Lost Crab is made in Odin with Raylib, and uses some techniques as shown in Handmade Hero.

It is inspired by arcade titles like Pac-Man, Tetris, Frogger, as well as modern puzzle games.

Lost Crab features puzzle mechanics with maze-game action where there are enemies that you have to avoid.

The main gimmick of Lost Crab is the ability for the player to "edit" the levels in real-time. For example, players must swap or rotate regions of the maze in order to create paths, avoid hazards, and defeat enemies. The player also controls the lost crab directly to move it through the maze.

The puzzles place an emphasis on pattern recognition as seen in games like Tetris, Puyo Puyo, or Catherine where experienced players can more clearly demonstrate skill and familiarity. After clearing a number of puzzles which aim to teach the ways in which different entities interact and patterns in which maze pieces fit together, the player is put in action scenarios such as boss battles where they can demonstrate their mastery of the puzzle mechanics.