Crab Hunt free online crab hunting game key art

Crab Hunt — Free Online Crab Hunting Game

Crab Hunt is a free online crab hunting game. Flip rocks in a mountain stream, press and hold a crab to move in slowly, then release between 85% and 95% on the charge meter to catch it. Collect 22 crab species and one special observation, the horseshoe crab, across 10 freshwater and coastal scenes. Play on mobile or desktop, with no download and automatic local saving.

Why Play Crab Hunt

Simple, authentic and free — the summer memory of turning over rocks at the creek

🏞️

A taste of childhood

Bare feet in the creek, turning over stones and finding crabs. Crab Hunt recreates that summer feeling from the very first scene.

👆

Three simple controls

Drag to look around, tap a rock to flip it, and press and hold a crab to approach. Anyone can start playing in seconds.

🦀

22 crab species

Six freshwater crabs, twelve saltwater crabs and four rare hidden species, spread across 10 scenes. A collector's dream.

💎

Completely free

No ads, no loot boxes, no energy system and no speed-up items. Just the game, with no second purchase.

How to Play

One minute to learn, an afternoon of fun

1Flip a rockTap a rock, sand burrow, reef stone or mud hole
→
2Spot the crabThe hole may be empty, or a crab may bolt out
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3Move in slowlyPress and hold; watch the charge meter
→
4Release in the green zone85%–95% is a guaranteed catch
→
5Fill your bucketUnlock new scenes, tools and species
👆

Drag to look

Turn your view and scan the water

🪨

Tap to flip

Rocks, sand, reef and mud holes

🤏

Hold to catch

Approach slowly while the meter fills

✊

Release in the green

Too early or too late and it escapes

💓 A heartbeat plays as you close in, with haptic feedback on supported phones. If a crab escapes, it will reappear from another hole later.

10 Scenes to Explore

From a mountain stream to a moonlit beach, a Yangtze riverbank and a quiet brook

🏞️⭐ Starting scene

Mountain Stream

Afternoon sunlight filters through the leaves. Stream crabs, serrated crabs and mitten crabs hide under stones and water plants.

✅ Available from the start
🏖️Scene 2

Tropical Beach

Golden hour on a warm shore. Sand crabs race between bubbling burrows while fiddler crabs wave their oversized claws.

🔓 Catch 8 crabs in the stream
🪨Scene 3

Rocky Tide Pool

Clear water bends the light and shifts the position of every crab. Hermit crabs, shame-faced crabs and king crabs hide in the cracks.

🔓 Catch 10 crabs on the beach
🌲Scene 4 · Advanced

Mangrove Mudflat

Mist hangs over the mud at dawn. Fiddler crabs gather in groups, and the mud crabs are especially aggressive.

🔓 Catch 12 crabs at the reef
🌙Hidden scene

Moonlit Beach

Under a full moon, bioluminescent waves glow blue. The translucent Moonlight Crab appears only here.

🔓 Catch 40 crabs in total
🌿Scene 6 · Challenge

Mangrove Forest

Tangled aerial roots and bubbling mud holes. Crabs are more alert here, and catching is 30% harder.

🔓 Catch 6 on Moonlit Beach
🚢Scene 7 · Challenge

Yangtze Riverbank

Freighters sound their horns at dusk. Mitten crabs in the stone steps are wary, and catching is 30% harder.

🔓 Catch 8 in Mangrove Forest
🌊Scene 8 · Challenge

Seaside Village

Low tide around a fishing village. Boats, nets and reef rocks hide sand crabs and hermit crabs; catching is 30% harder.

🔓 Catch 8 at Yangtze Riverbank
🪵Scene 9 · Challenge

Creek Ditch

Shallow water under a stone bridge, with tadpoles, water grass and mossy slabs. Stream crabs hide under every stone; catching is 30% harder.

🔓 Catch 10 at Seaside Village
🦆Scene 10 · Challenge

Brook Hollow

Willows and stone steps at dusk. Ducks drift across the water while the last crabs wait under duckweed; catching is 30% harder.

🔓 Catch 10 at Creek Ditch

Crab Species Catalog

6 freshwater species + 12 saltwater species + 4 rare hidden species = 22 crabs

🏞️ Freshwater Crabs Mountain Stream · Starting scene

🦀

Stream Crab

Sinopotamon sp.

Common

Flat body, hides under stream rocks

🦀

Serrated Crab

Sinopotamon denticulatum

Common

Saw-toothed shell, wedged into cracks

🦀

Red-clawed Crab

Chiromantes haematocheir

Common

Bright red claws, easy to spot

🦀

Chinese Mitten Crab

Eriocheir sinensis

Rare

Hairy claws, sudden bursts of speed

🦀

Yangtze Freshwater Crab

Sinopotamon yangtsekiense

Rare

Large and strong, raises both claws

🦀

Iron Crab

Sinopotamon sp.

Legendary

Shell hard as iron, lives under big rocks

🌊 Saltwater Crabs Beach · Reef · Mudflat · Moonlit Beach

🦀

Sand Crab

Ocypode sp.

Common

Fast but clumsy, circles its burrow

🦀

Fiddler Crab (Male)

Austruca sp.

Common

One oversized claw, loves to show off

🦀

Fiddler Crab (Female)

Austruca sp.

Common

Small claws, small body, very quick

🦀

Sea Stone Crab

Pachygrapsus sp.

Common

Hides in rock crevices under rippling water

🐚

Hermit Crab

Coenobita sp.

