Sam & Max: Episodic Police

Released in 1993, Sam & Max Hit the Road was one of the first non-action adventure games I ever played. It was also the only game I’d seen with a dedicated “non-sequitur” dialogue button that I would hit repeatedly, giggling all the while. After 13 measly years, Sam & Max are back, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

The existential/absurdist anthropomorphic dog and bunny detectives have lent themselves to many mediums: comic strips, Saturday morning cartoons, and full-length PC adventure games. Now, Sam & Max are leading the way in a new format: episodic online games. Every month for a 6 month “season”, Telltale (partnering with GameTap) is releasing an inexpensive three-hour Sam & Max game, along with free cartoons in-between to keep rabid fans at bay.

The episodic model seems to be working quite well so far: each time a new episode is released, it is one of the top downloads at GameTap.com.