & Max: Season Three'' Coming 2009|website=[[IGN]]|first=Jimmy|last=Thang|date=2008-03-27|access-date=2008-12-06}}</ref> the title was later pushed back to 2010, with concept art emerging after Telltale's completion of ''[[Tales of Monkey Island]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5422199/sam--max-returning-in-2010-on-a-spaceship/gallery/|title=''Sam & Max'' Returning In 2010 (On A Spaceship?)|website=[[Kotaku]]|first=Luke|last=Plunkett|date=2009-12-09|access-date=2009-12-09}}</ref> The season again ran for five episodes, released monthly from April to August 2010. ''The Devil's Playhouse'' followed a structure similar to ''Tales of Monkey Island'', with each episode forming a part of an ongoing narrative, involving psychic powers and forces that used them for world domination. A two-minute [[Flash animation|Flash cartoon]] also accompanied the game, dealing with the [[origin story]] of General Skun-ka'pe, one of the game's antagonists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=286940&postcount=1|title=''Sam & Max Secret Origins: Skun-ka'pe''|publisher=Telltale Games|first=Shaun|last=Finney|date=2010-04-14|access-date=2010-09-04|archive-date=2012-10-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009223328/http://www.telltalegames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=286940&postcount=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> Max also appears in Telltale's 2010 casual game ''[[Poker Night at the Inventory]]'' alongside [[Penny Arcade#Tycho Brahe|Tycho Brahe]] from ''[[Penny Arcade]]'', the Heavy from ''[[Team Fortress 2]]'' and [[Strong Bad]] from ''[[Homestar Runner]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/5624216/sam--max-team-fortress-2-penny-arcade-and-strong-bad-together-at-last|title=Sam & Max, Team Fortress 2, Penny Arcade and Strong Bad, Together At Last|publisher=[[Kotaku]]|first=Luke|last=Plunkett|date=2010-08-28|access-date=2013-05-05}}</ref> Sam and Max (now voiced by [[Dave Boat]]) also appear in the [[Poker Night 2|game's sequel]] alongside Claptrap from ''[[Borderlands (video game)|Borderlands]]'', [[Brock Samson]] from ''[[The Venture Bros.]]'', [[Ash Williams]] from ''[[Evil Dead]]'' and [[GLaDOS]] from [[Portal (video game)|''Portal'']].

A ''Sam & Max'' [[virtual reality]] game, ''Sam & Max: This Time It's Virtual'', was developed by HappyGiant. Purcell served as a consultant for game design, Stemmle returned as designer and writer, [[Jared Emerson-Johnson]] returned as composer, and Nowlin and Boat returned to voice Sam and Max, respectively.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.ign.com/articles/sam-max-this-time-its-virtual-announced | title = Sam & Max: This Time It's Virtual Announced | first = Jonathon | last= Dornbush | date = August 27, 2020 | access-date = August 27, 2020 | work = [[IGN]]}}</ref> The game was released in July 2021 for [[Oculus Quest]],<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-27|title=Sam And Max VR Game Gets July 8 Release Date|url=https://screenrant.com/sam-max-vr-game-july-8-release-date/|access-date=2021-08-23|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref> with releases for [[SteamVR]] and [[HTC Vive|Viveport Infinity]] to follow in late 2021, and for [[PlayStation VR]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/exclusive/2021/03/31/how-sam-max-this-time-its-virtual-brings-the-comedic-crime-fighting-duo-to-vr|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331121803/https://www.gameinformer.com/exclusive/2021/03/31/how-sam-max-this-time-its-virtual-brings-the-comedic-crime-fighting-duo-to-vr|url-status=live|archive-date=March 31, 2021|title = How Sam & Max: This Time It's Virtual! Brings the Comedic Crime-Fighting Duo to VR| magazine=[[Game Informer]]}}</ref> [[Remaster#Video_games|Remasters]] of all three Telltale seasons were released between 2020 and 2024. The remasters were developed by Skunkape Games, a studio made up of former members of the original development team and named in reference to the General Skun-ka'pe character from ''The Devil's Playhouse''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Klepek|first=Patrick|title=Why a Group of Ex-Telltale Developers Are Bringing Back Sam & Max|date=November 9, 2020|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/why-a-group-of-ex-telltale-developers-are-bringing-back-sam-and-max/|access-date=November 9, 2020|publisher=Vice}}</ref>