Into the Maxverse: SDV Version
Mild Spoilers for Sam and Max: The Devil’s Playhouse!!!
I had the idea to do this and had to draw it out so I won’t forget it since I’ve been seeing talk about Season 3 and the angst/trauma that Sam and Max will endure beyond that. I thought about my two Alternate Universes that are similar yet different, so I wanted to make a visual of my idea.
At a pivotal part of 305, you as Sam get to make a choice and depending on that choice, you get a different ending. The two major endings are known as Adventure and Crimefighting. Before This Time It’s Virtual came out, I had an idea of where I wanted to go with my AU version of The Devil’s Playhouse. I was going to be subtle, mix the two endings together, but lean towards adventure. When I did my Poker Night 3 fan line up, I decided to make a fanfic out of it with mild references to Season 3 and the Adventure ending in mind.
However, I read some pretty good analysis posts about the two endings. And then the VR game showed up. I was wary of whether or not it would be a direct sequel of Season 3 since this is another company and of the lighter tone. The game took me by surprise and I began to hyperfixate on it. Then I had the thought: “Wait... what if this was one of the endings?” So this was made.
For this, some things remain the same: Sam is still our Sam, Max is still Max from the Elevator, both still have trauma from the events, both end up married to each other, and the events of The Vice’s Playhouse still happens in both dimensions/timelines. However, depending on Sam’s choice, differences occur.
Monster Game Night
Sam chooses to remember the Adventures he and Max had.
Sam admits that he cannot move on at this point in his life. He needs time.
When he and Max reunite, they go in the time elevator to have adventures in different times and dimensions, leaving Sam’s dimension behind.
They go hopping into different realities and times having fun and saving people a couple of times until settling down into one to get a new start.
At one point, they come across a place called the Inventory and decide to play poker there.
Sam and Max talk to each other about their trauma when they feel like they need it and they take breaks ever now and then, but they usually last a couple of days. But most of the time, they prefer not to bring anything up and focus on the present.
They meet new friends such as Winslow, Tycho, Heavy, Claptrap, and other media superstars including a mysterious player known as The Player.
Events happen that cause Max to deal with his fear of storms, Sam to panic, the city to be overrun by monsters, and someone from Max’s past comes in to ruin everything.
21 Freelance Street
Sam chooses to remember the Crimefighting he and Max did.
Even with his feelings and the traumatic events he had just witnessed, Sam decides that he’ll try to move on and protect the city.
When he and Max reunite, they walk back into the city together to resume their lives.
Lots of talks and crying. The side characters get love and everyone works together to rebuild the city.
Sam and Max do talk and take breaks from their cases, but unlike the other universe, they do it more often and be honest with each other, taking it one step at a time.
They still have trauma from the events, but they learn to deal and handle it better.
Throughout the years, everyone else seems to move on and out of the city except for Sam and Max. New people show up, renovations are being made, and technology and pop culture is evolving.
Sam likes to be old school and embraces it, but he feels that they need a future generation of Freelance Police in case something were to happen to him and Max.
Max is present-oriented. He knows he is getting old and doesn’t like it. Due to what happened to him, he does not trust anyone except for Sam, lashing out at anyone who seems to take his attention away from him. He does not like the idea of new recruits at all.
On a random day during a monster attack, Sam claims he saw someone getting hit by a dumpster and urges Max to help. The two end up meeting a new person named River who Max calls Lumpy and Sam immediately grows attach to them.
So yeah. I do not want to say anything else too spoilery about it, but I am very excited for both fanfiction to come out hopefully soon. I decided to draw how both Max’s would look like near the end of their respective fanfiction. They are both the same Max with the same voice, but they have different experiences and abilities. Feel free to ask anything about them if you’d like!