I knew this underwater Dark Souls would be my Steam Next Fest highlight - and then I found the grappling hook

gamesradar.com:

Steam Next Fest is upon us, and the spectre of Dark Souls is hovering firmly over the entire affair. There are no fewer than 20 demos sitting under the Souls-like tag, from 2D, Salt and Sanctuary-esque efforts like The Last Faith to traditional-yet-catgirlified games like Kristala. But there's one game that I've had my eyes on for a while already, and having now played its demo, I'm more excited for it than ever.

Another Crab's Treasure puts an underwater spin on Dark Souls, casting you not as a Chosen Undead but as a homeless hermit crab trying to buy back their repossessed shell. I'll admit that it was the parodical approach to the genre that first drew me to the game, but I was immediately impressed by the demo. There's surprising depth to this underwater affair that runs through its entire world; in spite of Another Crab's Treasure's obvious sense of humor, a lot of the mystery that Elden Ring and Dark Souls thrive on is here, and while the combat doesn't quite hold up to the industry-leading efforts that FromSoftware has spent decades perfecting, there's are a lot of tools to play with.

At the core of combat is your shell. You can scavenge human detritus from the seafloor to offer a bit of protection, and perhaps a helping hand in a fight. Duck into your 'shell' to dodge an attack, and it'll soak up damage, perhaps with an extra effect. A bottle cap will tank a single hit before breaking, as will a shot glass, but the latter will leave shards of glass around when it breaks. An old tin can be electrified to deal damage to nearby foes, while a fizzy drink container can be depressurized to create a minefield that slows advancing enemies. I'm yet to nail the timing that allows me to absorb a hit every time, but it's a