The burgeoning title Everything is Crab offers players a deep and intricate system of character progression centered around "Evolutions," with an impressive roster of 121 distinct abilities that can be activated to modify Darwin’s capabilities during gameplay. These Evolutions act as powerful modifiers, imbuing Darwin with a wide array of buffs and altering his fundamental behaviors throughout each playthrough. While the full scope of these transformations may not be immediately apparent to new players, a comprehensive guide has been compiled to demystify this core mechanic. This ongoing compilation aims to provide players with detailed insights into each Evolution, facilitating a more strategic and informed approach to Darwin’s development.
A Deep Dive into Darwin’s Evolutionary Potential
The core gameplay loop of Everything is Crab revolves around Darwin’s journey and his capacity for adaptation. Evolutions are the primary vehicle for this adaptation, allowing players to tailor Darwin to their preferred playstyle or to overcome specific in-game challenges. With 121 unique Evolutions available, the potential for strategic customization is vast, creating a dynamic experience where each run can feel significantly different based on the chosen evolutionary path.
The following sections will meticulously detail every Evolution currently present in the game’s build, providing an in-depth look at their in-game effects, the affinities they align with, their upgradeable levels, and their designated type (Passive, Attack, Movement, or Ultimate). It is important to note that the rarity of these Evolutions will fluctuate as players unlock higher tiers of upgrades, adding another layer of strategic consideration to their acquisition and utilization.
Common Evolutions: The Building Blocks of Adaptation
The foundational set of Evolutions, categorized as "Common," provides players with a broad spectrum of enhancements that can significantly impact Darwin’s survivability, offensive capabilities, and utility. These are often the first Evolutions players encounter and serve as crucial stepping stones in understanding the game’s evolutionary mechanics.
| Name | Effects | Affinities | Levels | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agile | Increases Dodge, Reduces Attack Penalty | Trickster | 5 | Passive |
| Antlers | Causes self-damage but deals high Physical damage | Imposing | 5 | Attack |
| Beak | Raises Feeding Speed, Deals Ability Damage at range | Prey, Trickster | 5 | Attack |
| Carapace | Raises Damage Resistance, Grants Plating | Imposing, Prey | 3 | Passive |
| Chonky | Raises Size and Physical | Imposing | 3 | Passive |
| Claws | Deals quick Physical Damage | Predator | 5 | Attack |
| Cortex | Increases Ability | Trickster | 5 | Passive |
| Dexterous | Reduces cooldowns, Raises Ability | Predator, Trickster | 5 | Passive |
| Elusive | Reduces size, Increases dodge | Prey | 3 | Passive |
| Fur | Raises Damage Resistance and Cold Adaptation | N/A | 3 | Passive |
| Jaws | Deals Physical Damage, Increased Physical Damage to stunned enemies | Predator | 5 | Attack |
| More Eyes | Increases dodge and Senses | Gregarious, Prey | 5 | Passive |
| More Mass | Increases Max HP, Physical, and Size | Imposing | 3 | Passive |
| Muscular Tissue | Increases Physical | Predator | 5 | Passive |
| Pincer | Deals Ability Damage | Carcinisation, Trickster | 5 | Attack |
| Plated | Raises Plating | Imposing | 5 | Passive |
| Reach | Raises the range of attacks | Trickster | 3 | Passive |
| Regenerative Tissue | Raises regeneration | Imposing | 5 | Passive |
| Saliva | Raises feeding speed and regeneration | Predator, Prey | 5 | Passive |
| Scales | Raises Damage Resistance and Heat Adaptation | N/A | 3 | Passive |
| Slide | Dash over a long distance | Prey, Trickster | 3 | Movement |
| Spit | Deals low Ability Damage at range | Trickster | 5 | Attack |
| Stomach | Raises feeding speed | Imposing, Prey | 5 | Passive |
| Tail | Increases Ability and Social | Gregarious | 5 | Passive |
Among the Common Evolutions, abilities like "Agile" and "Elusive" focus on survivability through enhanced evasion, while "Carapace" and "Plated" bolster defensive capabilities. Offensive options include "Claws" for rapid physical assaults and "Jaws" which capitalize on enemy vulnerabilities. Utility is provided by "Beak" and "Spit" for ranged attacks, and "Stomach" and "Saliva" for resource management and sustain. The diversity within this tier suggests that early game strategy will heavily involve balancing offensive pressure with defensive fortitude and efficient resource gathering.
