Soulslike games are as much defined by the art style and world approach as they are by punishing combat and action RPG mechanics. This makes the silly and colorfulAnother Crab’s Treasuresomething of an outlier in the genre, though less of one than it might appear at first glance. It doesn’t look like it, but Aggro Crab devs promise the world ofAnother Crab’s Treasurehas as dark a story and lore as any FromSoftware title.
Another Crab’s Treasuremight be the first real contender forthe title of a “silly Soulslike" gamewith its hermit crab protagonist Kril, its plethora of ridiculous shell designs, and other hilarious decisions made throughout the game. The game is almost tailor-made to become a meme with exactly 69 shells for its protagonist to make a home in, underwater physics inspired bySpongeBob SquarePants, or its medieval-style underwater duchy ruled over by a giant sand castle. That was very intentional. In a recent interview with Game Rant, Aggro Crab’s studio head/art director Nick Kaman and creative director/narrative lead Caelan Pollock discussed the game’s tone. But, Kaman said, that colorful humor hides very clear Soulslike themes and lore.
Colorful Surface, Soulslike Depths
During our interview, we found ourselves speaking with the devs about theworld-building inAnother Crab’s Treasure. Not only did this include the design of the underwater setting, but the lore that backs up all of its world-building. While the world may seem bright, Kaman explained that it’s as dark as any Soulslike game.
“The world-building of it all is also secretly pretty Souls, right? Like, we made an April Fool’s joke about how our game is too light-hearted and cartoony to be a Soulsike, but when you look at the plot, the lore of our game, and the inspiration for it, it’s that decaying, sad world that you would expect from any Souls game. It’s just presented differently, but that aspect of the genre is really important to us.”
The April Fool’s joke Kaman was referencing was a post on Aggro Crab’s Twitter (seen below) where the studio responded to criticism that it was too cheery to be a Soulslike game by adding features like color desaturation, a “depression feature” for protagonist Kril, and a poison swamp–because allSoulslike game must have poison swamps.
Beneath that cheeky sense of humor, as Kaman explained, lies some dark realities about the end of civilization. The further players dive into the lore hidden beneath the jokes, the moreapocalyptic it becomes in tone. Rather than being set in a society after the end, however,Another Crab’s Treasuretakes its time to really dwell on what living in a dying world means for its inhabitants.
The World is Dying in Another Crab’s Treasure
Kaman explained that, inAnother Crab’s Treasure, the various undersea civilizations have risen as a result of human garbage falling “from the sky” to jumpstart a technological and cultural revolution in the aquatic ecosystems. This junk also brings with it the problem of Gunk, which is more than just a pollution allegory, as it also changes how critters on the seafloor think and act. The Gunk is, for Kril’s world, an apocalyptic threat.
At its heart, the game is most interested in that apocalypse. Not merely from a standpoint of Gunk’s existence being a result of pollution, but from a more meditative standpoint whenconsidering the totality of climate changeand the very real and unavoidable ways it will fundamentally change human society. It’s far, far too late to prevent catastrophic climate change from shaping humanity’s future, as it is to prevent Gunk from shaping Kril’s. Pollock wanted to explore that place of anxiety and pain.
“From the very beginning, when we started talking about the premise behind this game, sort of figuring out what we were and weren’t saying, I knew this game was very important to me. Because, at the end of the day, we’re not making games for an audience of people who don’t know that throwing trash in the water is bad, you know what I mean? … I think a lot of people in general, especially people growing up right now, have this sense of “the crumbling world right now.” Sharing how we feel about that, or helping people find catharsis and what that feels like, was always much more important to me than “Oh, hey, the moral is pollution is bad.”"
Exploring how to live in a world that’s dying is a heavy subject to broach, even in games. That’s where the lighter tone and humor ofAnother Crab’s Treasurehave a critical role to play, blending in with the weight of emotion it carries in waysreminiscent ofThe Outer WorldsorFallout. In contrast to the “depression feature” mentioned in the April Fool’s tweet, talking about themes that are heavy and real to the audience benefits greatly from a bit of humor and silliness.
Though that humor was a tricky needle to thread, especially when juxtaposed with the dour and painful realities that form the game’s themes, Kaman thinks Aggro Crab was the right studio for the job.
“It kind of felt not easy, but natural to us. If you’ve played our previous gameGoing Under, this is just the kind of thing we like to make. Caelan likes writing funny dialogue, and I like colorful graphics. It feels like, in a way, we’re just doing a Soulslike our own way.”
Pollock called the seas ofAnother Crab’s Treasurea “colorful but sad world,” something Aggro Crab seems to specialize in making, and something befitting a spin on the notoriously tough and dour Soulslike genre.
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.
