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How to Play Astral Crab – Shuffle to Victory

Griffin Bateson / June 19, 2023
How to Play Astral Crab – Shuffle to Victory

If you are looking for a game that combines puzzle-solving, skill, and adorable crustaceans, then look no further than Astral Crab. In this game, players must push boxes and find a way to go from room to room and make it to the end. Here’s the catch – you must teleport to another dimension in order to solve puzzles that will open up opportunities in the regular realm. It may sound complicated, but it is actually fairly intuitive. It's also just a ton of fun to play!

How to Play Astral Crab

The controls of Astral Crab are pretty basic. Simply use the arrow keys to shuffle around the map and go from place to place. Remember that you can’t move through the boxes made of static, you will need to find a switch or lever to push in order to get rid of them.

To move boxes away from you and toward other parts of the map, run up to them and press X. Be careful about where you place the boxes, if you move them into corners you won't be able to move them back out (unless you leave the room and come back).

The other important game mechanic is meditating in order to teleport to the astral world. Entering the astral dimension may sound complicated, but all you have to do is press Z. This will make your crab meditate and enter the other world. In this world there will often be other puzzles to solve that can help you in the primary dimension.

Astral Crab Strategies

Astral Crab can be a little bit tough to get the hang out at first. If you are not a frequent player of puzzle games, then you will likely be in a bit of unfamiliar territory. It’s no big deal though, we have 4 tips to teach you how to play Astral Crab. Continue on to learn some strategies to help you reach the final portal and complete the game.

Think about which way to push the box

On most of the levels, there will be a box that is in your way. As we previously mentioned, you can push the box using the X button. However, before you push the box, think about which way it should be moved. Oftentimes, it won't be as straightforward as you might think. Look at whether you can go around and push it at a different angle. This will usually have advantages that might help you move on to the next area. 

Use the astral form to look for hidden blockades

Astral Crab Blog Gameplay

Sometimes there will be hidden blockades in your way that you can only see in the astral plane. If you randomly get reset, go to the other dimension and take a look to see if anything is in your way. The later stages have a lot of this kind of thing – random blockades that you can only see in the astral dimension.

Remember which way you went

While it may not seem like it, Astral Crab is an exploration game, not just a classic platformer game. Make sure to remember where you are going so you don't get lost. It can be easy to just wander around the place randomly trying to solve puzzles. It might be helpful to do something like write down which way you go on a notepad so you can backtrack if need be. 

Press Z to return from the astral form whenever you want

There will be a lot of mazes to run through once players enter the astral form. You will have to push buttons in order to open up areas in the normal dimension. Once you go through these mazes, you don't need to go all the way back to your body though. Instead, just press Z and you will immediately return to the crab in the primary dimension. No need to go all the way back through the maze!

So now that you know more about Astral Crab, come give the game a try! How often do you get to play an interdimensional puzzle game that has a cute crab as the protagonist?