Beyond the Alley of the Dolls—the fourth installment of the Devil’s Playhouse—is, by far, the strangest of the series. When you consider that so far we have dealt with magic powers, super villains and aliens, that is saying quite a bit. If you don’t believe me, then just consider the image of Sam and Max are being chased down by hoards of cloned Sams in nothing but their skivvies.

When you go to the bathroom, you don’t expect a lot to have changed when you get back. You certainly don’t expect to see your friend’s head sawed open and his brain noticeably no longer in residence in that head. Well, that is exactly what happens in the latest installment of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse, They Stole Max’s Brain. Sure, the plot isn’t a big shocker. After all, they made it the title of this episode, but that does not mean there are not a few things along the way that will get your attention.

The Tomb of Sammun-Mak—takes us back to the forbearers of Sam and Max, who quite conveniently have similar (if old-fashioned) sounding names. It gives the game an air that is a bit familiar and a bit different all at the same time. The psuedo-retro effect is very charming. You will surely enjoy the feel of this game, which is just different enough from the first episode to give you the feeling you’re playing something fresh.

Episode one of Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse starts at the end. Then, after a lengthy cut scene, it takes you back to the beginning. This is a bit contradictory for a game based on episodic play; it’s not much of a cliffhanger if you know how it ends. Most of the story in this episode is about setup, introducing the aliens and new telepathic bunny powers to the mix. A lot of your goals will seem incomplete, which—while understandable for this style of game—adds little to the sense of anticipation for the next episode.