DuneCrawl – Co-Op Crab Chaos

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• DEVELOPER: Alientrap
• PUBLISHER: Alientrap
• PLATFORMS: PC 
• GENRE: Open-world / Adventure
• RELEASE DATE: January 5, 2026  
• STARTING PRICE: 19,50€
• REVIEWED VERSION: PC

I’ll start by saying that DuneCrawl is a fantastic game if you can get a few friends to hop in with you. While it is playable in single-player thanks to a ghost companion that helps you along, it’s so heavily dependent on multiplayer that the experience is vastly better when you have someone by your side to explore the desert and ride a giant crab together. This is not your typical open-world action-adventure game and your goal is to aid your fellow Polloi pilgrims in their war against the Ceramicist invasion.

From the moment you enter this world, you’re greeted by a cute art style, a cartoonish sense of humor, straightforward gameplay, and a roster of interesting enemies that can be tackled in multiple ways. As mentioned, the game truly is best with up to four players (though fewer works just fine), and its world is so expansive that you never feel like you’re wandering aimlessly or dealing with an empty, content-starved map.

The Crab, Your Crew, and Your Arsenal

DuneCrawl can be divided into several progression stages, starting with a very simple arsenal of bows, swords and shields, and gradually expanding to include multiple firearms such as pistols, muskets, bazookas, and more. You’ll also gain access to bombs and a variety of melee weapons like axes, each bringing something different to the battlefield. Beyond weapons, you can acquire powerful abilities by collecting masks, tunics, and talismans. These can be equipped to grant bonuses such as increased health, extra gold drops, and other useful perks.

You obtain most of this gear by breaking crates scattered across the map, buying items from merchants, and selling the junk you collect along the way. Overall, the systems are easy to understand and manage, though there are clear limits in place. Ammunition, for example, is finite, if you have 150 arrows, each attack consumes one, adding a light layer of resource management to combat.

The entire playthrough revolves around completing quests given to you by the Polloi. This includes both main and side quests, as well as secret dungeons and hidden areas that reward you with loot and the opportunity to fight enemy crabs. Your crab is an essential tool for traveling: it’s massive, equipped with cannons, can be upgraded with shields and you can even deploy your own barrier to deflect incoming bombs.

What’s worth highlighting is how forgiving this system is, as long as you bring green goo, you can instantly heal your crab. This ties directly into why multiplayer is the best way to experience the game. While you can control the crab yourself and let your ghost companion handle shooting, teamwork makes a huge difference. One player can steer and defend, another can load and fire the cannons, while a third focuses on repairs, healing, and additional firepower from the crab.

 The Evolving Battlefield of DuneCrawl

Another great idea is the level of customization available for your crab’s weaponry. You can equip various attachments to the cannons, for example, a minigun-style weapon, possibility to launch oil barrels, or even allow you to mount the weapon yourself to reach the enemies faster. Beyond regular enemies, the game also features gigantic bosses and island fortresses that must be taken down. In general, exploration and progression feel consistently rewarding, and the sense of getting stronger over time is genuinely satisfying. At times, it even feels like the world has no limits.

On top of that, crabs aren’t your only means of transportation. You can also ride a variety of other creatures, including beetles, nymphs, scorpions, and ball bugs, all of which are scattered throughout the world. This means your entire group doesn’t always need to stick to a single crab. Enemy variety is fairly broad: some attack in melee, others rely on long-range weapons, and many can ride the same creatures you do.

There are also numerous mini-bosses, larger bosses, and mechanical threats such as cannons and machines that you’ll need to dismantle. The more you play, the more surprising it is how much you still haven’t uncovered. That said, while the game makes a clear effort to avoid repetition, you will eventually notice that enemy variety stales, and encounters start to feel more familiar over time.

When it comes to combat, DuneCrawl leans into a familiar hack-and-slash formula where most enemies don’t have a large health pool. The game allows you to dash and block attacks, and it also features light physics-based mechanics where you can leap off cliffs or your crab, and use bombs to knock enemies back, sending them flying. Combat remains intentionally simple so that other aspects of the game can shine.

Perfect For Multiplayer Action

You’re constantly on the move and always doing something; combat is an essential part of the experience without ever feeling overwhelming or overly complex. It’s also worth mentioning that you can use the local wildlife to your advantage, such as throwing beehives or spider eggs to spawn temporary allies, or even hiring mercenaries so you’re not always fighting alone.

DuneCrawl does have a few minor issues. The first is its physics system, which can feel inconsistent, at times you’re able to dash off certain walls, while others inexplicably block you. Some dungeon layouts can also be frustrating, particularly due to how traps are placed and how easily they can kill you. It’s also worth noting that the game features an auto-aim/lock-on system, meaning you often can’t dodge enemy projectiles simply by running around. Instead, you’re forced to rely on dashing, which can become irritating when enemies feel too accurate at times.

No matter how you choose to play, solo or in multiplayer, here’s plenty of fun to be found here. The game does a great job of keeping you hooked, especially as you grow stronger over time, which is one of its most satisfying elements. That said, it’s worth saying once again that DuneCrawl truly is best in multiplayer. From what I’ve seen, you’ll be able to create your own servers and join others, making it easy to jump back in with friends. If you’re looking for a multiplayer game to kick off your year, DuneCrawl is an excellent choice.

Review copy provided by the publisher