When I played Carrion , one of the things I loved about it was how it flipped the traditional horror narrative. No longer was I the terrified human, struggling to find a way to defeat the scary monster, oh no. No, instead, I became the scary monster, delighting in squeezing myself through tunnels, ripping apart doors, and devouring any and all who stood in my path. I delighted in it. If only, I mused, there were more games that recognised my need to be a big scary monster and let me play the role of antagonist intentionally rather than unintentionally, as I usually do.

Say no more, said Crawl. Say no more.

RAWR

Crawl is a combination bullet hell, dungeon crawler, and brawler. You play as either a human or spirit haunting the human. Spirits torment the human player, inhabiting fixtures and traps in rooms, or manifesting as monsters for the player to defeat. If the spirits successfully kill the human, they become the human, continuing the cycle of fighting through tormenting spirits until, eventually, one human survives long enough to escape.

The game allows for a great deal of customisation, both of monsters and of human characters. The dungeon layouts are randomised, with shops scattered throughout that provide a range of weapons, shields, and accessories for a variety of playstyles. Players accumulate either coins or wrath, which are then used to purchase either human or monster upgrades, depending on the role the player is playing at any given point. The various gods also provide different options for spirit characters, giving each of the four players a mix of tactics as they make their way through the dungeon. This variety makes for a very satisfying experience, and ensures that each playthrough is different.

Floppy fish is best fish.

What makes Crawl interesting, though, is its multiplayer mechanics. While Crawl does have the option to play single player against three AI opponents, this isn’t where the game truly shines. The game’s strength is in its multiplayer, and in the sheer competitiveness that its mechanics generate from its players. It is immensely satisfying to spawn as a giant fish, hell bent on nothing but my friend’s absolute annihilation. Working together with other monsters to take down a human, only to immediately turn on the former friend is endlessly fun.

I don’t know who to root for here, other than myself, of course.

It’s here that the game can become tedious, however. However random the dungeons and equipment, a skill gap between the players can still inevitably lead to stagnation and a sense of futility. I’ll be blunt here - I am terrible at games like this, and playing on a keyboard and touchpad doesn’t help. My time as a human is brief, and though I have a good time being a monster, I know that, too, is all too brief. The game isn’t necessarily a competition, because if it was, I lost the moment I joined in. Instead, I play the game to troll the human to the best of my ability and have fun doing so. For those players who don’t like to lose, the game doesn’t offer much to compensate for a skill gap. However, the premise itself is already engaging enough that it doesn’t necessarily matter if you’re losing - just have fun with it.

I am the ghost. I am always the ghost.

Crawl is not a complex game, nor is it required to be. Instead, Crawl is a lovely romp with friends who don’t mind being murdered over and over and over again. It is a deeply satisfying and silly game, and one that absolutely fulfils that primal desire to just be a troll and have a good time.

Developer: Powerhoof

Genre: Brawler, Dungeon Crawler, Bullet Hell

Year: 2017

Country: Australia

Language: English

Play Time: 1-2 Hours/Run

Youtube: https://youtu.be/7yTBt7l3a2o