Crab Battler 2 combines turn-based RPG battles with randomized maps , loot, and labyrinths to create a replayable text adventure that's brought to life with detailed ASCII art and animations and underscored by a massive original electronic soundtrack.
Now available to download here on itch.io!
The game is driven entirely by a Python script running in an 80-character-width Command Prompt window for a completely retro experience. This playable development build is packaged as a Windows executable with all the dependencies built in.
I've been working on this game for over a year now, and although it is still far from finished, there is already a lot to experience and explore in the world I've built so far. There's really so much I want to share with you all, so please check out Crab Battler 2's Twitter page if you're interested in seeing more. I've been posting short video clips that help sample some of the game's core elements like character dialogue, weapons and items, stat growth, and area exploration. I think the ambition behind the ASCII art animations speaks for itself, but you really have to see it in motion. And I personally cannot get enough of the huge soundtrack our music producer has built, and I'm excited for people to hear it! If you prefer, you can also find a playlist with gameplay clips here on YouTube.
I'll be continuing to work on the game with no end in sight for the foreseeable future. There's a ton that I want to flesh out, especially in regard to the game's story. It's still early days, and all of these interactions take time to write and polish, but I'm having so much fun and I think you will too if you give the current build a try and stick around for what I have planned! It's great to have you here.