The Nintendo Indie World livestream on May 11 showcased around a dozen new indie titles coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2022 and 2023. Among these, one surprising entry wasAnother Crab’s Treasure,described by developer Aggro Crab as a “crab-themed Soulslike.” The game features a homeless hermit crab who must face a series of enemies in a polluted, corrupted ocean setting, and is planned to launch sometime in 2023.
Unlike the battle royaleCrab Game,which found popularity in 2021 on the heels of Netflix’sSquid Game, Another Crab’s Treasurestars an actual crab. Players control a hermit crab forced to search for treasure under the sea in order to buy back his repossessed shell. Players can equip over fifty different shells made from various pieces of trash including cans, bottle caps, and more. Different shells will feature different stats and abilities that can help the crab in battle as he is forced to face down enormous crustacean enemies.
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Another Crab’s Treasureis a “Soulslike” game, a type of action-adventure game known for its high difficulty, environmental storytelling, focus on combat, and large number of boss battles. The term originated as a way to describe games similar to and inspired by the popularSoulsseries released by FromSoftware. “Soulslike” remains an enduringly popular genre of game, with FromSoftware’s latest titleElden Ringselling well and quickly amassing multiple perfect or near-perfect reviews.
Developer Aggro Crab Games is an indie studio based in Seattle, Washington.Another Crab’s Treasureis its second project. It previously releasedGoing Under,a third-person “rogue-lite” game starring the intern at a dystopian startup company who is forced to defeat the monsters plaguing the company’s headquarters - all without pay, of course.Going Underdebuted in 2020 to positive reviews, and was described as an indie “hidden gem” of the year.
Other games announced during the Indie World showcase includedGunbrella,a “noir-punk” title from Devolver Digital, a Switch port of combination creature raising and farm simulation titleOoblets,minimalist puzzle platformerElec-Head,and more. Some announced games, such as the music battlerSoundfall,were available to purchase and download immediately following the conclusion of the stream.
The Indie World event focused almost entirely on brand-new titles, disappointing some fans who had hoped to hear updates about previously announced or ongoing projects such asBear and Breakfastand, in particular,Hollow Knight Silksong.This sequel to the 2017 “Metroidvania” action gameHollow Knightwas announced in 2019, but has been delayed due to issues including the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans have not received any new information aboutSilksongin several months.
