The first time I played Another Crab's Treasure earlier this year was on the street after a developer day in Los Angeles, the sun glaring at my laptop screen as it quickly ran out of battery. Next to me sat studio head Nick, who patiently watched a hungover guy try to take control of his team's game. He muttered “interesting” as I initially struggled through the tutorial, and I was in awe of how long it took me to jump into the ocean and start the game properly. This remains my most embarrassing moment of the year.
Yet of all the games coming out this year, all the indie darlings, bold double-A games, big-budget triple-A games, and the occasionally hilarious quadruple-A games, the one that stands out to me the most is this quirky Little crab adventure game. It's a prime example of how to do game development right, and a game I can (and have) recommended to everyone I can try. Another Crab Treasure is special and a real gem of 2024.
iGamesNews
Founded by Aggro Crab, the studio seems to have been cursed, with its offices permanently shattered and staffed by a diverse team of fresh faces in video game development. Young and with fresh ideas, they launched “Another Crab's Treasure” in April to a healthy degree of success. As of this writing, as of November 1st, the game has sold at least 500,000 copies (not bad for an indie game by any means) and won numerous awards. It's also a pretty fun game, by the way, bringing a touch of fun and energy to a sub-genre that's often lost in doom and gloom, all without giving up the important message.
What's great about Another Crab's Treasure is the team's very modern approach to gameplay and Community management. The development team knew they had a great game on their hands, but they didn't just throw it out there. They did some great community management, taking advantage of even the smallest opportunity to create memes and build rapport, demonstrating an understanding of how the current social media landscape works. They work with influencers and make the most of them, pushing them just enough to create buzz but not so much that it overwhelms the game itself. The team's young talents express themselves brilliantly through their work, providing innovative twists on genre standards and injecting youthful energy into the game's atmosphere. It also has a sickening soundtrack – well done, Felix.
However, even Aggro Crab, which is doing everything right in my opinion, is not immune to the strong winds of 2024 and the current industry environment. In early November, the team announced that funding for a third game had expired. This means that while team members receive Golden Rocker awards and are celebrated by their peers, the financial cogs of the industry remain stationary.
To say this is a bummer is a massive understatement. If this industry isn't a place where teams like Aggro Crab can thrive and games like Another Crab's Treasure suffice to ensure a level of safety, then that's a testament to how bad the reality is. Still, their efforts didn't go unnoticed! Hopefully come January, when corporate budgets are set and men in suits start looking around for studios to throw money at, they'll spend some on what is sure to be shellfish.
For you, the player, the game is not over yet! It's coming soon with a new Game Plus mode as well as a boss rush mode and other goodies. So grab it! It's a great game well worth your time, made by people who are sure to appreciate it.
