Sam & Max Save the World (also known as Sam & Max: Season One) has a complicated history. In 2001, Infinite Machine began working on a Sam & Max game titled Plunge Through Space. When they went bankrupt in 2002, LucasArts picked up the Sam & Max license with the intention to release a sequel to their 1993 adventure game Sam & Max Hit the Road. The game, which was titled simply Sam & Max: Freelance Police, was canceled by LucasArts in 2004, shortly before its scheduled release date. Even though the game was almost completed, LucasArts released a press release stating that they re-evaluated the marketplace realities, and decided that they couldn't profit from an adventure game in the current market.
Since this put an end to the adventure game era at LucasArts, several employees (many of which were on the Freelance Police team) left to form Telltale Games. After the video game rights to the Sam & Max license expired at LucasArts, Steve Purcell granted Telltale Games those rights. After releasing three games, Telltale Games came full circle with the release of the first episode of their new episodic Sam & Max video game series, Culture Shock.
The series was co-financed by GameTap. The games were available on the GameTap service 15 days before they were released on Telltale's online distribution system (which was called at the time Telltale Now). From Abe Lincoln Must Die onwards, Telltale Now season subscribers received the games a few days before the public release (8 days early for episode 4, 3 days early for episodes 5 and 6).
Explore Sam & Max Save the World, courtesy of
Bumpusville:
 | Sam & Max investigate a case where a group of former child stars from the 1970s have been hypnotized. |
Released: GameTap 10/17/06, PC 11/1/06, Wii 10/15/08, XBLA 06/17/09
Review, Injokes |
 | The plot thickens as talk show queen Myra is hypnotized to do her show non-stop 24 hours a day. |
Released: GameTap 12/20/06, PC 1/5/07, Wii 10/15/08, XBLA 06/17/09
Review, Injokes |
 | Sam & Max's investigation of the hypnotism cases brings them to the Mafia-Free Playland and Casino. |
Released: GameTap 1/25/07, PC 2/8/07, XBLA 06/17/09
Review, Injokes |
 | The president has been hypnotized. But, when it turns out he was just a puppet, Max runs for office as his replacement. |
Released: GameTap 2/22/07, PC 3/9/07, Wii 10/15/08, XBLA 06/17/09
It was released for free for PC on 11/5/07
Review, Injokes |
 | The mass hypnosis plan is now on a global scale. Sam & Max must enter the internet to get to the bottom of things. |
Released: GameTap 3/29/07, PC 4/12/07, Wii 10/15/08, XBLA 06/17/09
Review |
 | The mastermind behind the global mass hypnosis is revealed. Sam & Max go to the moon to stop him once and for all. |
Released: GameTap 4/26/07, PC 5/10/07, Wii 10/15/08, XBLA 06/17/09
Review |
