The Unwritten Rules of Another Crab’s Treasure Explained

The most recent release in a long line of excellent Indie Soulslike games, Another Crab’s Treasure has clearly paid close attention to those that have come before it, learning what makes a good Soulslike and what definitely doesn’t, and then condensing that down to produce a smaller-scale, highly-accessible adventure that offers a new type of Soulslike experience. Though it wears its influences on its sleeve, Another Crab’s Treasure is something wholly its own.

Another Crab’s Treasure has no shortage of excellent qualities, from its bright and lively art style and world design to its responsive combat to its well-themed boss design, and all of these qualities come together to lift the game right to the top of the pantheon of great Indie Soulslikes. But despite its pleasant presentation and fair mechanics, Another Crab’s Treasure is still a Soulslike game that can be pretty challenging, and if players are struggling, then they may want to turn to the following unwritten rules.

The Unwritten Rules of Another Crab’s Treasure Explained

Experiment With Different Shells

One of Another Crab’s Treasure‘s defining features is its shell system. Taking on the role of a hermit crab, players are able to wear a variety of different objects on their backs as temporary shells. Wearing a shell allows the player to block oncoming attacks and use a special power playfully named “Shell Spells.” These Shell Spells can vary greatly depending on the equipped shell, ranging from a homing projectile attack to a heavy aerial attack to a way to gain instant health.

Shells in Another Crab’s Treasure also have a distinct weight class that determines the player’s speed, and a durability rating which determines the shell’s health. With 69 shells in Another Crab’s Treasure, players are heavily encouraged to experiment with each and every one they find during their travels so that they find the right combination of abilities, weight classes, and durability that best suits their own unique playstyle.

Level Up and Upgrade as Much as Possible

As is the case in just about any Soulslike, leveling up is a vital part of Another Crab’s Treasure‘s gameplay loop. On its standard difficulty settings, enemies in Another Crab’s Treasure will continue to grow stronger throughout the game, requiring the player to level up steadily alongside them. Whenever the player has spare Microplastics, they should be heading to the nearest Moon Snail Shell and investing their money into one of the game’s four stats, particularly Vitality and Attack. Players should also ensure that they’re visiting the Moon Snail frequently to use up any crystals they’ve obtained, unlocking the game’s incredibly useful special abilities.

Equip Stowaways Strategically

When Stowaways are first introduced in Another Crab’s Treasure, they don’t seem overtly useful, with the first few ones the player unlocks offering minor stat boosts. As players progress through Another Crab’s Treasure, they’ll start to find some Stowaways that can drastically affect gameplay, such as the little fish pet follower that will attack enemies alongside the player. But with limited equipment space, players need to strategically choose the best set of Stowaways for their playstyle, just like with shells.

Don’t Worry About Changing the Difficulty

There’s a lot of stigma surrounding the desire for easier Soulslike games, but Another Crab’s Treasure goes out of its way to remind players that their enjoyment of the game is what really matters. If players are hitting a brick wall with Another Crab’s Treasure and simply can’t find enjoyment in its challenge, then it’s more than okay to use the game’s Assist mode to lower various difficulty factors, after all, it’s what they’re there for.

Another Crab’s Treasure

Aggro Crab’s Another Crab’s Treasure provides a maritime twist on the Souls-like formula. Using the trash around him as armor and weapons, Kril must travel across an underwater kingdom while fighting off all sorts of impressive threats.

Released

April 25, 2024

Developer(s)

Aggro Crab

Publisher(s)

Aggro Crab

Genre(s)

Adventure , Soulslike , RPG

Engine

Unity

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Blood, Crude Humor, Language, Use of Tobacco, Violence