LudumData

crabmaxxing by SkyTech6

[raw]
made by SkyTech6 for Ludum Dare 59 (JAM)

crabmaxxing is a little roguelike adventure game about a hermit crab's life. Each time you molt you'll need to find a new shell to call home, but some shells are better than others with unique modifiers on the game. Watch out for the many hazards of hermit life!

Created for RVA Cabin Jam 2026 (Theme: Trails, Modifiers: Ludum Dare Theme, Crab Jam)

Controls:

Movement - WASD

Enter Shells - Back up into them!

Leave Shell - C

Eat - E

Hide in Shell - Space

Music Volume Up/Down - +/-

Original URL https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/59/crabmaxxing

Ratings

Overall 520th 3.45⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Fun 375th 3.45⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Innovation 381th 3.45⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Theme 832th 2.034⭐ 31🧑‍⚖️
Graphics 193th 4.183⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Audio 346th 3.483⭐ 32🧑‍⚖️
Humor 131th 3.741⭐ 29🧑‍⚖️
Mood 373th 3.72⭐ 27🧑‍⚖️
Given 26🗳️ 32🗨️

Feedback

penagwin
Apr 21st · 05:54 UTC
The way you move around mostly side-to-side is really fun!
ArtemGet
Apr 21st · 12:31 UTC
Sweet 3D graphics and nice controls! I Love crabs
uvwar
Apr 21st · 17:33 UTC
I had a lot of fun with the goofy crab controls, and I also really liked the 'recap' section at the end and the tiny footprints I left behind. Beautiful art, as always!
Wraithind
Apr 21st · 18:06 UTC
A neat and interesting concept, though I wasn't getting many Signal vibes from it. Controls were appropriate to the character but rather frustrating to try to get into a shell, and I seemed to keep getting stuck at a point where I was too big for the small shells but everything else I tried was to heavy and I couldn't move.
🎤 SkyTech6
Apr 21st · 18:33 UTC
@wraithind Ah, yea there's some real generation rng going on haha. Sometimes you molt and your only options are nothing or a shell that's too big to move. While naked though you do move quite fast and I just dash as fast as I can in one direction between hazards to find a proper shell haha.

re signals: the hazards all have environmental signals that warn of their approach
Echo Team
Apr 21st · 18:43 UTC
damn seagull was waiting for me to eat that final seaweed so I would pop out of my shell
clymm
Apr 21st · 18:47 UTC
Fun game and cool graphics! The Seagull made me laugh. :heart:
Blues
Apr 21st · 18:54 UTC
god im jammin' so hard on these tunes. huge fan of the color palette. really like the controls as well, great way to reflect crabs innate ability to move side to side faster
benjaminm
Apr 21st · 20:30 UTC
i like the crab, big fan. the crabwalking is very on point
ZedGame
Apr 21st · 22:05 UTC
Impressive graphics and sounds! I also wasn't expecting what's essentially tank controls in 2026, lol - not that it's a bad thing :P
Alpaca
Apr 21st · 22:41 UTC
The models are awesome. I love the bossa nova beat and especially the crab mechanics!
Ternarycat
Apr 22nd · 01:35 UTC
reallty like this graphics
BoroBoro
Apr 22nd · 14:49 UTC
Really loved the music! Felt like the crab should maybe be table to make tighter turns but otherwise it was really fun playing it.
Neochar
Apr 22nd · 15:05 UTC
The game is incredibly polished; the graphics and character animations are meticulously crafted, even bordering on exaggerated. However, I don't see a strong connection between the game's theme and Signal.
Oleksandr Marynenko
Apr 22nd · 15:31 UTC
The chill music fits the game really well. The crab controls are nicely implemented, and the visuals are pleasant. I really like the mechanics that constantly get in the way of living a peaceful crab life :)
Hiretsu
Apr 24th · 14:56 UTC
Reaaaaally cute art! But I'm glad I wasn't wearing headphone, cause that seagull scream would have killed me hahaha
Gurtek
Apr 25th · 12:39 UTC
Nice game with innovative control. The sound of the balloon and the seagull are high in comparaison of the music ^^
darkshadow
Apr 26th · 15:26 UTC
I glitched into the sea, not sure if the waves is meant to kill your or just knock you about? Movement felt a bit weird and floaty, nice game but doesn't really hit the theme.

![Screenshot from 2026-04-26 16-23-25.png](///raw/bd8/a3/z/72c32.png)
Scottyartt
Apr 27th · 07:50 UTC
I've beet taken by a bidt and then just nothing happened, my screen was moving around I feel like camera was chasing a bird lol, but overall it has some fun
🎤 SkyTech6
Apr 27th · 14:23 UTC
@darkshadow Yep the waves killed ya!

re signals: It's the environmental signals that give you the cue to hide in a shell before a hazard gets you.

@scottyartt the camera is following your trail through the sand, mapping your hermit's life before it died. It's the gameover view and prompts to restart once it reaches the end.

rip scotty's hermit.