Everything is Crab finally hit 1.0. If you haven’t played it, here’s the deal: it’s an action roguelike where your level‑ups are evolutions. You start as a weird little critter, kill stuff, eat, level up, and gradually turn into more and more of a crab.
Everything is Crab carcinization is the main goal of the game. You can stack up to 10 tiers of crabness now (it used to max at 6), and each tier makes the final boss a little beefier. Worth it? Absolutely.
I’ve already done a few runs on Ascension 3, so this guide is based on real gameplay, including the mistakes I made and the smart picks that actually got me to max crab without screwing myself over.
The Text:
What You Need to Know Before Your First Run
Dodging is rough and you’ll feel that immediately. You eat food on the ground to gain XP, which fills the bar at the bottom.
Each time you level up, you get to pick one of three evolutions, classic roguelike style. Some evolutions block others later, so you have to think ahead. For example, if you take Fur, you can never get Exoskeleton later and Exoskeleton is definitely part of the crab path, so don’t take Fur if you want to be a crab.
The big new thing in 1.0 is that you can now reach Carcinization tier 10. Each tier gives you more crab parts, but also buffs the final boss. Fair trade, honestly.
Also, there’s a new mushroom system. Mushrooms used to be just food, but now you have to interact with them to eat, and they can give random good or bad effects. If you have the More Eyes evolution, you can identify mushrooms before eating, which saves you from accidentally poisoning yourself. Trust me, I ate one and almost died.
Smart Early Game Strategy
The tips below will probably help you increase the chance of reaching Everything is Crab Carcinization:
- Take scavenger perks early: Let other animals fight each other, then swoop in and eat. Free XP.
- Nomadic: gain XP just by visiting points of interest (the question marks on the map). Free XP with zero risk.
- More Eyes: increases sight range at night and helps identify mushrooms (which are now reworked, they can give buffs or poison you).
- Don’t ignore the desert: you overheat during the day, but at night it’s fine. Lots of enemies, lots of food.
- Champions: glowing elite enemies drop mutagen and lots of meat. Kill them on sight.
The biggest mistake: Taking too many passive XP perks and then having no enemies nearby to eat. Balance your build.
How to Unlock All Genetics
The game has 21 Genetics traits you can equip before a run, but most are locked at the start. Here’s how to get them all. Check the Genetics Codex and Achievements tab in the main menu—they point you exactly where to go.
| Genetics | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| Standard | Unlocked by default |
| Pioneer | Discover any seven Points of Interest (cumulative across runs) |
| Patient | Deal 100+ damage with a single hit |
| Minimalist | Reach 50% size or smaller |
| Bullseye | Kill any regular boss with a stone |
| Chosen | Win a run at any Pressure |
| Independent | Unlock any seven branching Evolutions |
| Grandiose | Reach 160% size or higher |
| Picky | Reroll evolutions 100 times (cumulative) |
| Pacifist | Complete a run without dealing any damage |
| Vegan | Complete a run only eating food from the ground (no attacking) |
| Opportunistic | Kill the Crabtaur boss by making it crash into an obstacle |
| Spawn of Chaos | Beat the game on Pressure 5 |
| Expert | Select five different Specializations |
| Precocious | Defeat the game on the highest Pressure |
| Challenger | Defeat 50 Alpha enemies (cumulative) |
| Envoy of Chaos | Win at Pressure 10 using Spawn of Chaos Genetics |
| Simple | Beat the game on Pressure 10 |
| Underdog | Win Pressure 10+ with level 30 or less |
| Highborn | Deal 2000+ damage in a single run |
| Stubborn | Beat the game at Pressure 15 |
Leveling Up: The Roguelike Picker
Every time you level, you get three choices. Some evolutions block others later, as I mentioned. You also have Mutagen Points at the top of the screen. You can spend one point to reroll the three options, or spend ten points to increase the rarity of all options. That’s good for forcing legendary stuff.
A pro tip I learned the hard way: don’t take low‑tier versions of evolutions you really want to keep forever. You can upgrade them later with mutagen, but it’s much easier if you just wait for a higher rarity to show up naturally.
Everything is Crab Carcinization Path
Crab stuff includes:
- Antenna: makes enemies give up chasing faster and boosts your senses
- Pincer: your first real crab attack that scales with physical damage
- Shell: damage resistance
- Exoskeleton: the big one, you want this.
- Legs: speed, and eventually unlocks more crab tiers.
- Arms: needed for true crab form.
- Scuttle: a short dash with low cooldown.
- Molt: stuns you for three seconds but then gives you random stats per carcinization point. High risk, high reward, but totally worth it.
You’ll see a star icon on certain evolutions. That means they unlock a specialization later. For crab, you want the Arthropod path. You can track your progress by checking your carcinization stat; it goes from zero to ten. Every time you take a crab part, it goes up one. At ten, you’re fully crab, and the game even gives you a special notification.
Everything is Crab Combat Tips
Not having a dash is painful. Here’s how to survive:
Use terrain, hide behind cacti, rocks, or holes in the ground. Watch the boss attack patterns carefully. The first boss, Cabaroo, has weird punch timing that’s not a simple left‑right pattern. Don’t panic. Also, some evolutions let you charm enemies, and charmed animals fight for you.
In the late game, I had an army of poison fish that never died. And finally, use Molt strategically. You’re stunned for three seconds, but the payoff is huge, so do it when enemies are far away or distracted.
