Summary
The most recent Indie darling of 2024,Another Crab’s Treasurehas no shortage of praiseworthy mechanics and features, from its responsive Soulslike combat, to its bevy of accessibility options. All of these mechanics combine to makeAnother Crab’s Treasureone of the best options for newcomers to the Soulslike genre, and the game’s high level of charm reinforces this even further.
Another Crab’s Treasureis an incredibly charming game, and it derives this charm from a variety of different sources.Another Crab’s Teasure’s humorous dialogue, tongue-in-cheek premise, colorful art style, and bright world design are all features that help to make the Indie game so delightful from beginning to end. But there’s another key part of the puzzle, and it’s a trick thatAnother Crab’s Treasurehas seemingly learned from games likeGrounded,Hot Wheel Unleashed, and even thePS1 classicToy Story 2.
Another Crab’s Treasure Borrows a Grounded, Hot Wheels Unleashed Trick
The “Small Person, Big World” Trope in Gaming
For decades now, video games have played around withthe “Small person, big world” trope. More often than not, this trope will see the player take control of a character that appears to be regularly sized on-screen, and appears to be regularly sized when compared to enemies and allies, but is actually made to feel exceptionally small due to their surroundings and the environmental scenery.
One of the first and most popular examples of this in gaming comes from the 1999 PS1 game,Toy Story 2: Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue, where the player controls the titular Space Ranger as he navigates a world filled with enlarged everyday objects. Thefirst level inToy Story 2is still fondly remembered today for its unique adoption of this trope, dropping players into a scaled-up version of Andy’s Room from the movie and letting players climb their way up towering dressers, and zipline down light fixtures.
Two more recent examples of this trope in gaming can be found inObsidian’s survival gameGrounded, and the racing seriesHot Wheels Unleashed. In both of these titles, players control shrunken-down characters and vehicles and explore a world that features enlarged everyday objects. This trope can be used by a game to evoke a few different feelings. For instance, inHot WheelsandToy Story, this feature is used to elicit a sense of wonder, whileGroundedoften uses it to evoke a sense of dread and horror, with everyday garden insects now being portrayed as gigantic monsters.
How Another Crab’s Treasure Uses This Trope to Great Effect
Taking a page out ofHot Wheels,Grounded, andToy Story’s playbook,Another Crab’s Treasurealso adopts the “Small person, big world” trope. Here, the player controls a hermit crab exploring the ocean floor. While enemies and allies are usually scaled to match the player-character’s size, the world will often feature enlarged everyday objects that give the game a much grander scale, such as an underwater city made out of tall plastic bottles, barricades made out of pencils, and chopsticks being used as a boss weapon.Another Crab’s Treasureis filled with these scaled-up objects, and each one further reinforces the game’s lighthearted, and even fantastical tone.
Another Crab’s Treasure
WHERE TO PLAY
As Kril the hermit crab, you’ll need to wear the trash around you as shells to withstand attacks from enemies many times your size. Embark on an epic treasure hunt to buy back your repossessed shell, and discover the dark secrets behind the polluted ocean.TRASH OR TREASURE?In this undersea society, trash is not only a way of life, but a valuable resource, used for everything from fashion to firearms. But with the presence of trash comes a mysterious infection known as the Gunk, which could spell doom for the entire ocean.LEARN FROM NATUREAs Kril explores the ocean, he’ll gain a variety of Umami Techniques—powerful attacks learned from the denizens of the seas. Punch your enemies with the overwhelming might of a Mantis Shrimp, ensnare them with the horrifying Bobbit Worm, and much more.UNEXPLORED DEPTHSThe ocean goes deeper than one can imagine. Fight your way through kelp forests, coral reefs, sand castle cities, and even the unfathomable darkness of the deep-sea trenches, all in the name of getting back your prized shell.
