All Chapters in Split Fiction, Ranked

Split Fiction has a handy feature where you can go to the chapter select screen and choose which chapter you’d like to play. You can essentially hop into any chapter you want, starting from your last checkpoint. With eight chapters in total, each featuring a totally different environment and pulling back the layers of protagonists Mio and Zoe’s stories; it’s so welcome to have the freedom to go back to any chapter you want. 

Perhaps it’s the gameplay that intrigues you the most, with each chapter having new abilities and weapons to master. Alternatively, it can be the cheeky side stories that you can’t just get enough of. Or, more broadly, discovering that some chapters are simply more fun, creative, and rewarding than others. Below, we’ve ranked all the chapters in Split Fiction to give you a rough idea of the best places to start your co-op adventure.

8. Radar Publishing

Radar Publishing is at the bottom of the ranking of all the chapters in Split Fiction. It’s unsurprising, given it’s the introductory chapter that serves as the tutorial for what’s to come. Here, we’re introduced to the prologue, setting the stage for Mio and Zoe’s background stories and ambitions. We meet the staff at the company alongside the other aspiring writers who have also signed up with Radar Publishing and have agreed to take part in an AI special project. 

But Mio discovers Radar Publishing’s exploitative scheme and is unexpectedly shoved into Zoe’s simulation, sparking Split Fiction’s co-op adventure. Since two writers in one simulation are unexpected, it instigates a glitch in the system that switches virtual worlds between sci-fi and fantasy realms.

Here’s where the action ramps up a bit, with Mio and Zoe trying to get back to the glitch and escape. Yet the action never truly reaches climax as Radar Publishing is mainly meant to teach you the ropes. You’re introduced to basic gameplay mechanics often interrupted by cutscenes setting the stage for what’s to come.

7. Neon Revenge

Mio’s sci-fi Neon Revenge chapter comes right after Radar Publishing, which means you’ll have high expectations to see what Split Fiction cooks up next. And let’s get it out of the way that despite the low ranking, all the chapters in Split Fiction are pretty good. They’re incredibly creative with massive backdrops, lots of chase sequences, boss fights, and overall engaging boss fights. 

In Neon Revenge, you have the iconic TRON light cycle chase sequence; quite the adrenaline-infused moment. There’s the dorky boss fight against the scary Parking Attendant throwing hover cars at you. However, the platforming can be a little tricky for newcomers. Also, the neon punk aesthetic, cyberpunk, and melancholic world, while pretty cool, are things we have seen before.

6. Hopes of Spring

Zoe’s first fantasy-based Hopes of Spring chapter ranks next. It’s also quite remarkable, although still lagging behind the others. The coolest ability you unlock is shapeshifting, with Zoe turning into tree-form Groot and Mio into a gorilla and a fish.

But the boss you’ll be going up against has shapeshifting abilities, too. He’s an Ice King who transforms into a feral saber-tooth cat. Still, platforming is a little straightforward, and the levels are a little less polished.

5. The Hollow

Although The Hollow is Zoe’s last chapter, it ranks fifth among all the chapters in Split Fiction. While it certainly aims to gut you with its emotional rollercoaster of the story of Zoe confronting her past, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. It’s a trippy chapter with a mind-bending twist.

Yet you can almost see the twist coming from a mile away. Meanwhile, the abilities introduced in the chapter are intriguing. Both Mio and Zoe have spirit animals that help them navigate The Hollow. 

4. Isolation

Imagine walking through your subconscious; scary, perhaps. For Mio, who is often cold and introverted, the Isolation chapter helps explain why. Her subconscious leads us to a maximum security prison. You need to free whoever is trapped in the prison without knowing how your actions will impact the story.

For this reason, there’s a lot of intrigue in discovering where your path leads. Not to mention the cool abilities you’ll unlock, including Mio’s drone that can flatten into nanobots that crawl into tight spaces or Zoe’s that can defy gravity and grip onto ceilings and walls.

3. Rise of the Dragon Realm

Rise of the Dragon Realm is Zoe’s second chapter. It features dragon eggs you’re given to take care of. When they hatch, you carry the baby dragons on your back and take care of them until they turn into the gigantic fire-breathing creatures that carry you.

All across the chapter, you’ll unlock abilities that evolve over time. Moreover, the world’s design is engaging, as is the story of restoring the lost legacy of dragons in a land where they’re nearly extinct. And the side stories are fun, too, including a snowboarding race.

2. Final Dawn

In the spirit of unique chapters, Final Dawn stands out with its mech theme and difficulty spike. You land in a massive facility that produces dangerous toxins. The thing is, it’s probably the most challenging chapter a casual gamer will struggle with the most.

As two operative soldiers, you’ll be twin-stick shooting and sidescrolling your way to victory. You need top-notch accuracy, quick thinking, and fast reaction speed to beat this one. Your timing needs to be on-point, too, as does your precision, keeping in mind that you and your partner must communicate and coordinate in tandem with each other. 

1. Split

Split, the finale of Split Fiction, saves the best for last. It reveals that Mio’s and Zoe’s sci-fi and fantasy virtual worlds are, in fact, connected. You never see it coming, serving as the perfect twist that climaxes your adventure. But there’s another twist. The game breaks the fourth wall, having you fight Radar across multiple stages. This creates a multiverse effect that translates beautifully in the gameplay as well. 

While you and your partner will have been playing in split-screen mode, Split chapter lets you merge with your partner’s screen. It adds lots of tactical gameplay moments. You can dodge an obstacle on your side of the screen by hopping over to your partner’s, for instance.

My only critique is that the overlapping screens mechanic is introduced in the finale, which is a little too late to fully maximize all the thrills it gives.