Sam and Max Hit the Road

Sam and Max Hit the Road is a 1993 adventure classic starring the freelance police duo Sam, a polite detective dog, and Max, an enthusiastic rabbit with absolutely no respect for normal behavior. Their investigation takes them across a wonderfully bizarre version of America while they chase a mysterious carnival attraction and encounter a gallery of eccentric characters. The game combines traditional point-and-click exploration with witty dialogue, absurd puzzles, and the wonderfully strange humor associated with the comic characters. LucasArts's presentation gives everything a polished feel, while the writing remains the real star of the show. Solving puzzles often involves combining objects in ways that make absolutely no practical sense, which is apparently how freelance police work. Sam and Max Hit the Road remains one of the great comic adventures because it understands that a good detective story does not necessarily require serious detectives.