Crabmeat is a point-and-click horror game that is sure to chill your bones as much as the Antarctic setting would. This short game sees you playing from the point of view of a prisoner who is being sent out to meet a quota collecting – you guessed it, crabmeat. If you do not meet the quota in 7 days, then it isn’t just yourself suffering this freezing hellscape; it’s also your family. A relatively simple synopsis leads you on a seemingly calm journey in search of the priceless King Crab. This all seems well and good, and a relatively simple way to pay off your debt and ensure that you and your family are not expatriated. However, nothing is ever as simple as it seems, and these crabs are out to take as much of a chunk out of you as you are of them.
A short first-person point & click survival horror game where you’re a prisoner tasked with crabbing for priceless Southern King Crabs to pay off your debt to the Feudostate. Navigate the harsh waters of the Antarctic and defend your ship from the threats that dwell under the icy waters.
The atmosphere of being alone on a boat in the middle of the Antarctic sets up the tone for the rest of this chilling game. With no one to talk to and a set of written instructions, some unsettling notes left behind by others, the game plays on the feeling of isolation and the impact that it has on the human mind. With just yourself to navigate the waters to ideal crabbing spots and lay out the traps and collect your quota, it lulls you into a sense of monotony and a somewhat belief that this is truly as simple as the instructions make it out to be. So why is there a shotgun on the wall that tells you to use it in case of emergency? Surely there are enough crabs in the ocean that people aren’t going to be fighting over their catch?
The general feel of unease is supported by the mechanics of the game. Moving away from the traditional WASD, you rely solely on point and click. This assists in adding to the sense of unease as you move through the game and things start to become more complicated. While traditionally this style of gameplay mechanics is not something I would usually enjoy, it definitely added to the helplessness I felt at times, having to rely on my point and click reflexes, adding a strange layer of fear that complemented the feeling of isolation. For someone who already has a strange fear of ocean-based games, mainly due to the isolated feeling they present, this definitely played into those thoughts and heightened the horror experience for me without relying on things such as jump scares.
Having only gotten a taste for the game in the demo, and not wanting to give too much away, I can definitely say this is a must-have for any enjoyers of the horror genre. Especially those who appreciate just how much a psychological horror can leave you reeling after you’ve put the controller, or in this case mouse, down.
Crabmeat arrives on Steam on March 10, with a demo available now.
