Time crunch level

A time race level is a Chip's Challenge level theme where the primary puzzle is to identify and race through a valid path to the exit before the time runs out. In many cases, time race levels are made artificially difficult by the tight time limit and become trivial if additional time were to be granted. There are only a handful of time race levels in the original game, whereas the theme is more common in Chip's Challenge 2.

In Chip's Challenge 2, more complex time races are possible due to the Time Bonus, Time Penalty and Time Toggle tiles. These tiles add 10 seconds to the game clock, deduct 10 seconds to the game clock and pause or resume the game clock respectively.

CC1 Examples

• Brushfire - 80 seconds to navigate through a maze and exit the level
• Knot - 29 seconds to collect 118 chips and exit the level
• Glut - 20 seconds to complete the level, multiple correct paths to exit exist
• Problems - While Chip has 200 seconds to complete the overall level, there are two separate time races built into this level where you must collect a significant number of keys or chips before a wall of pink balls are released.
• Nightmare - This level contains many very short time races where Chip releases a monster from a trap behind him and must race a short distance to safety. In the original Microsoft version of the game, the Controller and Boss Glitch prevents several traps from releasing monsters as intended. This behavior is not present in the Steam edition of CC1.
• Totally Unfair - 60 seconds to complete a complex, hidden puzzle

CC2 Examples

• All Shook Up - 20 seconds to solve an ice and force floor puzzle
• Tumblers - 33 seconds to solve an ice puzzle
• Run-Around - 32 seconds to traverse from the southeast corner to the northwest corner and back while evading teeth
• Quick Time - an introduction to time bonuses
• Quick Time II - an introduction to time penalties
• Quick Time III - an introduction to time toggles
• Freeze Frame - a maze involving time modifying tiles
• You Must Be Joking - 5 seconds to collect 5 chips (time modifying tiles available to extend level duration)
• Quickchip - 25 seconds to solve a puzzle involving rovers
• Rush - has a "practice" mode that disables the timer but does not allow access to the final part of the level