Norwegian developer Dani built Crab Game in roughly two weeks and released it free on Steam on 29 October 2021, giving it a deliberately odd name to stay clear of Netflix's lawyers. Lobbies hold up to 35 players who run rounds of childhood games until one survivor is left, and the store page lists 28 maps. Reviews sit at 91 percent positive across about 83,000 ratings.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pistol | S | Holding a corridor or a doorway during Lights Out when you cannot be flanked. | The only ranged option, handed out at random in Lights Out with roughly a dozen rounds in the magazine. |
| Knife | A | Chasing down a fleeing hider or finishing someone who is already committed to a jump. | The seeker's weapon in Hide and Seek and a common Lights Out roll. |
| Katana | A | Close quarters rooms where a two hit kill ends a fight before the other player reacts. | One of the strongest melee rolls, hitting noticeably harder than a knife or a bat per swing. |
| Pipe | B | Ambushing from a corner where you get the first swing without trading. | The hardest hitting melee weapon in the Lights Out pool. |
| Baseball Bat | B | King of the Hill, where pushing someone off the peak matters more than the damage number. | The standard King of the Hill weapon and a middling Lights Out roll. |
S-Tier: Pistol
The only ranged option, handed out at random in Lights Out with roughly a dozen rounds in the magazine. Headshots do far more than body hits, so a steady hand beats a fast trigger finger.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Holding a corridor or a doorway during Lights Out when you cannot be flanked. |
| Key Mechanic | Round by round elimination |
| Recommended Build | Speedrunner |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Pistol: Pairs naturally with Speedrunner thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Knife
The seeker's weapon in Hide and Seek and a common Lights Out roll. Modest damage per hit, but it is fast and it does not slow you down, so it suits players who keep moving.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Chasing down a fleeing hider or finishing someone who is already committed to a jump. |
| Key Mechanic | Momentum based sliding |
| Recommended Build | Hider |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Knife: Pairs naturally with Hider thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Katana
One of the strongest melee rolls, hitting noticeably harder than a knife or a bat per swing. If it appears in your hands during Lights Out, fighting suddenly becomes the correct choice.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Close quarters rooms where a two hit kill ends a fight before the other player reacts. |
| Key Mechanic | Proximity voice chat |
| Recommended Build | Brawler |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Katana: Pairs naturally with Brawler thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Pipe
The hardest hitting melee weapon in the Lights Out pool. It trades swing speed for damage, which means one clean opening beats three sloppy ones.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Ambushing from a corner where you get the first swing without trading. |
| Key Mechanic | Player hosted servers |
| Recommended Build | Pack Follower |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Pipe: Pairs naturally with Pack Follower thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Baseball Bat
The standard King of the Hill weapon and a middling Lights Out roll. Reliable rather than remarkable, and its real value is the knockback that shoves people off high ground.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | King of the Hill, where pushing someone off the peak matters more than the damage number. |
| Key Mechanic | Randomised weapon rounds |
| Recommended Build | Objective Holder |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Baseball Bat: Pairs naturally with Objective Holder thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Red Light Green Light
- Knife → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Katana → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Pistol → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Learn the diagonal slide before anything else. Sprinting with two movement keys held and then sliding keeps speed far longer than sliding forward in a straight line, and it is worth more than every other technique in the game combined.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Crab Game Guides
- Crab Game Crab Game Overview
- Crab Game Best Builds
- Crab Game Tier List
- Crab Game Walkthrough
- Crab Game Beginner's Guide
- Crab Game Tips & Tricks
- Crab Game Combat Guide
- Crab Game Boss Guide
- Crab Game Maps & Locations
- Crab Game Crafting Guide
- Crab Game Classes & Characters
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