Players are eagerly awaiting its release, the game’s creator has praised it, and the cutest search-and-tap game has topped the charts in the Chinese region right out of the gate.

Today (the 16th), the currently cutest beat-'em-up game, *Escape from Duckov* (hereinafter referred to as *Duckov*), has officially launched. As of press time, *Duckov* has climbed to the top spot on the Steam New Releases chart in the China region and ranks sixth globally, marking a strong start.

To be honest, I’m not surprised that *DuckTaf* has received such positive reviews. It made a great impression on me during its June beta test, with players giving positive feedback and eagerly awaiting the developers’ release of the game. Even *Escape from Tarkov* producer NJT shared a post calling *DuckTaf* “cool” after seeing it.

Following the June New Releases Sale, *Duckoff* has steadily surpassed 400,000 wishlists on Steam.

For me, *Duckoff* is a pure single-player experience with no PVP stress—it’s a fun and relaxing game. Plus, since I’m a huge fan of Carbonate Squad’s previous title, *Carbonate Crisis*, I wasn’t about to miss out on *Duckoff*. As soon as it launched today, I dove right in and had a blast.

While the industry at large regarded the "Search-Attack-Retreat" strategy as the definitive solution for the current meta, *Duckoff* took a different path, emerging as a dark horse despite its modest scale and proposing an alternative approach.

01

The fun part is really getting hooked on looting

At first, the thought of having to go through the tutorial all over again after launching *Duckoff* made me a little reluctant. However, when I got to the character customization section, I noticed that the full version seemed to include quite a few new preset looks. With so many presets to choose from, it was easy for me to create even more quirky ducks.

I could even stop being a duck altogether, ditch the duck bill, and switch to some crazy meme faces—it’d be so unique it’d have everyone in stitches.

After entering Zone Zero, I followed the mission prompts, leaving the bunker to scavenge for food and materials outside, and completed NPC quests along the way, such as repairing the signal tower and marking delivery routes.

Although the game uses a top-down perspective, players should be able to use their "Eagle Eye" ability. However, in *Duckoff*, enemies often suddenly appear right in front of me using a "hide-and-blink" tactic. With the help of obstacles like forests and cover, it’s difficult to keep track of their movements at all times. Often, I have to rely on sound to pinpoint their location and predict where they’ll blink next based on where they last disappeared.

Playing Hide-and-Seek with the Enemy Duck

At the same time, the dense jungle is a great asset when it comes to fighting a hit-and-run campaign. When facing a powerful enemy, I don’t have to get bogged down in a prolonged battle; instead, I can fire a shot and move on, and this flexible approach makes the victory all the more satisfying.

That said, the gunplay in *Duckoff* strives for realism. Shotguns are best for taking down targets at close range with a single shot; at long range, they’re not even as effective as pistols. As for rifles, if you don’t control recoil during burst fire, you’ll basically just be “outlining the duck’s silhouette.”

The firearms are meticulously designed, each with stats like damage, rate of fire, and reload time, and can be upgraded later by attaching accessories. When I come face-to-face with enemies, I immediately realize just how valuable these stats are.

One shot from a shotgun

During the battle, I gradually discovered the clever uses of the new item, "Pebbles," for creating diversions. I could use them to test the waters and avoid ambushes, or to lure enemies away from their positions so I could head straight for the critical areas.

After playing for a while, I’ve come to realize just how addictive the looting in *Duckoff* is. Every time I open a crate, it’s like opening a blind box—I never know what items will drop or whether they’ll be what I need. On one hand, I look forward to seeing what rare loot I’ll find on each run; on the other, I’m curious to discover what out-of-the-box uses these unusual items might have.

Take potatoes, for example. I always thought they were just a source of energy. But it turns out that when you combine a potato with a circuit board, you can create a potato graphics card capable of mining! This idea might have been inspired by the principle of generating electricity from potatoes, but the fact that the potato graphics card only provides 0.1 units of mining hashrate (compared to 1 for a standard graphics card) is both logical and unexpected—it’s actually quite dryly humorous.

A potato-level graphics card with 0.1 hashmate

The experience described above is just a taste of what the game has to offer. The full version includes three new maps, and there are plenty of new bosses and quests for players to tackle in the future. There’s even more content waiting for players to discover and explore on their own.

02

The unique flavor of the Carbonated Squad

As is clear from the above, *Duckoff* is not a search-and-escape game on par with those produced by top-tier studios. Carbonate Squad also lacks the resources to devote hundreds of people to developing a large-scale product.

