You’re wandering through the Sands Between, dodging giant sniper crabs and wondering why on earth everything is so big. It’s Kril’s first real taste of the open world in Another Crab's Treasure, and it is overwhelming. You’ve probably noticed those glowing icons or maybe you’ve stumbled upon a piece of paper that looks like it belongs in a pirate movie. That is the Another Crab's Treasure map—or at least, one piece of it. Aggro Crab didn't make it easy. They scattered the map to the "Greatest Treasure" across a wasteland of trash and predators, and if you want to find the legal paperwork to get your shell back, you're going to have to do some platforming.
Honestly, the map isn't just a collectible. It’s the driving force of the mid-game. Finding these pieces unlocks the path to the endgame areas, but the game is surprisingly hands-off about telling you where to go. You’ll find yourself staring at the horizon, squinting at a soda can, wondering if that’s a landmark or just more junk.
The Hunt for the Map Pieces in the Sands Between
The Sands Between is the central hub of the game. It’s huge. It’s dusty. It’s filled with things that want to pinch you to death. To complete the Another Crab's Treasure map, you need to locate three specific pieces held by three different "bosses" or elite encounters in this zone.
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Most players stumble onto the first one by accident. It's near the center of the map, held by the Heike Crab. This guy is a jerk. He uses a massive chopstick as a weapon and has a penchant for overhead slams that will crack your shell in one hit. When you beat him, you get the first piece. It doesn't look like much yet. Just a scrap of soggy parchment.
The second piece is tucked away in the Flotsam Vale entrance area. You’ll need to navigate some tricky platforming involving floating trash bags and bubbles. There’s a sense of verticality here that the game doesn't really prepare you for. You're looking for a mini-boss—a sniper variant that guards a small plateau. Pro tip: use the Scout Shell or anything with a high physical defense because those shots track you across the map.
Why the Third Piece is a Nightmare
The third piece of the Another Crab's Treasure map is where most people get stuck. It’s located in the Expedition Zone, specifically guarded by the Pagurus, the Ravenous. Now, here is the thing: the game tells you early on to run away from Pagurus. He’s massive. He patrols the sands like a Great White shark.
But to get that map piece, you eventually have to face the music. Or, you know, just be really fast. Some players try to cheese this by kiting him into the rocks, but the most reliable way is to wait until you’ve leveled up your Attack and Resistance stats significantly. You aren't meant to get this piece the moment you see the Sands.
Understanding the Map's True Purpose
Is it actually a treasure map? Well, sort of. In a world made of garbage, "treasure" is subjective. To Kril, treasure is his home. To the inhabitants of New Carcinia, it's a way to escape the "Gunk."
The map pieces, once assembled, point toward the Abyss. This is a tonal shift for the game. Up until this point, Another Crab's Treasure feels like a colorful, albeit difficult, undersea adventure. Once the map is complete and you head toward the coordinates, the light dies out. It becomes a true Soulslike experience—dark, oppressive, and mechanically demanding.
The map acts as a gatekeeper. If you can't survive the hunt for the pieces, you won't survive what comes after. It’s a classic "metroidvania" trope wrapped in a crustacean shell. You need the map to progress, but the process of getting it is the tutorial for the rest of the game's difficulty curve.
Common Misconceptions About the Map Icons
I’ve seen a lot of people complaining on Reddit that their map doesn't show the pieces. That’s intentional. The Another Crab's Treasure map system is old-school. It won't give you a GPS waypoint. You have to look at the physical landmarks.
- See that giant milk carton? Head there.
- The glowing green sludge? Stay away unless you have the right adaptation.
- The telephone pole? That’s your North Star.
Survival Tips for Map Hunters
If you're going after these pieces right now, stop and check your stowaways. You want things that boost your MSG (Magic) if you’re using adaptations like the tactical snail, or pure Strength if you’re a brawler.
- Don't fight everything. The Sands Between is designed to drain your resources. Run past the small fry.
- Upgrade your fork. You should have at least two or three upgrades before taking on Pagurus for the final piece.
- Watch the Gunk meter. Some map pieces are hidden near concentrated areas of Polluted Gunk. If that meter fills, you start losing health fast.
The game is punishing but fair. Getting the Another Crab's Treasure map completed is arguably the most satisfying part of the journey because it's the moment Kril stops being a victim of the ocean and starts being an explorer.
Final Steps for Completion
Once you have all three scraps, return to the Lookout. There’s an NPC there who will help you overlay the pieces. This triggers a cutscene that reveals the location of the Unfathomable, the deepest part of the ocean.
Before you head there, make sure you've finished all your business in New Carcinia. Once you follow that map into the deep, the game’s difficulty spikes. You'll want the Freddie stowaway for extra damage and as many Heartkelp pods as you can carry.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Locate the Heike Crab in the central Sands Between to secure your first scrap.
- Invest in the "Wayfarer" skill tree to make sprinting through the desert less stamina-intensive.
- Mark your physical screen or use a mental landmark for Pagurus’s patrol path so you don't get ambushed while searching for the second piece near the Flotsam Vale entrance.
- Collect at least 5 Stainless Steel Plucks to upgrade your fork before attempting the final map piece boss, as the damage threshold increases significantly in the later stages of the hunt.