Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered Review

Former Telltale Games staff's namesake, General Skun-ka'pe leads an alien invasion in the episodic point and click adventure, Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Remastered, available now for PC and consoles (all of 'em). This review is based on the Steam build.

By now, you should be familiar with the detective duo; if you need the skinny, here's some light reading based on the first and second instalments (not including the original Sam & Max: Hit the Road). Launched in 2010, this is the final part and, once again, beautifully remastered by Skunkape Games. This hasn't been a simple case of polishing up the visuals and audio but overhauling it, including bug fixes.

Regarding the narrative, Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Remastered picks up from the last two stories and is less self-contained than the others. What that means is it's best to start with A New Hope rather than jump into Return of the Jedi. While each episode is available to select in a non-linear fashion, it makes sense to start from the beginning; otherwise, it won't make sense. Heck, it's like that after repeat plays!

Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Remastered is a fan service on every level. On the one hand, is the original premise of being able to play out some ludicrous scenarios that only the Freelance Police can handle/find themselves involved with, and on the other hand, Skunkape has skilfully restored the original and made it pop for a modern audience. Hopefully they aren't swayed by the equally ridiculous point and click logic.

As a massive fan of the genre, it's not unreasonable to expect some bias - especially when it's Sam and Max. However, the problem-solving in this adventure is at 'its best', meaning that it makes no sense. Often, the solution to a puzzle comes from experimentation and the odd clutching of straws. Another way to look at this would be pixel hunting, yet it's not the same here.

Firstly, the original Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse was effectively designed for consoles, so the controls are very inclusive. They aren't the best for battle-hardened mouse users, but they work. As a result, it's very rare to miss anything on screen, as there's always a hotspot or hint to provide a gentle nudge.

Secondly, it's the dialogue. The writing in the series as a whole is a riot. Sam's 'standup guy' persona perfectly complements Max and his madcap shenanigans. Each interaction they have is a delightful mix of wit and oddball humour. Even when moving around the scenery, this unbreakable dynamic between the pair works hard to entertain you.

While you may be trying to reverse engineer a solution or two, these interactions serve as the smoke and mirrors to put a smile on your face. To some degree, Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse Remastered plays like an interactive B-movie - what with the episodic nature, off-the-wall set pieces, and the hammy yet intentional interactions.

The game's inclusiveness for console users, or in the case of how this review played out - on the Steam Deck, means that the game is accessible and almost borderline a chill experience. Sure, there's some head-scratching, what with Max's various first-person tools on offer (the Devil's toy box), but the overall experience is thoroughly entertaining and simply a must for fans of the pair, or those with a thirst for the point and click that boasts a modern aesthetic, and absurd, yet amusing point and click logic.