According to Jeff, the producer of *Duckoff*, the team consisted of only three people for a long time. With limited resources, Jeff made tough choices based on the team’s accumulated experience, resulting in *Soda Squad*, a game that captures the essence of the Carbonated Squad.

• Continuing the cute art style of the past

"Duckoff" shares the same art style as Carbonate Squad's previous games, "Snake Armament" and "Carbonate Crisis," featuring a whimsical, cute aesthetic.

The smooth character modeling captures the duck’s distinctive features: big eyes, a short beak, and a tiny tail. The built-in face editor allowed me to add even more exaggerated elements, making the duck look adorably cute.

Its unique art style is what made me spot *Duckoff* right away among all the realistic beat-'em-up games.

At the same time, simplified modeling and a cute art style have reduced development complexity to some extent and helped avoid high development costs, making it possible for a small team like Carbonate Squad to complete the game.

It should be noted that the 3D graphics in *Duckoff* are by no means crude. From the mist in the forest to the glistening water, it features all the visual effects you’d expect.

• Focused on refining the single-player experience, without venturing into multiplayer gameplay

Most beat 'em up games on the market focus on multiplayer gameplay. These games place high demands on backend resources and technology, with their core development philosophy centered on complex social systems. Compared to single-player games, the difficulty of developing these titles increases exponentially.

Given that Carbonate Studios’ previous titles have all been single-player games, I don’t think designing multiplayer gameplay is their strongest suit. The decision not to include online multiplayer at launch for *Duckoff* was a strategic choice by the development team to focus their resources on crafting an immersive single-player experience.

As long as the game’s strengths are significant enough, it will certainly attract players with similar tastes to purchase it.

• A streamlined combat-and-escape gameplay experience with plenty of content to explore

Personally, I’m not very good at shooting in fast-paced situations, so I often end up losing when competing against other players. When I play other battle royale games, even if I strike gold, I usually end up getting taken out not far from the evacuation zone. All the gear and supplies I worked so hard to collect are gone in an instant.

That gnawing sense of frustration really shook my confidence in continuing to play beat-'em-up games.

"Duckoff" features a streamlined design with no PvP elements whatsoever, eliminating the backstabbing and intrigue between players, so you can jump right in without any stress. Even if your character dies, your equipment will remain where you fell, waiting for you to retrieve it on your next visit.

Loot Recovery

What’s more, players of the full version of *Duckoff* can customize the game’s difficulty, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the game to the fullest.

You can totally do whatever you want

After playing through the game and comparing it to others, I found that *Duckoff* offers a rather unique character progression system. The developers have integrated management and construction mechanics into the gameplay. Using resources gathered through scavenging and NPCs met during quests, players can build workbenches with various functions, which in turn allow them to craft weapons, skills, and other enhancements. Combined with the character’s distinct class skill trees, *Duckoff* offers quite a deep progression system.

While refining the depth of gameplay, *Duckoff* is also expanding the breadth of its content.

The full version of *Duckoff* offers over 50 hours of gameplay, with the third map alone being six times the size of Zone Zero—a clear indication of the game’s rich content. Additionally, the development team has hinted at potential collaboration editions in the future, suggesting that support for the game will continue throughout its entire lifecycle.

One of the new maps

03

Maybe the online version will be the game-changer?

After years of development, today’s first-person shooter games feature a wide variety of themes, each with its own unique characteristics. These range from military simulation shooters to sci-fi space shooters, as well as action games featuring melee combat with cold weapons. Some MMOs and mobile games have even incorporated their own unique features to introduce “localized” first-person shooter gameplay.

In fact, *DuckTaf* wasn’t conceived as a market-driven project; rather, its producer, Jeff, is a seasoned player who has logged thousands of hours in *Escape from Tarkov*. Driven by his deep passion for the game, Carbonate Studio set out to create a title with a similar gameplay experience.

Taking continuous damage, retreat

While there is a flurry of new products hitting the market, the Carbonated Beverage Team has a unique perspective on the matter.

There are relatively few beat 'em up games in the single-player genre, with most being pixel-art titles that incorporate roguelike elements. As a result, a 3D game like *DuckKof* offers a more immersive experience and provides richer progression outside of gameplay. Whether judged by content or critical acclaim, *DuckKof* stands out as a top-tier title that leads the pack among its peers.

Wouldn't it be twice as fun if *Duckoff* let me team up with friends to take on boss enemies together?

In fact, during the beta testing of *Duckoff*, players have been constantly calling for the addition of multiplayer modes. I’m sure the Carbonate Team has heard these calls. If they have the capacity and resources to develop a multiplayer version in the future, it would be a game-changer and likely a huge success.