Chip ’n Clawz vs. The Brainioids Turns RTS Into Saturday-Morning Mayhem — From X-COM’s Creator

Why This Caught My Eye

Julian Gollop making a Saturday-morning-cartoon RTS with third-person action? That’s not the timeline I expected-and that’s exactly why Chip ’n Clawz vs. The Brainioids is interesting. Gollop’s design DNA (X-COM, Phoenix Point, Chaos Reborn) is synonymous with crunchy tactics and ruthless decision-making. Seeing him pivot into a fast, co-op-friendly action-strategy hybrid made me perk up. It launched today on PC (Steam, Epic), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S for £24.99, with a 10% discount through September 2.

Key Takeaways

• RTS-action blend puts you on the field, Pikmin/Brütal Legend style, while you still build bases and command armies.
• Full crossplay, online and split-screen co-op, plus PvP-and a Friend’s Pass so one owner can bring a friend in for free.
• Gollop’s systems-first pedigree hints at depth, but the family-friendly tone aims at accessibility.
• The big question: can it balance readable action, solid controls, and meaningful strategy without feeling shallow?

Breaking Down the Announcement

Chip ’n Clawz vs. The Brainioids is an action-strategy mashup where you collect Brainium, build out bases, spawn minions, and then jump into third-person combat as the heroes-Chip and Clawz—to tilt battles in your favor. Think of it as commanding and fragging at the same time: drop structures, rally your squads, then zip to the frontline to smash a Brainioid boss with an upgraded arsenal. The campaign supports solo or co-op, there’s couch split-screen (rare for modern RTS), and PvP offers 1v1 and 2v2 options across platforms via crossplay.

Snapshot is pitching “easy to learn, satisfying to master,” and that phrasing usually makes strategy veterans wince. But Gollop has history with real-time tactics—X-COM: Apocalypse experimented with a pausable real-time mode—and he’s always been good at making macro decisions feel impactful. If the boss fights push you to flex both base management and on-foot hero play, there’s potential for a nice loop: hold map control, farm key resources, tech up, then execute a hero-led push to crack the enemy core.

Industry Context: Hybrids Are Hard, But Worth It

Action-RTS hybrids have a rocky track record. Brütal Legend had big ideas but wobbly strategy. Overlord nailed the commander-on-the-field fantasy, but sacrificed macro depth. Pikmin remains the gold standard for approachable squad control, yet it’s tightly scoped. That’s the tightrope here: make battles readable and responsive while still rewarding planning and positioning. If anyone can thread that needle, a designer who built the original X-COM’s tension and Phoenix Point’s nasty encounter design is a strong bet.

The Saturday-morning aesthetic is a deliberate pivot from Snapshot’s grim sci-fi. It’s smart: bright visuals make unit silhouettes and ability telegraphs clearer, which matters when you’re juggling macro and micro. If the comic book vibe also buys them a broader audience without dumbing down mechanics, that’s a win.

What Gamers Need to Know Right Now

• Platforms and price: PC (Steam, Epic), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, £24.99 with a 10% launch discount until September 2.
• Modes: full solo campaign, online co-op, split-screen couch co-op, and PvP (1v1, 2v2, including split-screen 1v1).
• Crossplay: yes, across PC and consoles at launch. That’s a big deal for matchmaking in a niche genre.
• Friend’s Pass: available on PC, PS5, and Series X|S. One copy lets a friend jump into the full co-op campaign and all launch PvP maps.

That last point is huge. RTS adoption lives or dies by “can I play with my friends easily?” A Friend’s Pass reduces friction, and couch co-op is a unicorn for strategy titles. More importantly, there’s no mention of live-service hooks or battle passes here—this reads like a complete package built around co-op and PvP out of the box. At £24.99, that’s refreshingly reasonable.

Skepticism Check: Where This Could Stumble

Accessibility claims versus strategic depth is the obvious tension. If heroes are too strong, macro choices won’t matter; if macro dominates, the third-person combat becomes window dressing. Readability is another concern: split-screen RTS can get cluttered fast. Clear UI, ability cooldown feedback, and smart camera work will make or break couch co-op.

Then there’s netcode. Crossplay PvP is ambitious; stable tick rates, hit registration for hero abilities, and fair desync handling will decide if competitive play sticks. I’m also curious about campaign structure: are missions bite-sized “pick-up-and-play” or deeper scenarios with evolving objectives? The press notes bosses that “test base and minion management”—great—but we’ll need variation beyond arena-style brawls to avoid repetition.

Finally, onboarding. RTS veterans hate handholding; newcomers need it. The best case is optional depth: generous tooltips, practice modes, maybe mutators for replayability. Snapshot’s history suggests they’ll swing at this, but we’ve all seen strategy tutorials that either drown you in text or say nothing.

Why This Matters Now

The genre could use more approachable entries that don’t feel like mobile auto-battlers. If Chip ’n Clawz nails the “play a mission with a friend after work” flow, we might finally get a modern co-op RTS that sticks around. And if it quietly smuggles Gollop-grade systems into a colorful package, strategy fans get their depth while newcomers get a gateway drug. That’s the sweet spot.

TL;DR

Chip ’n Clawz is a cheerful RTS-action hybrid from the creator of X-COM, out now on PC, PS5, and Xbox with crossplay, couch co-op, PvP, and a generous Friend’s Pass. The price is right; the feature set is player-friendly. Now it just needs tight controls, readable UI, and netcode that won’t melt in 2v2.