Another Crab’s Treasure is a new soulslike on Steam and PS5. Despite the somewhat adverse conditions under which the game was developed, it had a strong debut this week.
What kind of game is this? Another Crab’s Treasure is a soulslike with everything that comes with it: overpowering enemies, crunchy boss fights, and a lot of dodging and parrying. In contrast to other representatives of the genre, it doesn’t come off as grim; instead, it takes place in a colorful underwater world.
Players take on the role of the small hermit crab Krill, whose shell is confiscated by a nasty loan shark. So, Krill sets out to find his shell and must face numerous opponents along the way. To be prepared for battle, Krill can slip into various shells that provide different armor values and special attacks.
Another Crab’s Treasure is from the studio Aggro Crab, which previously poked fun at the world of work, especially the startup culture, with their roguelite Going Under. It has been available on all major platforms since April 25, 2024.
You can read more about the game at our colleagues at GamePro.
“Does anyone have an office that isn’t made of glass?”
What was up with the 3 break-ins? On X, formerly Twitter, Aggro Crab reported multiple times about break-ins at their studio in Seattle. All three break-ins occurred while working on Another Crab’s Treasure. However, the developers took the situation with humor – and a healthy dose of crab memes.
On January 25, 2024, shortly after break-in number 3, they jokingly asked if anyone might have an office left that wasn’t made of glass (via X).
But Another Crab’s Treasure didn’t just have to deal with intruders but also faced strong competition: The release coincides with the highly anticipated PS5 exclusive Stellar Blade and was only one day before Manor Lords, the most wanted game on Steam.
So, how is the crab soulslike faring?
“Chat, is this real?”
This is how the game is being received: Despite the adverse circumstances, Another Crab’s Treasure had a strong start. This is likely thanks to the creative short videos that the team used to promote it on TikTok. Clips where the creators gave insights into their game garnered tens of thousands of views.
A video where Krill takes down a boss with a single shot from a massive gun was even seen more than half a million times:
It seems that the studio not only has a strong meme game but also makes pretty good games. At least that’s what the reviews shared on April 24 on the official X account suggest. “Chat, is this real?” comments Aggro Crab on the ratings.
On Metacritic, the PC version holds 79 out of 100 points, and the PS5 version holds 78. Among players, the quirky soulslike is even better received: On Steam, Another Crab’s Treasure has a 96% recommendation rate and is categorized as “Extremely Positive.”
- TheSonOfJazzy: “A phenomenal twist on the soulslike genre. You almost forget that it’s a souls game until a crab decides to insta-kill you and you lose 26k microplastics and hate the universe. It’s wonderful.”
- +Coconut~Chan+: “[…] This is my first soulslike and I love it so much. […]”
- Sheldowski: “The game is surprisingly good!! At first, I thought it would be some kind of funny, short souls game with crabs, but in the end, it gives us not only a very interesting and funny story, but also the philosophy, the critique, the soundtrack, and the visuals are cool! […]”
Is there anything to complain about? Yes, there is. In the negative reviews, it has been pointed out that some people feel the game still seems unfinished and janky. Players can quickly get stuck somewhere, and the boss animations don’t always show their upcoming attacks.
However, even critics seem to generally agree that Another Crab’s Treasure has significant potential.
On X, the team celebrated the positive reviews and the successful launch. However, players should not be overlooked: bug fixes are already in the works, as the studio promises in a brief update on Steam.
Will you give this unusual soulslike a chance? Have you perhaps already tried it? Feel free to let us know in a comment.
Do you love cute aesthetics with crunchy fights? Then the new co-op game from the creators of Don’t Starve might be for you. Rotwood has been in early access since April 24, 2024. We already played the roguelite for you back in February:
