Chip ‘n Clawz vs. the Brainioids: Action, Strategy, and Fun

If you’re going to save the world from brains in jars, you might as well have a good time doing it. The real brains behind this cartoony action-strategy hybrid are found in Bulgarian development studio Snapshot Games, headed up by renowned XCOM strategy game creator Julian Gollop. Chip ‘n Clawz vs. the Brainioids is the studio’s third strategy game, following Chaos Reborn in 2015, and Phoenix Point in 2019, and they’re so keen for you to enjoy playing their creation in co-op, they’re giving away free Friend’s Passes. Intel Gaming Access joined Snapshot Games on the couch to share the action.

“Chip ‘n Clawz is a story about a boy and his bots, and building big armies of these bots to slay the weird brains-in-jars aliens,” explains Gollop. “It’s about intensive fun-fueled action with a dose of strategy, tactics and cooperation. It works better if you have a friend to play with.” Combining turbo-charged action with real-time strategy (RTS) may be unconventional, but for the team at Snapshot Games, it’s the magic mix that makes Chips ‘n Clawz stand out. “This game combines our love for strategy gaming and a head-first, third-person action attitude,” says game and narrative designer Nikola Petrov. “We wanted to build a unique experience where you run, jump, shoot, and explore like an old-school adventure game, but also build a base, command an army, and manage your economy.”

Your mission—as young inventor Chip, and/or his robot cat—is to thwart an alien invasion and steal back the Earth’s precious Brainium crystals from the Brainioids’ clutches. “The campaign takes you through a series of grav spheres, from alien-infested islands, to secret Project-X bases, and ultimately to the strange alien mothership itself,” says Gollop. “There are a whole series of challenges with very different kinds of missions—puzzle-based levels, tower defense-style play, and several big, arrogant Brainioid bosses.” It’s going to take teamwork. Petrov explains: “Your army can’t win the mission without your lead, and you by yourself cannot destroy all the nasty aliens without your army. It’s a true balance of action and strategy in a light, approachable, and intuitive package.” Snapshot’s vision for Chip ‘n Clawz is as a social game: “It’s perfect for couples and parent-child duos,” Petrov continues, “as well as newcomers to the RTS space, and people looking for a ‘Saturday-morning cartoon’ experience that doesn’t take itself seriously, yet consistently tests their minds and skills.”

Where on earth—or off it—did the team get the idea of brains-in-jars for baddies? “The theme of the game was inspired by a children’s book by the name of My Archenemy is a Brain in a Jar,” says Petrov. “We took the absurd premise of a brain-in-a-jar villain and designed a wacky cast of creatures. They are not a galactic empire, but something much worse—a for-profit corporation!” You can fight those avaricious villains in single-player or ‘couch co-op’ mode, go split-screen, or dive in at the deep end with, as lead producer Georgi Dimitrov puts it, “the total multiplayer mayhem in PvP and Skirmish battles!” 

The cooperative nature of the game came with its challenges, as lead programmer Nedislav Stoychev explains. “From a technical point of view, getting the Friend’s Pass working across all platforms was a challenge that we are proud we resolved. Hero actions, AI behaviours, and the combat itself took a lot of iterations and playtesting to feel fair and satisfying to the player.” Did Intel help with the game’s development? “It’s our first time collaborating with Intel and integrating Intel® Xe Super Sampling (XeSS) in any of our games,” says Stoychev. “It was a smooth experience. While integrating XeSS, we used Intel® XeSS Inspector. We had a great experience using this tool.”

What next for the studio? “Snapshot Games remains fully committed to supporting our Early Access title, the epic turn-based RPG Frosthaven,” says Petrov. “It’s well on track for the grand 1.0 release next year, with multiple major updates coming in the meantime.” Meanwhile, the adventures are far from over for our inventor friend and his robot cat… “Since the launch of Chip ‘n Clawz, we’ve been focused on gathering community feedback and delivering features our fans ask for,” says Petrov. “We’ve done several major updates, including new maps, balancing patches, and two brand-new play modes. By far the biggest update is currently in the works and coming very soon. You’re in for a big surprise. Let’s just say Chip ‘n Clawz’s wild ride through alien territory is getting a whole lot wilder.”

Your couch has never been more exciting. Enjoy the ride…!

Order Chip ‘n Clawz vs. the Brainioids on Steam by 2 December and save 30% 

Download Chip ‘n Clawz vs. The Brainioids Friend’s Pass