I played first Another Crab Treasure on the side of the street behind the Devs Day event in LA earlier this year, the sun shining on a laptop screen, quickly running out of power. Nick sat next to me, the head of the studio, who was watching patiently as a hunter trying to navigate his team's game. He described it as “interesting” as I struggled to navigate the tutorial at first, I admit to being surprised at how long it took me to jump into the ocean and the game a start right. This is my most embarrassing moment this year.
And yet, out of all the games that came out this year, all the indie darlings, double A's, triple A's, and the odd quadruple A's, it was the It was this little crab adventure that stood out to me. A prime example of how to do proper game development, and a game I could (and would) recommend to everyone I can lay my paws on. Another special Crab Treasure, and a real gem of 2024.
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Created by Aggro Crab, the studio apparently cursed that his offices should ever be broken into and is made up of a mixed team of mostly new faces to video game development. Young and with fresh ideas, they released Another Crab Finance in April to healthy success. As of writing, the game has sold at least 500K copies as of November 1 (not shabby for an indie by any means) and has won several awards. It is also, by the way, a very fun game that will bring a burst of fun and excitement to a subgenre that can often get lost in the doldrums and sadness, all without convey an important message.
What's great about Another Crab's Treasure is the team's very innovative approach to gameplay and community management. The dev team knew they had a rad game on their hands but they weren't just throwing it out there. They did an amazing community management job that took advantage of even the thinnest opportunity to make memes and build rapport, showing an understanding of how the current social media landscape works. They collaborated with influencers and made the most of them, pushing them just enough to make waves but not too much to drown out the game itself. The young talent of the team expressed themselves wonderfully through their work, offering an innovative twist on gender standards and youthful energy to the vibe of the game. It also has a sick original soundtrack – good job Felix.
However, even Aggro Crab, from where I sit doing everything right, is not safe from the harsh winds of 2024 and the current business environment. At the beginning of November, the team announced that funding for their third game had fallen through. This means that even though members of the team were picking up Golden Joystick Awards and celebrating with their peers, the financial gears of the same business remained stationary.
To say this is a bummer is an understatement. If the industry is not a place where teams like Aggro Crab can thrive, and games like Another Crab's Treasure are enough to ensure a level of security that is proof of how bad things are. However, it's not as if their efforts have gone unnoticed! Here's hoping come January, when corporate budgets are set and men in suits start shopping around for studios to throw money at, they'll be shelling out dough for what will be sure don't steal shellfish.
For you, the player, the game is not finished yet! It's getting a new plus game mode soon as well as a boss rush mode and other goodies. So grab it! It's a great game worth your time, made by people who will definitely appreciate it.