Rare Evolutions: Stepping Up Darwin’s Specialization
Moving into the "Rare" tier, Evolutions begin to offer more specialized and impactful bonuses, often requiring more strategic consideration for their integration into Darwin’s build. These abilities can pivot Darwin towards specific roles or unlock potent synergies with other chosen Evolutions.
| Name | Effects | Affinities | Levels | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antennae | Raises Senses and Social | Carcinisation, Gregarious | 5 | Passive |
| Body Slam | Deals Physical Damage at close range, Damage scales with Max HP | Imposing | 5 | Attack |
| Carnivore | Raises the progress gained from eating meat, Reduces Prey affinity | Predator | 5 | Passive |
| Cheek Pouch | Stores Food, which can be eaten passively | Gregarious, Trickster | 3 | Passive |
| Constriction | Temporarily stuns nearby enemies and deals Physical Damage over time | Trickster | 5 | Ultimate |
| Detachable Tail | Leave a fake trail when damaged by an enemy | Prey, Trickster | 3 | Passive |
| Exoskeleton | Raises Damage Resistance and Social | Carcinisation, Gregarious | 3 | Passive |
| Forager | Raises the frequency of Food drops being turned into Health Food, Raises Poison Resistance | Prey | 3 | Passive |
| Fungoid | Generates Mushrooms around you | Prey | 5 | Passive |
| Herbivore | Raises Vegetation Progress, Reduces Predator Affinity | Prey | 5 | Passive |
| Horns | Lands a Headbutt that does Physical Damage and bypasses Plating | Imposing | 5 | Attack |
| Leap | Jump over enemies and obstacles and avoid all damage in the process. | Predator | 3 | Movement |
| Leech | Deals short-range attacks that deal Ability Damage and drain HP | Trickster | 5 | Attack |
| Nomadic | Gain Progress when you discover a Place of Interest | Prey | 3 | Passive |
| Omnivore | Raises Food Progress | N/A | 5 | Passive |
| Pack | Raises attack based on the number of charmed animals | Gregarious | 3 | Passive |
| Piscivore | Raises Fish Food Progress | NA | 5 | Passive |
| Poisonous Saliva | Apply poison to the Beak, Jaws, and Spit Attack | Trickster | 1 | Passive |
| Poisonous Spores | Inflict Poison on nearby enemies upon hit | Trickster | 3 | Passive |
| Prehensile Tail | Raises Feeding Distance | Prey | 3 | Passive |
| Revenge | Raises Physical and Ability temporarily when damaged | Imposing, Predator | 3 | Passive |
| Scavenger | Grant extra progress on food from animals that you haven’t killed | Gregarious, Prey | 5 | Passive |
| Shell | Raises Damage Resistance | Carcinisation, Imposing | 3 | Passive |
| Smol | Raises Speed, Reduces Size and Imposing Affinity | Prey | 5 | Rare |
| Spines | Reflects back a percentage of the damage upon contact | Imposing | 5 | Passive |
| Sprint | Raises Speed | Predator | 3 | Movement |
| Spur | Deals low Physical Damage that’s triggered automatically after a basic attack | Predator | 5 | Attack |
| Stoner | Performs a ranged attack that uses Stone Ammo and deals a lot of damage | Trickster | 5 | Attack |
| Subcutaneous Fat | Raises Cold and Heat Adaptation, Raises Max HP | Imposing | 3 | Passive |
| Synapse | Reduces all cooldowns | Trickster | 3 | Passive |
| Tail Wag | Make attempts to charm nearby animals once every five seconds | Gregarious | 5 | Passive |
| Toe Beans | Social attack with a chance to charm a nearby animal | Gregarious | 5 | Attack |
| Turtle Down | Gain a temporary shield | Imposing | 3 | Movement |
| Whining | Tries to charm nearby animals after taking damage | Gregarious | 3 | Passive |
In this category, "Carnivore" and "Herbivore" highlight the importance of dietary specialization, influencing resource gain and affinity progression. "Constriction" and "Body Slam" offer potent offensive capabilities, with the latter scaling damage based on a critical stat. Defensive and utility-focused rare Evolutions include "Cheek Pouch" for resource management and "Detachable Tail" for evasive maneuvers. The inclusion of "Smol" as a "Rare" type itself is noteworthy, suggesting that certain rarity designations can also be inherent Evolution types.
Epic Evolutions: Game-Changing Transformations
The "Epic" tier represents a significant leap in power and strategic impact. These Evolutions can fundamentally alter Darwin’s playstyle and often unlock access to powerful synergies that were previously unavailable. Their acquisition and integration into a build are crucial for players aiming for high-level success.
