ChainStaff Guide: Enemies And Upgrade System

ChainStaff from Mommy's Best Games is one of those rare action platformers where the central mechanic actually earns its name. You play as a mutant fused with an alien parasite, and your only real tool is a transforming spear that doubles as a grappling hook, a shield, and a melee weapon, all mapped to a single button. No weapon wheels, no context menus. Just you, the ChainStaff, and a world overrun by Star Spore-mutated creatures that get progressively more unhinged. At $14.99 (with a 10% launch discount during the first two weeks), it's a tight 4-6 hour adventure with 3 distinct endings and New Game+ support.

What exactly is the ChainStaff and how does it work?

The ChainStaff is the game's entire mechanical identity. According to director Nathan Fouts in the official tips and tricks video, "it's all controlled with mainly just a single button. There are no context-menus to select, there is no 'build the bridge' button, it's always just the ChainStaff and your own mind and ingenuity."

That single-button philosophy sounds simple until you realize how many distinct actions flow from it. The weapon can:

• Be hurled as a spear to deal direct damage at range
• Slice aliens in half in close-quarters combat
• Be thrown into the ground as a shield to block incoming attacks
• Function as a grappling hook to swing across gaps and reach vertical areas

The levels themselves are designed to force you to use all of these. As PC Gamer noted in their coverage, the stages are "open and vertical enough to leave me with no choice but to make full use of the game's brand new and highly versatile titular weapon." You won't get far treating this like a standard run-and-gun.

How do the Star Spore enemies change your approach?

Every creature in ChainStaff has been twisted by the Star Spores, the invading force behind the game's premise. This isn't cosmetic. According to the source materials, each enemy presents its own challenge and requires a specific method to defeat. You can't just spam the same attack pattern across the whole game.

The enemy variety documented in sources includes:

• Alien pigs with neon-colored assault hairstyles
• Flying eagle-snake hybrids
• Giant skull structures you fight from the inside
• Butterfly-gun-dragon creatures
• Screen-filling fish
• Oversized flying owl heads large enough to use as platforms

That last category is worth paying attention to. Some enemies in ChainStaff aren't just threats, they're environmental elements. The platform-hopping segment using square flying owl heads is a direct example of the game blending combat and traversal in ways that reward observation over reflexes.

Star Spore boss encounter

What's the upgrade system and which path should you choose?

This is where ChainStaff gets genuinely interesting from a player-choice standpoint. Scattered across the 10 levels are stranded soldiers, and what you do with them determines your upgrade path and your ending.

You have two options:

• Rescue the soldiers for one upgrade tree
• Consume their organs to become more alien, unlocking a separate upgrade tree

These aren't just cosmetic branches. Each decision pushes you toward a different playstyle and leads to one of the game's 3 unique endings. The source materials confirm this system directly impacts gameplay, not just narrative.

The New Game+ mode is specifically designed for this. Completing the game once and then replaying with all upgrades intact gives you a significantly different experience on the second pass, especially if you swap your soldier-handling approach.

Upgrade path decision screen

How do the 10 levels hold up structurally?

Each of ChainStaff's 10 levels is described by the developer as "like a classic rock album cover come to life." That's not marketing language, it's an accurate description of the visual direction. PC Gamer's coverage draws direct comparisons to Psygnosis game box art from the late 1980s and early 1990s, specifically the psychedelic alien landscapes and bizarre creatures that defined that era.

The level design itself draws from a different, less obvious retro lineage. Rather than the screen-by-screen structure of Mega Man or the locked-room progression of Castlevania, ChainStaff's layouts recall the freeform design of older computer-based run-and-guns like Turrican. Open, vertical stages that reward exploration and creative use of the ChainStaff's grappling function.

The soundtrack running through all 10 levels was composed by Deon van Heerden, the same composer behind Broforce and Warhammer 40k: Shootas, Blood & Teef. Heavy metal throughout, which sets an accurate tone for what you're actually doing.

Tips for getting the most out of ChainStaff

Based on the developer's own guidance from the official tips and tricks video, here are the key principles to internalize early:

• Stop thinking about the ChainStaff as a weapon. It's a movement tool, a defensive option, and a combat instrument simultaneously. Players who treat it like a gun will struggle.
• Use the shield function proactively. Throwing the staff into the ground creates a shield that stops incoming attacks. This isn't a panic button, it's a core defensive tool you should be setting up in advance.
• Grapple constantly. The vertical level design exists specifically to reward grappling. If you're running along the floor, you're probably playing the level the slow way.
• Read each enemy's mutation. Star Spore enemies each have a specific weakness or required approach. Spending a few seconds observing a new enemy type before committing to an attack pattern will save you a lot of health.
• Commit to a soldier decision early. Splitting your choices between rescue and consume gives you partial upgrades from both trees. This isn't necessarily wrong, but going deep on one path gives you stronger, more synergistic abilities.

For more action platformer guides and the latest indie game coverage, browse more guides at GAMES.GG.