Space Ducks: The great escape
- May 16, 2022
- 6toad games co.
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on itch.io StoreSpace Ducks: The Great Escape is a puzzle game featuring duck-like aliens seeking a stable world. Players must complete Sokoban-style levels, moving Space Ducks to reach their ship's power source, while avoiding causing other ducks to float off into space. The game includes 18+ puzzle planets and a colorful, cosmic atmosphere.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Fun and satisfying puzzles with a unique mechanic involving gravity and block movement.
- Charming visuals and audio design that enhance the overall experience.
- Short playtime of about an hour makes it a quick and enjoyable puzzle game.
- Movement and animations are painfully slow, which detracts from the gameplay experience.
- Lack of a level select feature or progress indication can be frustrating.
- Controls can be confusing, with multiple directional keys often leading to unintended movements.
- gameplay28 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay features interesting puzzle mechanics that blend elements of sokoban and microgravity, allowing players to control a duck that interacts with blocks in unique ways. While the core mechanics are solid and evolve with new elements, some players find the gravity system inconsistent, leading to frustrating moments where moves feel more like guesses. Additionally, the pacing is hindered by slow animations and transitions, which can detract from the overall experience, though the game remains an engaging puzzle challenge for 1-2 hours.
“The main mechanic is pretty solid after you get used to it - basically you control a duck which can step on blocks - both moving and not, and when the block would have no surface after falling, it falls into the void and kills you or crushes you.”
“Still, it's a very interesting puzzle game altogether, and seeing how the different mechanics interacted and evolved was a lot of fun.”
“Nice little puzzler with a novel mechanic of blocks falling in different directions based on the direction you step on them.”
“The gameplay doesn't make much sense with the whole gravity in it; it doesn't seem consistent at all, making some moves more like guesses than anything else.”
“Moving your character, waiting for animations to play out, even just pressing escape to get to the title screen all takes at least 3 times what it should, and it makes the gameplay feel restrained.”
“I want to be able to experiment with the mechanics, but having to wait several seconds between moves is just so painful.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the backgrounds and overall visual quality as better than other titles in the Cosmos 9 series. However, criticisms highlight a lack of cohesion between the graphical design and gameplay mechanics, as well as distracting animations and an inconsistent aesthetic, particularly with the gory elements. Overall, while the visuals have their merits, they fall short of creating a unified experience.
“Audio, visuals and humour are great.”
“And the aesthetic is... alright, the gory bits are kind of out of step with the rest of the game but it looks better than most any of the other Cosmos 9 games.”
“And there's no real cohesion between the graphical design or the controls, meaning the whole 'console' gimmick doesn't really hold up.”
“And the aesthetic is... alright, the gory bits are kind of out of step with the rest of the game, but it looks better than most of the other Cosmos 9 games.”
- music6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as cute and thematically appropriate, effectively enhancing the overall atmosphere. However, it tends to be repetitive, with a greater emphasis placed on gameplay rather than narrative elements.
“Cute music.”
“The music and theming helps to carry the theme across, but the focus is on gameplay - don't expect talking ducks telling you a story.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the games is described as low-pressure and not overly complex, making it less tedious for players. However, while some titles like Triga are recommended at full price, others are considered underdeveloped or tedious, leading to a general suggestion to pass on the bundle.
“If you do have to get any games in this pack, Triga is probably worth full price, Linelith and Ifo are pretty cool albeit a bit underdeveloped and probably worth it on sale, and maybe Tendy and Frequency Dissonance are worth it on sale but those are hard to recommend otherwise. The other four are either too tedious or too underdeveloped to be even worth your time, so I'd give the bundle as a whole a pass.”
“The grinding in this game feels excessively tedious, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The repetitive nature of the tasks required for progression makes the experience feel more like a chore than a game.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game is minimal, with an emphasis on gameplay rather than narrative, and while the music and theming enhance the overall atmosphere, players should not anticipate a detailed storyline or character-driven dialogue.
“The music and theming helps to carry the theme across, but the focus is on gameplay - don't expect talking ducks telling you a story.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for being vibrant and enjoyable, contributing to an overall fun experience. Players appreciate the lively and engaging environment that enhances gameplay.
“This one's got the biggest jam of the pack, and just such a fun atmosphere.”
