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Crab Game review | Casual survival arena

Crab Game review | Casual survival arena
Shaun M Jooste

Shaun M Jooste

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Crab Game is a free first-person multiplayer game developed and published by Dani. It was released on October 29, 2021, following the trending hype of the Squid Games television series on Netflix at the time. While it has the Red Light Green Light game, there are new modes available for players.

While there was an update for Christmas, the developer doesn’t spend much time on making changes or removing festival items. Crab Game is mostly in the control of the players who create servers for others to join. Join me in this detailed review to see if it’s worth downloading.

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Starting an episode in Crab Game

I first heard of the Crab Game when it appeared last year, but I didn’t have the chance to play it until this week. It was an interesting experience, with odd controls and mechanics. Before I get to those aspects, let me start with the basics of getting started.

Where does Crab Game come from?

The premise of the Crab Game is inspired by the Squid Game TV series that showed on Netflix. There is no central plot in the game, so forget about story elements or quests. All you’ll do is join or create a game server, play through the various rounds, and try to survive until the end.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see any rewards or points collected that level you up or present you with chests. Once you’re done with the series of games in a match, you can join another one. There’s no real incentive to keep playing except to challenge other players and be the last one standing.

How many games are in Crab Game?

At the time of writing my Crab Game review, there are 17 game modes across about 50 maps. When it first came out, there were only a few, but the developer has added quite a lot since then. Many of them hail from popular multiplayer games, such as Call of Duty and Minecraft Mini Battles.

Creating and joining servers

There’s no tutorial when you start playing Crab Game. On the main menu, you’ll notice you can join or create a server. The former gives you access to all the available games you can join, but you’ll need to see which ones are waiting in the lobby. If you join one that’s already in action, you’ll simply be a spectator that flies around. You’ll have to wait until all the games for that round are done.

Creating a Crab Game lobby can be frustrating for a beginner. You’ll wait in the lobby until players decide they want to join you. You can invite your friends if you want, or wait patiently. I opted to exit and join others.

How do you prepare for the Crab Game?

There’s a free practice mode in Crab Game where you can become acquainted with each mode and map. You’ll have a chance to see how the arenas look and become familiar with them. However, this mode is generally useless, as there is no one to practice against.

When you’re in a Crab Game lobby, you’ll need to ready up when you want the mode to start. You’ll recognize the bunk beds from the Squid Game TV show. Head to the small pedestal and press the red button to light your name in green on the matchmaking board on the wall above.

Crab Game review

How do you know what number you are in Crab Game?

Every player in Crab Game is assigned a number, much like in Squid Game. When you look at the game board in each round, you’ll see player names with numbers allocated next to them. You’ll also see numbers appear above players’ heads when you get close enough to hit them.

Crab Game review

Getting the hang of playing Crab Game

In this section of my Crab Game review, I’m going to look at the mechanics of playing the game. You can forget about strategies, as none will help you here. The controls are few, so you’ll just have to look for the best opportunity to terminate other players.

How do you play Crab Game?

Every game mode has a different way of playing it, so you’ll need to become acquainted with how they work. The premise is that you need to survive each round and avoid elimination so you can progress to the next one. The ones who make it to the end are declared the winners. 

Some game controls you should know

The Crab Game controls are basic, which is probably why you can only play on a keyboard and mouse and not a controller. You’ll run, jump, and hit items or players. Some stages require that you time your jumping to land on platforms while avoiding death. 

It’s mainly these modes where I don’t enjoy Crab Game. The controls may be easy, but the movement is messy. Running and jumping feel unrealistic and odd in the game. It feels more like you’re floating across the gap, which makes it challenging to get right. Also, everyone moves and jerks around in such strange motions that it’s hard to tag them.

Crab Game review

Obtaining items for your inventory

There’s a tab in the Crab Game main menu for your Inventory. While you can’t use any objects to your advantage in any of the rounds, they’re mostly for appearances. You can obtain clothing and other items through rewards or by buying them from the in-game store. It’s this method that the developer uses to get a financial return for the game.

Requirements to run Crab Game on Windows

You won’t need a massive top-end gaming PC to play Crab Game. The requirements are low and are nothing compared to other FPS titles today, such as Call of Duty which needs almost 100GB per game. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Operating System: Windows 7 and up
  • Processor: Intel Core i3 2,00 GHz
  • Memory: 2 GB
  • Graphics: Intel HD 520
  • Storage: 200 MB
  • Constant internet connection

Other games like Crab Game

Another gaming platform that has similar titles like Crab Game is Roblox. There are plenty of Squid Game replicas you’ll find, and most of them are better than Crab Game when it comes to movement and rewards. Even Fortnite has some games created by other players that have similar elements.

Comparing Crab Game visuals and sounds

I want to mention some details about the sounds and visuals before I end my Crab Game review. Some are positive, while others I didn’t enjoy as much. Stay tuned for my final verdict at the end so you can see if the free game is worth your time.

Unimpressive graphics

Sadly, Crab Game has poor graphics when compared to other FPS titles I prefer. It has poorly constructed avatars that don’t look good while moving and jumping. Some of the moving items in the different stages don’t even appear to be attached to objects or platforms properly. 

Crab Game review

Plenty of maps to enjoy

One upside of Crab Game is that there are about 50 maps to play across, giving you loads of variety. Not even Call of Duty maps have this library size in a single game, and the only one that competes with it is Roblox. It’s just a pity that the Christmas themes are still all over the place and not removed yet.

Not many sound elements

Crab Game also suffers from a lack of interesting sound elements. The music, if any, is dull, and you won’t have many noise effects unless you count the explosion when someone dies. The developer could have done much more with the sound.

Chat with others

Fortunately, you can chat with other Crab Game players by plugging in your microphone. Of course, whether or not you’ll like it depends on your preference. On FPS titles like COD, you can choose to only listen to your party. Here, everyone has something to say, and some of them swear like sailors when the mood suits them.

Final verdict of Crab Game

My final verdict of Crab Game is this: some players will like and others won’t — I didn’t. I tried to spend as much time on it as my mind could enjoy, but eventually, I just left. It’s only challenging to complete the rounds due to the controls and movement. If that were improved, I might have stood a better chance of competing. Still, feel free to download the game if you’d like to see if you like it more.

For games I did enjoy, please see my Clash Mini and Mirror Forge reviews.

Clash Mini Review | Mobile Battle Excitement READ MORE
Mirror Forge preview | Intense horror game READ MORE

Pros

  • Plenty of game modes and maps
  • Inventory to hold rewards
  • Incorporates mic to speak with others

Cons

  • Creating a lobby can be lonely
  • Joining a busy game means spectating
  • Movement mechanics are challenging
  • No introduction or tutorial
  • Unimpressive visuals and sound
  • Free practice is useless
  • Not much incentive to return
  • Other players swear like sailors

Developer: Dani

Publisher: Dani

Game Modes: Free practice, create server, join server, 17 different game modes

Platform reviewed: Windows 11 – Steam

Shaun M Jooste

Shaun M Jooste

I live in South Africa, Cape town, as a father of two children. I've been gaming almost all my life, with plenty of experience writing reviews and articles on the latest titles. With 15 years of experience in local government performing Facilities Management functions, I moved towards becoming CEO of my own company, Celenic Earth Publications, which serves to publish author's books, including my own. I'm a published author of horror and fantasy novels, while I also dabble in game and movie scriptwriting.

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