Crab God is a roguelite strategy game where you migrate through treacherous waters to bring forth the advent of a new Crab God! Read our review to see what it did well, what it didn't do well, and if it's worth buying.
Crab God Review Overview
What is Crab God?
Crab God is a roguelite strategy game where you migrate from the shallows and into the abyss to bring about the birth of a new Crab God. Various reef menaces stand between you and salvation, however, and it’ll be up to your devoted crablings to protect the sacred egg and gather supplies for the next leg of your migration.
Plant various seaweed and coral to balance the ecosystem and attract new creatures. Create defenses to protect the sacred egg from harm and destroy those who would threaten the balance of your creation. Upgrade and assign your crablings to various roles and safeguard the future of your ocean domain in Crab God!
Crab God features:
⚫︎ 5 unique crabling roles to try
⚫︎ Three difficulty levels for players of all skill levels
⚫︎ Branching progression tree to keep you on your toes
⚫︎ Various blessings, modifiers, and upgrade paths for your migratory route
⚫︎ Real-world ecological contributions
For more gameplay details, read everything we know about Crab God's gameplay and story.
 Steam |
$19.99 |
Crab God Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
 Real-world Ecological Contributions Surprisingly Complex Gorgeous Ocean Environments |
Doesn’t Have Meta-progression Needs Way More Content |
Crab God Overall Score - 84/100
Crab God is a claw-some strategy game that immerses you in stunning sights and sounds while offering real-life opportunities to support ecological conservation. Its gameplay mechanics are a shell of a good time—fun and surprisingly complex. While the game could benefit from a bit more content and a meta-progression system, the fun you can have with this crab-tivating crustacean-themed gem is unbeatable!
Crab God Story - 8/10
Crab God’s story is unique, well-executed, and well-represented by its mechanics. I absolutely adore the idea of a crab migration framed as a religious pilgrimage to the birthplace of a new god. It is incredibly creative and no part of it is diluted in its execution. I hunger for more of this crab god lore though, and the fact that there isn’t more of it led me to give it a less-than-perfect score.
Crab God Gameplay - 8/10
Crab God’s gameplay is deceptively complex and I mean that in the best way. It introduces you to simple concepts and expands on them several times over in a well-paced trek through the shallows and into the abyss. It also rewards players well for their strategy and planning without being so hair-tearingly difficult. I don’t like that the game lacks meta-progression though, and I firmly believe that it wasted some of its potential because of it.
Crab God Visuals - 9/10
As my hundreds of hours in Subnautica would confirm, I am a sucker for beautiful ocean environments. Crab God’s various ocean biomes run the gamut of typical marine ecosystems from shallow waters to toxic brine pools, and yet, each one is presented in such a uniquely beautiful way that transcends reality. Not bad for a (mostly) static side-scroller.
Crab God Audio - 8/10
Crab God’s audio is an excellent mix of gentle ocean vibes and menacing abyssal tunes. The shift from daytime to nighttime is punctuated by a sudden shift in music that sells the emotion of an impending attack. This game wouldn’t be half as excellent as it is without its music, I can guarantee you that. Just expect a lot of castanets because…crabs, duh.
Crab God Value for Money - 9/10
Not only are you getting this excellent crustacean sensation of a game for a mere $20, but you’re also contributing to real-life ecological conservation efforts with your purchase. Sure, it’s a pretty okay bargain if we’re just talking about the game, but considering what your money’s being used for, this game is priceless.
Crab God Review: Crustacean Perfection!
With a title like "Crab God" one might’ve been expecting some ocean-themed god game of sorts where you build an oceanic empire among the currents and reefs, but oddly enough, Crab God isn’t a god game at all—it’s a resource-management strategy game with roguelike elements and engine-building mechanics. Slightly misleading title aside, this game has one of the most creative narrative premises I’ve ever seen, supplemented by a similarly unique set of gameplay mechanics that weaves perfectly with its message and story.
So, without further ado, get your claws together and be prepared to sing clam-ba-yah around the bonfire as we delve deeper into the inner workings of Crab God!
Let’s begin with the game’s premise. The inciting action in Crab God’s narrative is the beginning of a new migration cycle into the abyss. With the old Crab God reaching the end of its natural lifespan, another must be hatched to maintain the balance of the oceans. Only a trip to the abyss would result in the birth of a new divinity, so the old Crab God and his faithful crablings must brave the pilgrimage of a lifetime across treacherous reefs, choking kelp forests, and dangerous hydrothermal vents.
First off, very creative idea. They didn’t need to frame this perfectly natural crab migration as a religious pilgrimage, but I appreciate the effort made to be creative. You’ll never see me complain about going the extra mile for some world-building and artistry, that’s for sure.
Secondly, never once in an entire run, which could take around 2-3 hours, does this premise ever feel diluted. The gameplay mechanics blend seamlessly into this overarching narrative and every finished stage feels like a step toward the promised land, so to speak. Passives are called blessings and they’re earned through devotion and challenging ecological work; shrines are scattered about for you to restore by balancing the biome you’re in; the basic unit of currency for most actions is called "Devotion" and it’s earned through worship or charitable work; all of these factors and more come together to paint a clear picture of THE Crab God and its ministry. For something that’s technically not a god game, Crab God’s evoking that divine vibe perfectly.
Moving on to how the game plays, Crab God is a balancing act between the various elements of every ecosystem you encounter. You control a legion of crablings and they enact your will on the environment around you. Each crabling can fall into one of five roles: Scavenger, Worshipper, Hunter, Gardener, and Builder. Gardeners tend to the plants and clear parasites from their plots, builders demolish obstructions and create defensive walls, Hunters defend the Sacred Egg from predators, Scavengers collect food from plants and animals, and worshippers generate devotion for you to spend.
Your goal is to gather enough food for the next part of your migration, but doing so requires you to populate a region with plants and animals. Various shrines are also found in each level, which grant powerful blessings that affect the rest of your run if you manage to tailor the environments to their requirements. Finishing a stage lets you feed your crablings and upgrade them with various, randomly drawn abilities that make them more effective for certain roles. Fortunately for you, roles can be changed at any time if you have the devotion to spare. This is where the roguelike elements are most prominent, as no two runs will ever be the same if your crablings shuffle abilities between each stage.
There’s way more to this game than what I just listed, but all of those fall into the deceptively complex crevices of a cutesy, crab-themed strategy game. I find something new to do with my crablings at every stage, and I honestly consider these layers of synergy to be the mark of a great strategy game.
It’s not all sun coral and butterfly fish with Crab God’s gameplay, however, as I do have some critique to give regarding its meta-progression—it doesn’t have any. You can unlock new plants and fish as you encounter them during a run, but there isn’t a reason for you to try another migration unless you fail. Don’t get me wrong, the gameplay is great, I just wish there was more of it because I’d gladly keep playing if it had more to offer. Sadly, the game’s 20-something plants and fish just don’t cut it when other roguelites can offer way more variety.
In terms of visuals and audio, Crab God knocks it out of the tidepool with amazing 3D environments and some legitimately appealing background music. Oceanic vibes aren’t that hard to evoke, but I still think that Crab God’s music makes up half of its aesthetic appeal. And don’t even get me started on the shift between day and night because all the vibrance from the daytime is cranked up to eleven with bioluminescent coral and the most foreboding abyssal aura I’ve ever seen.
In addition to its artistic merits, there’s much to be said about Crab God that goes beyond its merit as a game. Just a disclaimer, what I’m about to say has no bearing on the game’s final score as it doesn’t really have anything to do with Crab God as a game. That said, it pays to be aware, especially when the message has the potential to benefit the human race. The developers of Crab God have pledged to contribute to real-life conservation efforts based on the player base’s performance in the game. Certain shrines, when completed, allow the player to decide between three conservation efforts for the developers to contribute to. I chose the one that endeavors to plant trees, but there are options to save sea turtles and protect marine life as well.
A portion of every Crab God purchase will be directed to those initiatives as soon as revenue reaches the developers, with a certificate of proof containing all contributing players every 30 days. Now, I know plenty of games that have ecological conservation as their message, but not many games walk the talk as Crab God does, and I, for one, am happy to do my part.
And that’s about it for Crab God. It’s a great game with amazing aesthetics made up of mesmerizing 3D environments and equally enthralling music. It has a creative premise that’s well-woven into its mechanics, although I would appreciate a bit more content than what it currently has. I appreciate its message of ecological conservation and I am stoked to be a part of its real-life conservation program. Even though I’m only scoring it for its merit as a game, there’s much more to Crab God than what goes on on the screen. In any case, I’m glad to have partaken in this pilgrimage of decapods and I look forward to the rise of the new deca-god.
Pros of Crab God
| Things Crab God Got Right |
|---|
|
Real-world Ecological Contributions Surprisingly Complex Gorgeous Ocean Environments |
Real-world Ecological Contributions
Crab God offers the unique benefit of contributing to various ecological conservation initiatives through gameplay. Not a lot of games can rightfully declare that their existence is an objectively beneficial thing to our planet’s continued existence, but Crab God is definitely one such game. Whether you’re saving the turtles, reducing pollution, sheltering endangered animals, or simply planting trees, every little bit counts and Crab God is offering the average gamer a chance to take part.
Surprisingly Complex
Complexity is basically a staple in these kinds of strategy games but Crab God’s is something else entirely. It brings about as much complexity as a thriving ecosystem, which, suffice to say, is a lot. Balancing what animal populations and plant upgrades in addition to defending the Sacred Egg gives a Crab God a lot to do, what more when all of that has to be done through the tiny claws of a legion of crablings?
Gorgeous Ocean Environments
Not only are Crab God’s ocean biomes beautiful and positively populated with aesthetically pleasing creatures, but they’re also incredibly varied and quite creative in their presentation. The magnitude of its quality and variety is nearly Subnautica-level, with plenty of wonderfully rendered biomes that can shift their palette and composition between day and night tones.
There are plenty of sights to see in Crab God, but the most mesmerizing among them is easily its stunning ocean scapes, especially when you strategize your way into a fully synergized ecosystem.
Cons of Crab God
| Things That Crab God Can Improve |
|---|
|
Doesn’t Have Meta-progression Needs Way More Content |
Doesn’t Have Meta-progression
Sad as it is to admit, this is the biggest hit against Crab God’s score. I don’t know about you, but to me, there’s nothing more satisfying than finishing a long run and reaping the meta-progression rewards by the bucket. I was disappointed to realize that this game simply doesn’t have meta-progression. Once you finish a migration, I find little reason to keep playing apart from optimization and min-maxing.
Needs Way More Content
This isn’t really a downside, but I’d love to see more content from Crab God. Not that the current content is lacking—in fact, it’s quite the opposite—I enjoyed it so much that I just want more. Maybe there could have been more content from the start, but given the game’s real-life conservation objectives, I understand that developing content for it might be more complex than for other games. So, I can forgive it a bit for that.
Is Crab God Worth It?
More Than Worth the Donation!
Crab God not only delivers an amazing gaming experience but also gives you the chance to support nature conservation efforts, all for just $19.99. While there are other games that might offer more content for less, the cause you’re supporting and the artistic quality of the game make Crab God well worth the price.
| Platform | Price |
|---|---|
| Steam |
$19.99 |
Crab God FAQ
How Does Crab God’s Eco Rewards System Work?
According to the game’s developers, Crab God’s Eco Rewards System follows the following sequence of procedures:
⚫︎ Choose Your Cause: After completing a Ritual Stone of Preservation, select the conservation cause you want to support.
⚫︎ A Contribution Is Made: Upon receiving the revenue from your purchase (which can take up to 45 days), we contribute to your chosen conservation-focused organization via dots.eco.
⚫︎ See Proof-of-Impact: At the end of each impact period, we generate proof-of-impact certificates for all conservation activities. Once this is complete, you’ll receive a notification the next time you open Crab God. These certificates detail the conservation action and its global impact.
What Langauge Localizations are Available for the Full Release of Crab God?
Crab God is available in the following languages for its full release:
|
⚫︎ French ⚫︎ German ⚫︎ English ⚫︎ Italian ⚫︎ Japanese ⚫︎ Korean ⚫︎ Polish ⚫︎ Brazilian Portugese |
⚫︎ Russain ⚫︎ Simplified Chinese ⚫︎ Spanishr ⚫︎ Turkish ⚫︎ Ukrainian ⚫︎ Bahasa Indonesia |
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Crab God Product Information
 |
|
| Title | CRAB GOD |
|---|---|
| Release Date | June 20, 2024 |
| Developer | Chaos Theory Games |
| Publisher | Firesquid |
| Supported Platforms | PC (Steam) |
| Genre | Strategy, Simulation, Indie |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | RP |
| Official Website | Crab God Website |
