Aggro Crab’s Crashout Crew: When Your Day Job Becomes a Co-op Chaos Spell Gone Right (and a Demo's on the Way!)
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Aggro Crab, known for unique titles like *Going Under* and *Another Crab's Treasure*, is unleashing *Crashout Crew*, a chaotic co-op forklift game where 'safety violations' are features, aiming for a 2026 release with a demo hitting Steam Next Fest on October 13th.
Right then, gather 'round, mates. I've been tinkering with some news that's wilder than a rogue goblin in a potions lab, and it involves forklifts. Yeah, you heard me. Forklifts.
Aggro Crab, those delightful digital alchemists behind gems like *Going Under* and the shell-swapping Soulslike *Another Crab's Treasure* (and co-developers of the surprisingly chill *Peak*), have just pulled back the curtain on their latest creation: *Crashout Crew*. And if you're the type who meticulously follows health and safety regulations, I'd suggest you grab a stiff cuppa tea and maybe lie down. Because this game looks like it's designed to make every single one of those regulations spontaneously combust in a shower of sparks and pure, unadulterated co-op chaos.
Imagine this: up to four of you, strapped into souped-up forklifts, boosting, drifting, and generally causing glorious mayhem across a warehouse floor. Your mission? Grab various bits and bobs, then slam a big red button to shunt 'em onto the right conveyor belts. Failure to hit those quotas, I reckon, probably results in a telling-off, or maybe your forklift spontaneously turning into a rubber duck. (A wizard can dream, right?)
But here's where my curiosity, like a particularly mischievous imp, really starts to poke at things. Aggro Crab isn't just stopping at basic forklift antics. Oh no, mate. As you progress, you can add extra 'quirks' or 'wrinkles' to the action via what they’re calling *safety violations*. Now, I'm genuinely intrigued. Is this like a rogue-lite modifier system where crashing into too many shelves suddenly gives you turbo boost but makes the steering wildly unpredictable? Or perhaps ignoring a fire hazard means the entire level occasionally bursts into glittery flames? The potential for emergent, ridiculous gameplay here is absolutely off the charts. It's the kind of thing that makes you wonder 'what happens if...' in the best possible way, like staring into a cauldron and seeing endless possibilities rather than just a greasy mess.
This move into multiplayer chaos isn't just a random flick of Aggro Crab's wand, either. It comes with a bit of a backstory. The studio apparently decided to "explore the whimsy multiplayer side of game development" after the cancellation of *Going Under 2*. Now, I’ll be honest, the news of *Going Under 2* not happening felt a bit like finding out your favourite tavern closed down. *Going Under* was a wonderfully sharp, darkly humorous roguelike, taking a jab at corporate culture with genuinely engaging gameplay. It had that Aggro Crab signature blend of wit and unique mechanics. So, to hear they pivoted from that — a potential sequel no less — to *Crashout Crew* speaks volumes. It shows a studio that isn't afraid to shift gears, to follow their creative muse wherever it leads, even if it's into a warehouse full of skidding forklifts. And honestly, that's genuinely exciting. It suggests they're driven by passion and genuine fun, not just iterating on past successes.
And let's not forget, Aggro Crab knows how to make a co-op game that sticks. While some of the team were busy with Landfall Games developing *Peak* – a game about, well, going for hikes up big hills, which sounds deceptively simple until you're halfway up with a virtual blister – the rest of the studio were locking themselves away to conjure up *Crashout Crew*. The fact that *Peak* is still getting updates while this new gem is being polished is a testament to their dedication. They’re effectively dual-wielding goofy creations, and it seems to be working out rather nicely. *Peak* has done a fair dinkum job of gathering a crowd, so the idea of them expanding their multiplayer repertoire is a promising one.
This kind of co-op chaos isn't new territory in gaming, of course. We've seen magnificent examples from *Overcooked*'s kitchen nightmares to *Moving Out*'s removalist madness. But *Crashout Crew* seems to inject its own unique flavour with the forklift mechanic and, crucially, the player-triggered (or accidental) 'safety violations'. It feels like a beautiful blend of physical comedy, strategic panic, and emergent storytelling – the kind where you and your mates will be recounting epic fails and improbable saves for weeks afterwards.
Now, for the really good bit: if your fingers are twitching to get behind the wheel of one of these chaotic contraptions, you won't have to wait long. *Crashout Crew* will be getting a demo on October 13th as part of the upcoming Steam Next Fest. You'll be able to dive into the first three levels and see if the promised mayhem is up to snuff. I reckon it's a prime opportunity to grab a few mates, download the demo, and prepare for a good laugh. It’s always brilliant when a studio gives you a proper taste of what’s to come, letting you prod and poke before committing.
Aggro Crab's stated goal is a noble one: to "ensure that every being on Earth must have at least one chuckle with their colleagues while playing a video game." And honestly, looking at *Crashout Crew*, they might just manage it. This isn't just about hitting quotas; it's about the joyous, shared experience of everything going gloriously wrong, or miraculously right, thanks to a well-timed drift or a completely accidental 'safety violation'. I'm cautiously optimistic, leaning heavily into the optimistic side, that this forklift frenzy will be another feather in Aggro Crab's delightfully quirky cap. Let's see if doubling down on the goofy chaos truly rockets them to even greater heights. My money's on a fair few chuckles, at the very least.
Tags: Co-op, Indie Games, Aggro Crab, Steam Next Fest, Chaos Gaming
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun