In Crabmeat, a point-and-click horror game currently in early access, players can conquer its content in a mere two hours. Survival hinges on finding prime king crab fishing spots to clear crippling debts and save one’s family. However, the aggressive, sentient crabs inhabiting these treacherous waters have other plans, determined to sabotage any sailor who dares to venture into their domain.
The game unfolds in a grim, dystopian world ruled by the fictional “Feodardom.” The protagonist, having borrowed money from the authorities for rent, failed to repay his debt on time. As a severe punishment, he is dispatched to the desolate reaches of Antarctica to harvest king crabs. Should he fail to meet his arduous quota, he faces execution, and his family will inherit his crushing burden of debt.
Players will initially need to familiarize themselves with the game’s intuitive controls. All actions – including movement, environmental interaction, and item usage – are entirely mouse-driven. Within about an hour, players will likely adapt to the mechanics, making even tense encounters with the menacing crabs feel manageable.
Piloting the assigned vessel involves turning the steering wheel, adjusting speed, and strategically deploying or retracting the anchor. The in-game map highlights areas rich in crabs and locations where previous debtors have left their traps. Progress is often complicated by challenging weather conditions and various environmental obstacles; collisions with these can lead to critical hull damage.
The developers have crafted crab catching into a surprisingly intricate and detailed process. Players must carefully use bait, lower traps into the icy water, patiently await a catch, then retrieve the traps, and finally sort the suitable crabs for the quota from unwanted debris. Exploring traps left by earlier debtors can yield valuable finds such as medkits, keys to hidden stashes and lockers, and much-needed ammunition.
Aggressive crabs periodically board the vessel, intent on sabotaging critical equipment. Failure to eliminate them promptly will necessitate extensive and costly repairs. I vividly recall one particularly pesky crab screaming “Crabonimo!” as it latched onto the steering wheel, causing me to crash into a bait refill station and nearly capsize – a true moment of terror!
Larger crab specimens emit piercing, unsettling screams reminiscent of the Witch from Left 4 Dead before launching an attack. Players can fend them off with an axe or, less effectively, a shotgun. The shotgun, however, deals low damage, its ammunition is scarce, and reloading is agonizingly slow – it’s best reserved for the climactic final boss encounter.
Onboard timers diligently track the time allotted for mission completion. Interestingly, even playing casually and making a few mistakes, the quota can typically be met well before time expires. Throughout the vessel, propaganda materials from the oppressive Feodardom are scattered, explicitly condemning any deviation from its established norms and expectations.
Conclusion
While Crabmeat‘s content volume is currently limited due to its early access status, its underlying quality largely compensates for this. Many player actions feature unique and detailed animations, the core crab-catching process is surprisingly rich in intricate details, and the overall game world feels thoroughly developed and immersive. Even subtle atmospheric touches, such as snow accumulating on the deck of the ship, have been meticulously incorporated.
Currently, the game can be completed quite swiftly. One hopes that the full release will introduce a broader range of content, including multiple unique endings. The game’s intriguing world and dark premise are far too captivating to simply bid them farewell so soon after such a brief, intense experience.