Conan Chop Chop

Conan Chop Chop starts with a knowingly silly hook: Conan the Barbarian turned into a stick-figure roguelike brawler, hacking through a magical death trap called the Wrath-a-Thon. The joke could have worn thin quickly, but the game has enough weapon drops, perks, and unpredictable dungeon layouts to make another run tempting, especially when a bad loss leaves you with progress toward a stronger build.

It is far more enjoyable with company. Up to four people can tackle its dungeons online or on the couch, and the scramble to chop, shoot, and blast through enemies gives the chaos a party-game spark. Solo play is perfectly viable, but the repeated runs and loot experimentation land better when friends are around to share the mess.

Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

The first few runs have the easy pull of a good arcade brawler. You pick a Hyborian hero, wade into a changing map, and start collecting weapons, armor, charms, and new abilities. Conan can handle the close-range sword work, while Bêlit offers a ranged alternative, so there is at least a useful choice in how you want to approach the fighting.

What begins to click is the way a failed run still feeds the next one. Experience unlocks character-specific perks and abilities, while the items you find can be combined into builds that push your fighting style in unexpected directions. The promise of landing a particularly powerful combination is a strong reason to go back after a dungeon crushes you.

The procedural maps help avoid total repetition. Shops, challenges, treasure, and dungeon layouts change from run to run, and boss encounters such as the Giant Sand Worm of Koth or the Frost Giant of Vanaheim give the journey clear spikes of danger. Roaming bosses guarding golden chests and artifacts add another reason to take a risk instead of simply moving onward.

Still, this is a loot-driven roguelike, so your patience for repeated attempts matters. If you want every run to deliver steady permanent advancement, the cycle can become frustrating when a promising build ends early. If you enjoy experimenting, adapting to whatever drops, and gradually filling out a character’s skill tree, its setbacks feel more like invitations to try a different angle.

Graphics

The game uses deliberately simple stick-figure versions of Conan’s world rather than a grim, detailed barbarian look. That playful contrast suits the exaggerated violence and keeps the tone light even as heroes tear through monsters, dungeons, and giant bosses.

Story

Thoth-Amon sets the whole adventure in motion by creating the Wrath-a-Thon, a fiendish challenge meant to trap Hyboria’s heroes. It is a clean excuse to throw Conan and company into one dangerous dungeon after another, not a setup that asks you to linger over plot complications.

That stripped-down setup fits the game’s comic tone. The central goal is simple: break through the sorcerer’s challenge, beat back his minions, and keep the world from damnation. Conan’s setting supplies familiar names and a sword-and-sorcery backdrop, while the game treats it with a welcome lack of solemnity.

Do not come here expecting a deep Conan tale. The story works as a frame for runs, loot, and boss fights, and it is most effective when you accept the ridiculous premise of legendary heroes being caught in a murderous contest.

Overall Experience

Conan Chop Chop earns its laughs, but it is not only a novelty. Its best stretch is the moment a run starts to cohere, your pile of gear and abilities begins to feel dangerous, and the group decides to test that power against another challenge or a boss guarding better loot.

Co-op is the recommendation. The four-player online and couch options turn its combat into the kind of unruly shared session where recovery after a bad run is immediate because everyone wants one more try. Playing alone puts more weight on the roguelike progression and item experimentation, which can still satisfy but lacks that social lift.

At a 7.1, this is a good, uneven fit rather than a must-play for every action fan. Give it a chance if you want a lighthearted fantasy brawler with randomized runs and a group-ready sense of chaos. Skip it if repetition, chance-based loot, and repeated runs drain the fun from action games. For the official rundown of its heroes, loot, and co-op structure, see the Conan Chop Chop publisher description.