And so, another excellent roguelike claims a chunk of my limited life: no wonder this cute Spore-like game is one of the biggest in Steam Next Fest, with 99% positive reviews

1. Games
2. Roguelike Games

And so, another excellent roguelike claims a chunk of my limited life: no wonder this cute Spore-like game is one of the biggest in Steam Next Fest, with 99% positive reviews News By Austin Wood published 27 February 2026

Everything is Crab, including me

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Odd Dreams Digital / Secret Mode)

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard
• Email

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter GamesRadar+ Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful

Want to add more newsletters?

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

Signup +

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Signup +

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

Signup +

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Signup +

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

Signup +

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

Signup +

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!

Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter

You simply will not guess the nature of Everything is Crab: The Animal Evolution Roguelite, an upcoming game from developer Odd Dreams Digital. This, you see, is a roguelite not far off the vein of Vampire Survivors about – and this is the clever part – evolving animals, specifically your animal, the one you're directing around fields and tundras and deserts filled with other animals doomed to become your next meal. It's a lovely little Steam Next Fest find, I'll tell you that.

Everything is Crab is less bullet heaven – which I've just accepted as workable shorthand for Vampire Survivors-likes – and more biological hoarder. By hunting and eating other animals, or simply scarfing down whatever loose fruit you happen across, you can level up and gain new adaptations. Your little blobby hero changes dramatically as you evolve, gaining horns, fur, eyes, limbs, teeth, tentacles, and potentially a lot more.

My neurons activated when I began to read into the types of traits and how you can tilt the odds in your favor for buildcrafting purposes. Bigger is better in some parts of the animal kingdom, but perhaps you're better off stacking your Social stat to charm your fellow beasts. Exploring new areas of the map becomes easier when you draft heat or cold resistance. The value of mobility skyrockets when you start facing enemies that do more than just bite you and, occasionally, bite you slightly differently.

You may like

• Uh-oh, I can't stop playing Vampire Survivors' new roguelike deckbuilder thanks to this free Steam Next Fest demo
• One of Steam's first hits of 2026 is this adorable co-op game about exploring wastelands on the back of a giant crab
• This might be the fastest I've gotten sucked into a roguelike all year: build the perfect war castle in this Steam demo

Darwin’s Guide to Everything is Crab | Part 1 - YouTube Watch On

Then, of course, there are difficulty scalars and the meta-progression of unlocking more and more and more abilities, which are the real meat hooks that roguelikes like this so regularly lodge in my brain. I just love a bowl of soup that not only refills itself automatically, but regularly becomes different, even tastier soup.

There's a melee combat focus to what I've played and seen, with fangs and claws shredding animals on short cooldowns, but opposing critters can get pretty out-there with their attacks. Before long you'll be a chimera of your own, ostracized by all species as an unnatural harbinger of death, yet rightly feared for your strength. Where you walk (or flap, or trot, or just kind of drag yourself like a slug), blood follows. Yet Everything is Crab is very cute – unnerving and Spore-like in its snowballing absurdities, but overflowing with pixel art bunnies and birdies. They'll never know what bit them.

At the time of writing, Valve says Everything is Crab is the tenth most-played demo in Steam Next Fest (in no small part, I suspect, because it's perfect for Steam Deck) and has 99% positive user reviews. You can add me to the list of folks who are looking forward to playing the full version come May 8.

This might be the fastest I've gotten sucked into a roguelike all year: building the perfect war machine in this Steam Next Fest demo is so fun it's hard to stop.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. TOPICS Steam Next Fest CATEGORIES PC Gaming Platforms Austin WoodSocial Links NavigationSenior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

View More

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more Uh-oh, I can't stop playing Vampire Survivors' new roguelike deckbuilder thanks to this free Steam Next Fest demo    One of Steam's first hits of 2026 is this adorable co-op game about exploring wastelands on the back of a giant crab    This might be the fastest I've gotten sucked into a roguelike all year: build the perfect war castle in this Steam demo    Mewgenics was in development for 14 years, but these top five features prove it was all worth it    After 20 hours I've fallen in love with Mewgenics, the only roguelike chaotic enough to let me train necromancer cats    Dogpile is a roguelike deckbuilder with shades of Tetris and Balatro that has me trying to make the biggest dog    Latest in Roguelike Games Slay the Spire 2 devs want you to "break the game," because they love nerfing cards when something's busted    Slay the Spire 2 devs shout out Hades, Elden Ring Nightreign, and more for making an impact on their roguelike sequel    This might be the fastest I've gotten sucked into a roguelike all year: build the perfect war castle in this Steam demo    Slay the Spire 2 devs "admire the tenacity" of fellow roguelike dev who isn't moving their release date because of them    Uh-oh, I can't stop playing Vampire Survivors' new roguelike deckbuilder thanks to this free Steam Next Fest demo    "It's a bit unfair to have to compete with Isaac": Mewgenics co-creator felt pressure to "prove myself"    Latest in News Valve says Marathon's Server Slam is the biggest Steam Next Fest demo, but I'm not sure that should count    And so, another excellent roguelike claims a chunk of my life: no wonder this is one of the biggest in Steam Next Fest    I can't even make jokes about Terraria's final update anymore when the devs are already teasing "long requested items"    RPG dev of "Planescape Torment + Disco Elysium" spent 8 years struggling to pay rent and writing over 1 million words    The cutest game I've ever played slapped me in the face with character death at the start of its Steam Next Fest demo    FromSoftware shot down a Bloodborne remake from now-dead studio Bluepoint in 2025: report    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Lego Pikachu is in pole-position for one of the biggest releases this year, but a fragile build can be pain in the butt
2. 2Resident Evil Requiem review: "A soaring piece of survival horror theater"
3. 3Demon Tides review: "Super Mario Odyssey and Wind Waker collide in this expressive 3D platformer"
4. 4This Bloodborne-style board game is one of the best boss battlers I've ever played, hands-down
5. 5Styx: Blades of Greed review: "What if Metal Gear Solid 5 went goblin mode? This fantasy open-world stealther delights"

1. 1Scream 7 review: "Never as sharp as the series' best, but still has a few neat tricks up its billowing sleeve"
2. 2Return to Silent Hill review: "Neither an impressive adaptation nor coherent enough to act as a standalone film"
3. 328 Years Later: The Bone Temple review: "The wildest and weirdest entry into the franchise yet"
4. 4Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
5. 5Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"

1. 1Wonder Man review: "A low-key gem that's up there with the MCU's best"
2. 2Starfleet Academy review: "It may feel a little different to what we're used to, but this is Star Trek through and through"
3. 3A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms review: "This Game of Thrones spin-off is a heartfelt and fun return to Westeros"
4. 4Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
5. 5Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”