Another Crab’s Treasure is an approachable Soulslike with a comedic twist

Souslikes come in all shapes and sizes, including colorful seascapes with cute crabs.

Another Crab’s Treasure is the Finding Nemo of Soulslikes: a more accessible, cartoony approach to one of the most unforgiving genres. It’s no Dark Souls, but it is an alternative for those tired of the typical dark fantasy Soulslike settings and the tropes attached to them. On the surface, it’s just about a guy who just wants his house (read: shell) back. However, it tells an entertaining story with genuinely challenging combat in between those narrative beats. It even lightly comments on societal and environmental issues like plastic-filled oceans and the downsides of capitalist society.

Kril the hermit crab lives a life of solitude until a “loan shark” informs him that his shell is now the property of the Duchess, who has claimed his part of the ocean as her kingdom. As such, he must pay taxes on his shell to keep it. He has no money, so the loan shark forcefully ceases his shell and leaves Kril naked and defenseless against underwater dangers like trash-obsessed crabs and belligerent neighbors. Kril then ventures into the ocean to reclaim his shell and learns more than he bargained for in the process.

Studio Head Nick Kapan apparently had the idea for Another Crab’s Treasure even before Aggro Crab Games existed. Neither one inspired the other; rather, they came from his love for crabs. He came up with the premise, but staff, including Creative Director Caelen Pollock, helped bring the story to life. “The original idea is just a hermit crab wearing trash as a shell, so there’s all these environmental themes in the game. It goes to some pretty dark places,” says Pollock.