Developer: Rafoli
Platform: PC
Genre: Adventure, Simulation
Publisher: Rafoli
Crack was developed and published by Rafoli and is available to play on PC. I had the opportunity to give this game a go, and I honestly did not think I would enjoy a game about cracking an egg as much as I did! Crack is one of those games that might seem rather unusual at first, but it is so much more enjoyable than you would expect. It is oddly satisfying, incredibly addictive and has a gameplay loop that keeps you coming back for more.
First of all, the lore and narrative that unfold throughout the game are much more fleshed out than I initially expected. There is actually a story behind everything you are doing, and it gradually makes you question why exactly we are trying to dig our way to the centre of this enormous egg. What starts off as a rather simple task slowly becomes something much more intriguing.
Crack can be played solo or with up to four players. The multiplayer connectivity is solid, and we had no issues with disconnections or lag during our time playing. The game also allows players to make their lobbies public, meaning you can join random lobbies and play with others. There is even an in-game voice chat that works nicely, although I would have liked an option to adjust individual player volumes, as sometimes the difference between everyone’s microphone levels can be quite significant.
Let me just say that this game is so much fun to play with friends! However, I did feel that you can get through tasks considerably quicker with others compared to playing solo. When I tried the game by myself, the overall pace was noticeably slower because you simply don’t have as many hands helping you resell, collect and transport materials. Playing with friends makes everything feel much more efficient, although both experiences have their own appeal.
Now, the gameplay itself revolves around working daily shifts. You wake up in your quarters and start your day by pressing a button to begin your shift. You’re placed in what I can only describe as a huge warehouse, with an enormous egg sitting in the middle and a bunch of locked-off rooms surrounding it. At the beginning, you’re given a selection of tools that you use to crack the egg, remove its shell and collect the materials in buckets to sell for money. That money can then be used to purchase better equipment and tools to help you dig even deeper.
The progression feels really well paced, with different tasks being introduced along the way. These can range from collecting a certain amount of material to upgrading your cart. Completing these tasks rewards you with money, new catalogues containing even better equipment upgrades, or access to previously locked rooms. Before you know it, you’re caught in this satisfying loop of cracking the eggshell, digging through its tissue and pickaxing your way through materials such as calcite and gold to fund your next excavation.
​One mechanic I found particularly interesting is the egg’s agitation level. Since the egg is essentially a living organism, digging in a particular area for too long causes it to become increasingly agitated. This adds another layer to the gameplay, as you cannot simply spend all your time digging away without considering the consequences. At certain points, you can administer sedatives by completing little minigames, which I found genuinely fun and interactive.
These minigames include things like sequence puzzles, pipe puzzles and matching frequencies. I really liked how they gradually became a little more challenging without ever reaching the point of being unnecessarily frustrating or head-scratching. There is also the added bonus of receiving a 20% discount offer for successfully completing them, which is always a nice incentive! One thing we found ourselves doing quite often was checking the catalogue daily for special offers. Whenever we spotted a good deal on certain items, we would immediately stock up on them.
​The egg’s agitation can also trigger different events, which makes the whole digging experience even more unpredictable and entertaining. It is a nice way of breaking up the gameplay loop and keeping you on your toes rather than having you repeatedly perform the same tasks without anything happening.
I absolutely loved this game, and the closer we got to the core of the egg, the more curious we became about what was actually going on. We eventually stumbled upon a secret that I would definitely recommend players take the time to investigate. Without spoiling anything, the multiple endings make exploring and looking for secrets well worth your time. Honestly, don’t get too caught up in cracking the egg that you overlook everything else happening around you!
​The visuals are another aspect I really enjoyed. The cartoonish aesthetic is subtle, charming and easy on the eyes. The sound effects and overall audio design also make the experience so much more immersive. For example, when you’re collecting buckets of tissue, it genuinely sounds like you’re scooping up a bunch of slime. It is these little details that make the gameplay feel so satisfying. As you progress, you’re even able to unlock things like drones and bots to help with your work. There is also a scanner that makes locating specific materials much easier, which becomes increasingly useful as you dig further into the egg.
For the price of the game, I definitely think you’re getting your money’s worth. There is plenty to work towards, including the option to aim for 100% achievement completion, which I found very doable. I also loved the addition of the break room, which genuinely feels like somewhere you would go to take a little break from your shift, complete with arcade machines. Honestly, it was such a nice little addition.
​One of my favourite parts of the experience was how engrossed we became in the lore after stumbling upon the redacted room. Trust me, it is worth taking some time away from cracking the egg to explore what is going on. It adds so much more to the overall experience and makes you appreciate just how much thought went into the game’s world and narrative.
We are thankful to have been provided a few codes to play the game with friends. First, Vroggo had the following to say,” Crack is a co-op incremental game about cracking an egg open. I’ve had some experience with incremental games before, and my preconceived notions of similar games were that they are only ever fun in the beginning until the game gets boring and monotonous quickly. I expected Crack to be something similar but eventually found the experience to be more enjoyable, and it was due to a few different reasons: the smooth multiplayer experience, game mechanics, and refined state of the game.
​The game favours more players playing the game. Although the game can be played solo, it may not be as fun or efficient in the early stages of the game, and that can be a turn-off for some people. Incremental games can be particularly grindy in the early stages when you’re building up from nothing. I found the progression to be more fun as I was playing with friends and tasks were less tedious to do. Everyone eventually moulded into their own roles, and efficiency and progression were going up steadily. It also helped that we weren’t lagging or experiencing any delays while playing.
​It feels rewarding to unlock the next tier of items/upgrades, especially if it’s something related to the lore of the game. Making the scaffolding was my favourite mechanic. Not only because they were fun to make, but it’s satisfying to watch the time-lapse of it being built at the end of the game. There are also lots of minigames embedded within different tasks. I particularly like the minigame played when sleeping early to earn a little bit more money. It would be fun if there were more night/sleep time events like that.
Crack was already well-developed by the time of its release, and bug fixes were quickly patched. For example, there was an annoying issue where held items would drop when interacting with something, like the pc or mobile scaffolding. However, a minor change for more organising mechanics for tools would be nice. It’s a little bit of an inconvenience to throw tools at the designated shelves to keep them in one place. Sometimes you have to jump and time your throw to get them on the shelf. They just drop on the floor otherwise.
Overall, I would rate Crack an 8/10 for what it’s worth, and recommend this  game to others  looking to chill with friends or speed-run the game.”
Secondly, Moody had the following to say, “Genuinely loved this game and will definitely be going for 100% completion! Such a fun and random concept, but it works so well. I loved the animations, and everything just seems to fit perfectly within the game. Definitely a lot more fun as a multiplayer experience, especially when playing with friends. 9/10”
Crack is such a unique concept that is executed incredibly well. What could have easily been a repetitive game about breaking an egg somehow turns into an addictive, satisfying and surprisingly intriguing experience. Whether you’re playing by yourself or with friends, there is plenty to enjoy, although I would definitely recommend giving multiplayer a go. We finished the game together, and it came with plenty of laughs, hard work and memorable moments. I genuinely loved how much we got invested in the game, from the satisfying digging mechanics to uncovering the secrets hidden within the egg. If you’re looking for something a little different that you can sink plenty of hours into, Crack is definitely worth checking out!
Overall: 9/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
