
- BGG rank
- BGG #521
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Take Time
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 2025

2020
Rules assistance for La Marche du Crabe
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
La Marche du Crabe is a board game released in 2020 for 2 players, 10–15 minutes per game, and ages 8 and up. It was designed by Julien Prothière and its main mechanics are Variable Set-up, Square Grid, and Memory.
We are the last members of a peculiar decapod crustacean species: the square crabs from the Gironde estuary. From an evolutionary standpoint, we're not that useful, notably because... Well, we physically can't turn. We're bound to walk in a straight line all our life. And not even straight, but… Crab steering! Not exactly an interesting life... Especially for those born between two rocks. We're not that moronic though, because, after only a few hundred thousand years, we realized that with two crabs who take turns climbing on top of each other, we could move in a grid pattern in all our environment! New horizons beckoned us! Let's use this discovery to free our buddies, who are trapped under items left on the beach by careless humans, whilst avoiding our sworn enemies: the formidable yet stupid brown crabs and the terrifying and sly lobsters... La Marche du Crabe is a super immersive cooperative deduction game, in which the two playful crabs will be completely dependent on each other... not to mention! You have often seen crabs discuss, will you? An evolving game! To ensure an unlimited lifespan and a growing challenge, the game is scalable, with eleven Scenario cards and as many new challenges! The promise of unlimited play and always new games! HOW TO PLAY On their turn, the player must play a Baddie card on the beach and then move the crabs token. If they stop on an Item Card, their friend tells whether if it's a forbidden item or not. HOW TO WIN To win, the two players must free together their 8 crab buddies before they cannot place Baddie cards on the beach. Moreover, shrimps being life points, players lose if they must use shrimps and they don't have anymore! -description from publisher
La Marche du Crabe supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for La Marche du Crabe is 10–15 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists La Marche du Crabe for ages 8 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
La Marche du Crabe has a complexity rating of 1.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
La Marche du Crabe belongs to these categories: Card Game, Animals, and Deduction. Its main mechanics are Variable Set-up, Square Grid, and Memory. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of La Marche du Crabe are: Julien Prothière. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists La Marche du Crabe as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.