Common

Retreats into its shell and plays dead

🦀

Swimming Crab

Portunus trituberculatus

Rare

Darts sideways with paddle-shaped legs

🦀

Mud Crab

Scylla serrata

Rare

Aggressive, raises its claws to fight

🦀

Shame-faced Crab

Calappa philargius

Common

Round and clumsy, curls into a ball

🦀

Moon Crab

Matuta sp.

Rare

Buries itself in sand, only eyes showing

🦀

Guan Gong Crab

Dorippe sp.

Common

Shell pattern looks like a face

🦀

Soldier Crab

Mictyris sp.

Common

Spherical, moves in armies

🦀

King Crab

Paralithodes camtschaticus

Legendary

Huge; needs the crab hook, not a true crab

✨ Rare & Hidden Luck is part of the hunt

🦀

Moonlight Crab

Fictional species

Hidden

Translucent shell, appears with glowing waves

🦀

Golden Fiddler Crab

Leucistic morph

Hidden

All gold, extremely fast

🦀

Blue Swimming Crab

Portunus pelagicus

Hidden

Blue-spotted male, appears in the rain

🦀

Cherry Blossom Crab

Fictional species

Hidden

Cherry-blossom pattern, spring only

🩸

Horseshoe Crab

Tachypleus sp. · not a crab

Special observation

Blue blood, protected species, observe only

📖 Every new species is added to your in-game catalog with its common name, scientific name and a short field note.

Tools & Gear

Unlocked through play, never purchased

🖐️

Bare Hands

⭐ Starting gear

Basic catch: release between 85% and 95% to succeed

🪨

Flip Rocks

Starting gear

The core interaction: flip rocks, sand, reef and mud

🥢

Crab Tongs

5 crabs in the stream

Widens the perfect zone and adds +10% success in the good zone

🪣

Dip Net

Unlock the beach

Adds +15% success in saltwater scenes

🔦

Headlamp

27 crabs total

Adds +15% success on Moonlit Beach

🧤

Anti-pinch Gloves

After your first counterattack

Immunity to mud crab, Yangtze crab and king crab counterattacks

🦯

Crab Hook

6 crabs at the reef

Reaches king crabs hiding in deep crevices

🪨

Rock-flipping mechanic

Tap a rock to flip it. Some hides are empty; others send a crab sprinting to another hole. The bigger the rock, the higher the chance of a rare crab — just like the real thing.

Collect & Complete

A catalog, achievements and a reason to check every hole

📖

Species catalog

Every new crab is recorded with its common name, scientific name, rarity and a short field note.

🏅

Achievements

Thirteen goals reward perfect catches, night hunts, rare finds and long summer sessions.

🏅 Achievements

🥇

First Catch

Catch your first crab

🏃

Quick as Lightning

Catch a crab within 5 seconds

🎯

Sharpshooter

10 perfect-zone catches

🌙

Night Catcher

Catch 10 crabs on Moonlit Beach

👑

Crab King

Catch a king crab

💯

Hundred Club

Catch 100 crabs

🪨

Rock Flipper

Flip 50 rocks

🏞️

Stream Master

Collect all 6 freshwater crabs

👣

Childhood Memories

Play 60 minutes in the stream

🩸

Rain Encounter

Record the horseshoe crab

🐍

Snake Charmer

Catch a water snake

🦞

Lobster Dinner

Catch a crayfish

📸

Catalog Master

Collect all 22 crab species

Play Crab Hunt Free

No download · No payment · No ads, loot boxes or energy system

How to Play & Species Guide

Learn the three-step catch and plan your route through all 10 scenes

  • ✅ Step-by-step catching guide
  • ✅ All 10 scene unlock requirements
  • ✅ Where and when every species appears
Read the Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

About the game, controls, unlocks and saving

What is Crab Hunt?

Crab Hunt is a free online crab hunting game. Flip rocks, approach crabs slowly and release in the green zone to collect 22 crab species and a horseshoe crab across 10 scenes.

How do you play Crab Hunt?

Drag to look around and tap a rock, sand burrow, reef stone or mud hole. When a crab appears, press and hold it, then release between 85% and 95% on the charge meter.

Is Crab Hunt free?

Yes. Crab Hunt is completely free to play in your browser. There are no in-app purchases, no ads and no download required.

Do I need to download Crab Hunt?

No. Crab Hunt is a browser game. Open the page and play on mobile, tablet or desktop, and your progress is saved locally.

How many crab species are in Crab Hunt?

There are 22 crab species plus one special observation, the horseshoe crab. They live across 10 scenes: Mountain Stream, Tropical Beach, Rocky Tide Pool, Mangrove Mudflat, Moonlit Beach, Mangrove Forest, Yangtze Riverbank, Seaside Village, Creek Ditch and Brook Hollow.

How do you unlock all 10 scenes?

Catch 8 crabs in the stream to unlock the beach, 10 on the beach to unlock the reef, 12 at the reef to unlock the mudflat, and 40 total to unlock Moonlit Beach. Then catch 6 on Moonlit Beach for Mangrove Forest, 8 in Mangrove Forest for Yangtze Riverbank, 8 at Yangtze Riverbank for Seaside Village, 10 at Seaside Village for Creek Ditch and 10 at Creek Ditch for Brook Hollow.

Does Crab Hunt save my progress?

Yes. Crab Hunt saves your catches, catalog, tools and achievements in your browser's local storage, so you can close the tab and continue later on the same device.

Does Crab Hunt work on mobile?

Yes. Crab Hunt supports touch and mouse controls on phones, tablets and desktop browsers.

Crab Hunt app icon

Turn over a stone and bring back the summer.

Simple, authentic and free to play. 🦀🏞️