Game: Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse
Genre: Point and Click, Puzzle
System: Steam (Windows) (Steam Deck)
Developers | Publishers: Skunkape Games
Controller Support: Full
Price: US $19.99 | UK £16.75 | EU € 19,50
Release Date: August 14th, 2024
A review code was provided on behalf of Skunkapе by Emily Morganti, PR Consultant.
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is a 2024 remaster of the original 2010 game by the same name, developed and to be released by Skunkape Games. Here at LadiesGamers, we previously reviewed Sam & Max Save the World and Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space. This game, Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, is the last in the remaster of the Sam & Max trilogy. While the game can be played independently, it’s preferred for players to have some background knowledge of the characters.
The Premise of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse
We play as Sam & Max, partners in the Freelance Police, who investigate and solve mysteries. In The Devil’s Playhouse, they come against intergalactic villains and the frightening new psychic abilities Max has developed.

Gameplay
In Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, we play as both Sam & Max – we can switch between characters by pressing a badge at the right-hand side of the screen. The game might refuse a switch in specific situations. From then on, the mouse controls almost all the interactions in the game. Movement, as rare as it is, is done by WASD on the keyboard.
Sam & Max is a classic point-and-click adventure. All the actions are done by following a sequence of mouse actions. It’s of the familiar variety for games of this sort—pick up something to use it somewhere else to open something so we can use something else. It sounds formulaic, and in many cases, it can be, but here, it feels natural, as if taking part in a humorous noir crime show with a paranormal twist.
We have five chapters or episodes in total, and we can choose to replay them at any time.

It helps that Sam and Max, our playable characters, are so relatable and full of charm. So are the eccentric characters they meet and the odd locations they visit. The puzzles are never particularly difficult, but to help things, the game has settings about the frequency of the hints: it can be set so that every time we get stuck, the game prompts us what to do.
A big part of the game is its iconic sense of humor. It is mainly displayed when playing as Max, the slightly psychotic bunny part of the Freelance Police. Max has new and not very under-control powers, which he taps into using the Toys of Power. That way, he can see the future, teleport, read minds, etc.

Some Other Things
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is the last game in the remastered trilogy. It’s fully voiced, with an appropriate new soundtrack, graphics, and even credits, not unlike those in a TV show. The game has Steam achievements but no Trading cards as of yet.
Under the main menu, Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse has basic audio and video settings, controls, and, interestingly enough, accessibility settings. There, we can turn subtitles on and off, turn off flashing effects, etc.

Conclusion
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse is a beautiful conclusion to a fun and classic point-and-click trilogy. If you are a fan of the games, you’ll love this one. If this is the first Sam & Max game you try, you might also pick up the others.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up
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