Everything is Crab — Getting started

Quick guide to installing, configuring and playing, based on Discord information.

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Where to play

Steam: [Everything is Crab
The Animal Evolution Roguelite](https://store.steampowered.com/app/3526710/Everything_is_Crab_The_Animal_Evolution_Roguelite/)
Steam Demo: [Everything is Crab
Demo](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4308510/Everything_is_Crab_The_Animal_Evolution_Roguelite_Demo/)

During playtests, the game can be accessed from your Steam library (update when available). Playtest keys were sent when reacting with 🦀 to a post in #announcements or when requesting in #general.

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Controls (keyboard and mouse)

Action	Key / button
Move	W A S D
Aim	Mouse
Primary attack / Select	Left click
Secondary attack / Flip card	Right click
Ultimate	Middle click (or corresponding key)
Dash	Space
Pause / Stats	ESC
Bug report	F1

In the evolution picker: 1, 2, 3 = choose; R = Reroll; U = Upgrade; Enter = Continue. In the POI picker: 1, 2, 3 = choose.

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First steps

Tutorial — On your first run (or when chosen), the tutorial teaches movement, attack, dash, food and evolutions.
Difficulty — Start with D1; new difficulties unlock when you beat the previous one.
Evolutions — On level up, pick 1 of 3 cards; use right click to flip and see the description (and fun facts). R = reroll (if available), U = upgrade with MP (Mutagen Points).
POIs — Map points with an icon; interact to get bonuses. Senses increases detection range.
Bosses — The bar at the top shows when the boss appears. Enter the area, survive or defeat; when the timer ends the walls drop and you can leave or keep fighting.

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Initial tips

- Pause (ESC) — View stats, evolution list and tooltips (hover over names). - Attack Penalty / Cooldown — Values in %; lower = better (e.g. 95% = 5% reduction). - PD vs AD — Physical Damage (contact attacks) and Ability Damage (Spit, Beak, etc.); each evolution states which it uses. - Bullseye (Genetic) — Makes all attacks use the higher of PD and AD; good for hybrid builds. - To win without attacking (Pacifist): prioritise speed, Cheek Pouch and survive until the boss timer ends.

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Resolution and performance

- In older versions 1920x1080 was recommended; lower resolutions could crop the screen. In recent patches the UI scales with screen size. - VSync is in settings (off by default). FPS may be capped at 120 in-game and in menus. - Steam Deck: in 0.9.1, average ~45fps and reduced stutters; improvements ongoing. - If you find bugs, use F1 to open the Bug Report and attach the generated zip on Discord (#bugs or the indicated channel).

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Useful links

- FAQ (FAQ.md) — Frequently asked questions. - Game Mechanics (Game-Mechanics.md) — Stats, affinity, genetics, POIs. - Evolutions Reference (Evolutions-Reference.md) — List of evolutions. - Community Resources (Community-Resources.md) — Spreadsheets, Steam, Discord.

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Content based on the Discord dump. For current information, check the game and official channels.