Prototype | Oh Crab!
Designer: Bartosz Szopka, Bartłomiej Zielonka
Artist: Radosław Jaszczuk
Publisher: Smart Flamingo
Story behind the scenes
In Oh Crab!, you play as a crab attempting to escape from a beachside restaurant. The sea is close, but the competition is fierce. All the crabs are against each other; falling behind could mean becoming someone's dinner. Navigate through the sand, avoid obstacles, and collect shells that may assist you on your journey. Brace yourself, you're in for the run of your life!
Prototype thoughts
Oh Crab! is essentially a racing game with a touch of deck building. During your turn, you play a card from your hand that allows you to perform a primary action, combined with a few secondary actions for optimal play.
You keep your cards in a row, always placing the current card on the left or right of the existing ones. One of the aspects we enjoyed, apart from the deck building, is the ability to chain bonuses and extra actions by connecting two halves of the same symbol on adjacent cards.
The rules are straightforward and easy to understand, making it a great choice for younger players and families. However, it also provides a level of fun that engages more experienced players. It is worth noting that it also plays well with fewer players, which is not an easy task for a racing game.
In addition to moving towards the sea, you are always scheming to push your opponents into obstacles to make their journey harder and delay them, allowing you to be the first to reach the sea.
Oh Crab! is simple enough to get to the table quickly, yet offers enough challenge to keep you coming back for more. There is a constant sense of urgency as you try to outmaneuver other players while deciding how to shorten your path from the frying pan to survival.
Prototype ratings
Global rating: 7.8/10
Gameplay & Mechanisms: 7.5/10
Quality & Components: 8.25/10
Rules & Rulebook: 7.5/10
Art & Illustrations: 8.25/10
Theme & Story: 7.5/10
Final notes
A special thanks to Smart Flamingo for providing us with a prototype copy of Oh Crab!.
If you don't want to miss their crowdfunding campaign, you can follow their page on Kickstarter. The campaign is set to launch on June 20th 2024.
