Mixing Touhou Project, Bullet Hell gameplay with class-based MMO-style rotation and GCD-centered combat and then making it a cooperative experience with raid-like mechanics in a roguelike shell is such a genius idea, I can't believe it hasn't been done before. Not only is it all of that, but it is done WELL, featuring online coop with proper rollback, well-explained and clearly telegraphed mechanics with great accessibility for those with impairments or disabilities, and next to no bugs or glitches, it is an extremely well-polished experience. Every class features unique gameplay and is fun and interesting in its own way, as well as having several different, random, shop-provided upgrades for each skill. Between that and the shared item drop system that emulates RPG loot-rolling in a cute way, every run, even with the same class, (of which there are 10 total) can feel unique and interesting. That might sound like a lot of RNG, but the items and skill upgrades come in at a consistent rate, just what you get is semi-random. You are always given a selection to choose from, so you have a good amount of agency in directing the power and playstyle of your current build which I really appreciate. Speaking on the actual item drops, they can vary greatly, but always managed to feel impactful and powerful in their own ways - in general I think the game is very well balanced. However, that doesn't mean it's not difficult, simply clearing the game above the standard difficulty is probably going to be quite the challenge for the average gamer. This may be a problem if you dislike grinding, and this is one of my very few complaints about the game. You have 2 paths for every unlock, either beating a large sum of bosses, or beating a specific boss on a higher difficulty. If you are unable to clear a specific stage on Hard, you may be stuck grinding out runs on Normal or lower for boss kills for a long time in order to get the 5 unlockable characters as well as some of the gear sets. Onto the art, the game has a cutesy, hand-drawn 2D style to it that I really adore. Animations are simple but clean. The music is nothing super exceptional, but I really appreciate it - think whimsical lunar fantasy with generally upbeat vibes. UI is clear, responsive and well laid out, and the fonts are pleasing to the eyes and easy to read, which is important when you're dealing with long ability and item descriptions. Rabbit & Steel totally surpassed my every expectation of what I hoped this game would be, and they even threw in a light little singleplayer 'campaign' on top of all the peak gameplay. This is easily the most fun I've had playing a roguelike as a singleplayer experience, and it only gets better with friends and the special gameplay that introduces as well.

I think there are some really special and inspired design and aesthetic choices Another Crab's Treasure makes, it just didn't quite get there for me. I felt enraptured by the early environments with how cute and creative the setting is. However, I just totally fell off the game after sinking so much time into my first couple of sittings. I think the combat is a real disappointment to me, and how repetitive it feels especially. You'd think that the shells add a good amount of diversity and force you to switch up your playstyle every now and then, but it honestly doesn't take you all that long to see basically every shell ability - and you are also able to get whatever shell you want upon resting after a certain point. The biggest thing for me is that there only seems to be a single weapon in the game, so while you can spice things up with blocks, parries, and a couple other unlockable passives, outside of that shell ability you are stuck with the same basic moveset for the entire game. Despite the great art, music, and fun writing this just absolutely killed my enthusiasm for playing it to completion. I also want to mention the platforming present here as it was easily my greatest source of frustration while playing. At least on mouse & keyboard, it felt very clunky and imprecise, and this was only partially saved by the grappling hook. It was also quite buggy at the time with enemies constantly clipping with the ground and interacting with map geometry in very strange ways, for example. While it didn't ruin any combat experiences for me, and I presume these are just launch hiccups and will be fixed over time, it's up to you to decide whether that is acceptable in a $30 release. I would say that you should give it a shot, because there is genuine passion here and I think it's absolutely the case I just didn't mesh with the game. However, if you don't immediately love it upon picking it up, it might be best to consider a refund because it probably won't get any better.