Bosses and How to Beat Them
A standard run has four boss fights. The first two are randomized from a pool, but the final boss is always the same. Here’s every boss you’ll face and how to handle them.
First Two Bosses (Random Pool):
- Cabaroo (Krabaroo): The kangaroo-crab hybrid. Its punch timing is weird, not a simple left-right pattern. Don’t panic-dodge; watch for the wind-up and move perpendicular to its charge.
- Clawdia: A large, cumbersome boss that deals massive damage in wide arcs. Speed and dodging are essential. Stay behind it when possible.
- Shellephant: A crab-elephant hybrid. It’s tanky and hits hard but is slow. Use hit-and-run tactics, and don’t get greedy with your attack windows.
- Crabtaur: A charging boss. You can actually kill it by making it crash into an obstacle. Bait its charge, move away at the last second, and let the environment do the work. Doing this also unlocks the “Opportunistic” Genetics trait.
- Aquaconda: A water-based serpent boss. Stay on land if possible, and watch for AoE attacks.
Final Boss (Always):
- Krabken: The final boss of every run. It’s a giant kraken-crab with multiple attack phases. Prioritize movement speed and damage resistance before this fight. If you can survive its initial barrage, the fight becomes more manageable. Charmed allies are incredibly useful here as they can tank hits for you.
Advanced Crab Tactics
Once you have a few runs under your belt, try stacking XP gain like crazy: Nomadic plus Scavenger plus Forager (which turns food into health food) plus Carnivore. You’ll level every few seconds, and the screen will spam evolution choices. Thank the devs for adding a setting to turn off the long evolution animation, otherwise you’d be there all day.
Another great combo is Pistol Pincer, which gives passive damage that pushes the target. Combine it with size upgrades for huge knockback. Molt plus Exoskeleton is also fantastic: molt gives you random stats per carcinization point, while exoskeleton gives damage resistance. Do the math and you become unkillable.
Biomes and Where to Go
The starting temperate area is safe, but food is sparse. I mean, don’t stay too long. The desert has more enemies and better XP, but you overheat during the day; at night it’s perfect. The winter biome has adorable bird enemies. They’re called Beware++ in the codex, but blizzards build up environmental effects faster, so bring cold adaptation if you go there. You can also go to the ocean, but water doesn’t cool you off quickly, and there are fish enemies. In the run I’m referencing, most of the action happened in the desert at night, and that’s my recommendation.
Mutagen Management
You earn mutagen from killing champions. Use it wisely. Reroll low‑tier garbage. If you see a common version of a great evolution like Pincer at grey quality, roll once or twice to try for higher rarity.
Save ten points for legendary forcing. When a truly run‑defining evolution appears, like Exoskeleton or Molt, spend ten to make it legendary immediately. And don’t re‑roll endlessly – you’ll need mutagen later to upgrade evolutions to tier two, three, and beyond. These Mutagen tips are essential for reaching Everything is Crab Carcinization phase.
Ascensions, Challenges, Endless Mode
Once you beat a run, you unlock Pressure levels (what the game calls Ascensions). There are 20 now instead of the originally planned 10. Each level makes enemies hit harder and environmental effects build up faster.
To unlock Challenges Mode, you need to beat a run on Pressure 2. After that, it appears in the main menu. Challenges have specific restrictions like “no Fur, Scales, or Fin” in the Dry Age challenge, or “you don’t have attack slots” in the Harmless challenge. They’re tough but each tier unlocks a unique evolution you can’t get any other way:
- Tier 1: Burrower
- Tier 2: Overwhelm
- Tier 3: Hibernation
- Tier 4: Fin
- Tier 5: Fibroblasts
- Tier 6: Ambush
- Tier 7: Constriction
There’s also an Endless mode that keeps going after the final boss. It’s great for maxing out every evolution, and yes, you can theoretically get every skill in the game.
Carcinization is Everything You Want
Everything is Crab is ridiculous in the best way. You start as a sad little creature with no dash, and you end as a giant, molting, pincer‑wielding crab god surrounded by an army of poison fish. The 1.0 update finally lets you hit full carcinization at tier ten, and the new mushroom system adds some spicy RNG. Just remember: don’t take Fur, do take Exoskeleton, and let other animals kill each other so you can scavenge their food. Now go evolve. Crabs are the future.
Following these simple things helps you reach That Everything is Crab Carcinization and be the winner.
FAQs
What’s the max carcinization tier in 1.0?
Ten. Used to be six. Each tier buffs the final boss, but you get way stronger.
Can I become a crab if I accidentally take Fur?
No. Fur blocks Exoskeleton. You’re locked out of crab. Start over or lean into a different build.
How do I stop the evolution animation from taking forever?
Go to settings. There’s a toggle to turn off the long draw animation. Thank the devs.
What’s the best starting genetic?
“Half damage but thirty‑three percent less progress to evolve” is busted. Take it every time.
Why do my charmed allies never die?
Some charmed animals, like the poison fish, have huge health pools and resistances. They’re your immortal army. Use them.
How do I get more mutagen fast?
Kill champions – glowing elites – and star enemies. Also, some evolutions give bonus mutagen on level‑up.
Is the trunk attack worth it?
It’s hilarious and scales with physical damage. Not optimal for pure crab, but fun for hybrid meme builds.