| Name | Effects | Abilities | Levels | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courting | Charms nearest enemy | Gregarious | 3 | Ultimate |
| Diurnal | Raises all damage dealt during the day, Reduces all damage dealt during the night | N/A | 3 | Passive |
| Hollow Bones | Raises Speed, Reduces Damage Resistance | Prey | 5 | Passive |
| Impervious | Take half of the damage immediately, and the other half after a second, Raises Max HP | Imposing | 3 | Passive |
| More Legs | Raises Speed | Carcinisation | 3 | Passive |
| Nocturnal | Deal more damage during the night, Raises Senses | N/A | 3 | Passive |
| Outlier | Get a random Legendary Evolution, Raises the chance of Legendary-only Evolutions | N/A | 1 | Passive |
| Overwhelm | Deal additional damage based on active Plating | Imposing | 3 | Passive |
| Pistol Pincer | Deal massive damage based on the higher Physical/Ability Damage value, Push the target | Carcinisation, Trickster | 3 | Ultimate |
| Sharpen | Raises the damage of attacks based on Predator Affinity levels | Predator | 3 | Ultimate |
| Slow Metabolism | Reduces Speed, Reduces the progress requirement to evolve | Prey | 3 | Passive |
| Stinger | Deal Physical Damage and Poison that deals Ability Damage over five seconds | Trickster | 5 | Attack |
| Vegan | Raises Vegetation Progress, but you can’t have meat or fish, Reduces Predator Affinity | N/A | 3 | Passive |
Within the Epic category, "Courting" and "Pistol Pincer" stand out as potent Ultimate abilities, offering crowd control and significant damage output respectively. "Diurnal" and "Nocturnal" introduce a dynamic element to combat, encouraging players to adapt their strategies based on the time of day. "Impervious" and "Hollow Bones" provide distinct approaches to survivability and mobility, with the former offering damage mitigation and the latter prioritizing speed at a defensive cost. The presence of "Outlier" is particularly intriguing, as it directly influences the acquisition of even rarer, Legendary Evolutions, suggesting a meta-game layer of rarity acquisition.
Legendary and Branching Evolutions: The Pinnacle of Power
The "Legendary" and "Branching" Evolutions represent the rarest and most powerful enhancements available. These are game-defining abilities that can dramatically alter Darwin’s potential and often unlock unique playstyles. Their acquisition is typically a significant achievement and a testament to dedicated gameplay.
| Name | Effects | Affinities | Levels | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | Raises Gregarious Affinity, Raises Max HP, Size, and Social | Gregarious, Imposing | 3 | Passive |
| Arms | Raises Ability, Physical, and Feeding distance | Trickster | 3 | Passive |
| Legs | Raises your Speed | Predator, Prey | 3 | Passive |
| Pollinator | Raises the Vegetation Rate when you find a Point of Interest, Gain a random bonus after you discover four Points of Interest | Gregarious | 3 | Passive |
| Robust | Max HP scales with Size | Imposing | 1 | Passive |
| Ruminant | Gain Progress based on Prey Affinity | Prey | 3 | Passive |
| Shifty | Negative size modifiers raise Dodge | Prey, Trickster | 3 | Movement |
| Slithery | Raises Terrain Adaptation and Speed | Trickster | 3 | Passive |
| Tentacles | Raises your speed and ability, Unlocks arm-based Evolutions at Level 3 | Trickster | 3 | Passive |
| Wings | Raises Terrain Adaptation and Speed | Predator, Prey | 3 | Passive |
The "Branching" aspect of these Evolutions, particularly "Tentacles," implies that reaching certain levels can unlock further evolutionary pathways, adding a layer of complexity and replayability to the progression system. "Alpha" signifies a dominant role, boosting social interactions and core stats, while "Robust" offers a straightforward yet powerful scaling for survivability. "Wings" and "Slithery" both enhance mobility and environmental interaction, suggesting different but equally effective approaches to traversal. The inclusion of "Outlier" from the Epic tier directly ties into the acquisition of these Legendary Evolutions, creating a clear progression path from high-tier Epic abilities to the ultimate Legendary forms.
The Mechanism of Evolution: How Darwin Adapts
The acquisition of these transformative Evolutions in Everything is Crab is intrinsically linked to Darwin’s growth and consumption. As Darwin consumes food, he progresses through distinct leveling intervals. Upon reaching these intervals, players are presented with a choice from three different Evolution options. The first time an Evolution is obtained, it becomes permanently unlocked in the player’s repertoire. Some Evolutions may have specific prerequisites that must be met before they can be unlocked.
Once an Evolution is unlocked, players gain the opportunity to further enhance its effectiveness by leveling it up during subsequent gameplay sessions. Unlocked Evolutions have a statistically increased chance of appearing as available options during future runs, encouraging players to invest in and specialize their Darwin’s genetic makeup. This system ensures a sense of continuous progression and rewards players for experimentation and strategic selection.
Beyond Evolutions, Everything is Crab also features a "Genetics" system, which applies pre-run boosts to Darwin. Players are advised to pay close attention to these Genetics, as they offer significant advantages that can complement their chosen Evolutionary path, further deepening the strategic customization available to players.
The current build of Everything is Crab is a work in progress, and as such, the developers may introduce further Evolutions or modify existing ones. This dynamic development cycle suggests that the game will continue to evolve alongside its player base, offering new challenges and strategic opportunities as it matures. The intricate web of Evolutions, combined with the Genetics system, promises a highly replayable experience where mastery comes from understanding and effectively manipulating Darwin’s adaptive capabilities.