Anyone with a penchant for Dark Souls or Elden Ring knows that crabs are the biggest threat in any soulslike game, so finally getting to turn the tables and take control of a crafty crustacean in combat is an absolute delight. That’s the premise of the adorable Another Crab’s Treasure, an underwater action RPG from indie developer Aggro Crab. Just launched on Steam, this charming blend of Spongebob and Souls is steadily gathering players, and it’s already accumulated a 94% Steam rating from users.
Another Crab’s Treasure sees you step into the shell of Kril the hermit crab as he journeys across the junk-filled ocean depths. His adventure takes him from shallow, sandcastle-strewn shorelines to deep-sea trenches, passing through kelp forests, coral reefs, and trash-covered dumping grounds. Fortunately, the core to this soulslike RPG game is that, as the title suggests, plenty of that trash can be turned into a valuable asset.
As a hermit crab, Kril can snuggle into all manner of trinkets, shells, and junk, which will provide him some measure of protection. Instead of traditional blocking, you hide in your shell, protecting yourself completely – but when your chosen home breaks, you’ll need to seek out another. Its clever design makes Another Crab’s Treasure a little more approachable than your average soulslike game, but still keeps a pleasing amount of depth.
It also boasts a stagger system that will feel familiar to Elden Ring players but is actually most reminiscent of 2023’s Lies of P – fill up an enemy’s balance meter and then use a charged attack to ‘capsize’ them and knock them to the ground. And, yes, you can parry too – just leap out of block at the right moment to throw your opponent off balance.
Stopping off at Moon Snail Shells, you’re able to purge any of the microplastics you’ve gathered up on your travels, strengthening Kril’s potential. Much like souls or runes in FromSoftware’s games, however, these microplastics are used both for leveling and as currency to trade with vendors, so you’ll have to think carefully about how you spend them.
Since launch, the player count for Another Crab’s Treasure has continued to climb steadily, reaching just over 2,000 players in its first day, peaking just above 3,000 on its second, and now most recently hitting a high of 4,038 in the past 24 hours at the time of writing. It seems word is continuing to spread, then, and with an 94% user rating from its first 1,000 reviews, it’s clear that players are enjoying Kril’s adventure.
“A huge thank you for all the love and support,” Aggro Crab community manager Paige Wilson writes, “we can’t believe we’re actually watching you all dive in. As expected with any launch, we’ve got some bugs. Whether you’ve reported it on Steam, Discord, or another form of contact – we’ve seen it and plan to look into these as soon as possible.”
Another Crab’s Treasure is out now on Steam, and you can get it at a 10% discount through Thursday May 2. Expect to pay $26.99/£24.29 if you buy it before then, or $29.99/£26.99 after that date.
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