At long last, the day has come to finally play one of my most anticipated games of the year, Another Crab’s Treasure, from indie developer Aggro Crab. I have personally been following the development of this game since it was originally announced in May 2022, and in such time the team has put out developer updates, engaged with fan questions and advertised some of the sillier game features we can now enjoy.
Another Crab’s Treasure follows a young hermit crab named Kril as they embark on a journey from their familiar and comforting tide pools and into the depths of an undersea crustacean society recently revolutionized by the unnatural forces of oceanic pollution. Crustacean society has become governed by the perceived value of a new resource: human garbage. So the saying goes, one man’s trash is another crab’s treasure.
In the game’s efforts to simultaneously replicate and parody the Soulslike genre, named for Hidetaka Myazaki’s prolific Dark Souls franchise, Another Crab’s Treasure has solidified itself as a remarkably upbeat entry into the genre’s canon. These games feature third-person combat, labyrinthine open zones, a checkpoint-based respawn system and a currency that is lost upon death. Following in its environmentalist themes, the currency that has corrupted crustacean society is referred to as Microplastics. They can be spent on new gear, abilities and leveling up.
A central mechanic employed by Another Crab’s Treasure is the variety of shells Kril can inhabit. The shell system effectively works in place of the typical armor systems seen in other Soulslikes. While the majority of shells take the form of various kinds of garbage, such as soda cans, bottle caps and red solo cups – there are a total of 69 different shells that can be obtained. Each shell gives Kril access to a unique ability that can help in combat encounters such as special attacks, restoring health or creating a defensive barrier.
The game also takes an alternative approach to its difficulty settings. Rather than setting your game difficulty to a standardized scale like easy or hard modes, the player can adjust specific metrics such as damage output, parry timing windows and disabling microplastic loss on death. One especially unique feature is the “Give Kril a Gun” setting, which equips Kril with a pistol for his shell and fires bullets that kill almost any enemy with a single hit. While this mode might undermine the “right” way to play the game, it is undeniably fun.
Another Crab’s Treasure is now available for $29.99 on Steam, Nintendo Switch and PlayStation and is included in Xbox Game Pass. If you’re a fan of Soulslike games and you’re looking to break up the typical grimdark tone of the genre, this game might just be the bright and colorful breath of fresh air you’re looking for.