When I first booted up Chip ‘N Clawz vs. The Brainioids, I was ready to roll my eyes. The colorful art, wisecracking human hero, robotic feline sidekick, and alien invaders screamed Ratchet & Clank knockoff. I expected a standard beat-’em-up platformer where I’d mash through waves of silly enemies and hop between glowing platforms. But within minutes, I realized I was completely wrong.
This isn’t just another action-platformer. It’s a real-time strategy game hiding under a Saturday morning cartoon shell. And honestly? That twist is what makes it special.
The most accessible RTS out there
The stars of the show are Chip, a brash human engineer who thinks on his feet, and Clawz, his robotic cat companion who doubles as both sarcastic sidekick and full-fledged playable character. Chip wields traditional weapons and gadgets, while Clawz brings a totally different toolkit, repairing capabilities, enemy controlling grenades, and some slick traversal options. Playing as Chip feels steady and direct: he’s the main character, enhancing buildings and friendly troops. The traversal options and unlockable weapons/gadgets turn the two playable characters into very different playstyles the more the game progresses.
The real surprise here is how Chip ‘N Clawz redefines expectations. At first glance, the environments bright colours, collectibles floating on cliffsides, jungle ruins, all look designed for platforming. But instead of jumping from platform to platform, you’re dropping mining posts to harvest Brainium, the bright crystal resource that powers everything you do.
It’s a clever mix of direct control and strategic oversight. You’re not just a commander clicking from above, you’re also in the fight, deciding whether to lead your troops from the front or let them do the heavy lifting while you chase side objectives.
Gameplay loop
The story unfolds across mission-based maps, each with unique objectives. Sometimes it’s as simple as clearing Brainioid outposts, other times you’re defending a certain core buildings across multiple waves. Each mission also has challenges that reward stars like completing objectives under a time limit, keeping your casualties low, or mining out all the resources.
And speaking of side objectives: each map has a handful of collectibles and blueprints tucked away, often off the beaten path or behind optional skirmishes. These aren’t just throwaway trinkets. They unlock upgraded troops and upgrades for your loadout. Before heading into the next mission, you can customize your build, maybe swap in a stronger defensive turret, or prioritize better ranged weapons. It adds that extra incentive to explore the brightly coloured levels.
Viable for Single player, really shines in co-op
Playing solo, the game feels surprisingly balanced. The enemies come slower and resources are more abundant than in co-op to compensate for not being able to be in two places at once. You’re given enough breathing room to focus on both micromanaging troops and handling combat yourself.
The campaign does a good job of layering complexity without overwhelming. Early missions teach you the basics of mining and unit spawning, while later ones force you to juggle multiple fronts, experiment with vehicles, and adapt to map-specific quirks. It scratches that strategy itch while keeping the action personal.
Co-op is where Chip ‘N Clawz shines brightest. With two players, Chip and Clawz split responsibilities naturally. One can focus on laying down infrastructure and troop control, while the other dives into the thick of combat or hunts for blueprints. Communication becomes key, you’ll constantly find yourself shouting for resources to be sent over as you are frantically budling a last line defence, while your ‘Iron Man’ suited up cat is peacefully looking for collectible posters. The game rewards this coordination with smoother runs, and the chaos is the good kind, the kind that makes you laugh when your careful base setup gets swarmed because you both completely missed the enemy flank.
There is also a local or online versus mode. Instead of building together, you’re competing against each other in smaller arenas, racing to harvest Brainium, set up structures, and overwhelm the other side. Matches are quite lengthy, scrappy, and often hilarious. Problem is I could not actually find an online game to test out my single player practice.
My Conclusion
Chip ‘N Clawz vs. The Brainioids could have easily been dismissed as a Ratchet & Clank knockoff at first glance, but it manages to carve out its own identity by blending action-platformer aesthetics with surprisingly deep real-time strategy mechanics. It’s accessible without dumbing things down, letting players enjoy both the direct control of a cartoon hero and the broader satisfaction of building, managing, and commanding troops.
Solo players get a well-paced campaign that gradually ramps up complexity, but it’s in co-op that the game becomes something special, equal parts tactical and chaotic, often hilarious, and always rewarding when you and your partner finally sync up. The versus mode feels more like a bonus than a centrepiece, but it adds extra replay value with friends or strangers.
