Dodo Duckie is one of the most innovative platformers around, merging 2D and 3D perspectives with a charming art style and clever level designs.
Developed by BornMonkie, Dodo Duckie is a charming indie puzzle-platformer developed by a seven-person team. The game is available on PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store, as well as Xbox, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that it brings more than enough innovation to stand on its own two feet in a genre dominated by giant franchises.
No Quacking Around
Dodo Duckie starts with a fairly simple and admittedly random concept. Aliens show up out of nowhere and kidnap our poor Duckie’s chicken friends, leaving it up to him to save them. The only way to do this is by traversing all sorts of planets and wearing multiple hats. Of course, the ‘chickenapping’ of your friends doesn’t mean you can’t have a blast in the meantime.
Gameplay
The gameplay is always the most important factor in a platformer, and that also applies to Dodo Duckie. Fortunately, the game ticks all the right boxes here. Dodo Duckie already has a bunch of clever puzzles, but the game stands out because of one special mechanic. Of course, I mean the ability to shift the perspective from 2D to 3D through the press of a button.
Dodo Duckie is filled to the brim with clever perspective-based puzzles that most people can comfortably solve. The transition between perspectives is extremely smooth, somewhat reminding me of Super Paper Mario. However, despite the similarities, Dodo Duckie takes the mechanic in a new direction, making it part of its identity.
In 2D, Dodo Duckie is like any Super Mario-like platformer. Players can only sprint or jump, and there isn’t exactly much room for getting stuck. The 3D perspective swaps the jump button for an attack animation, giving players more to do with the same couple of buttons. Admittedly, the 3D perspective did show some performance issues from my side. This included the FPS noticeably dropping, especially when the attack animation seemed to stutter.
One major highlight of this game is that everyone can play it at their own pace and style. Those who like streamlining through games can do that and finish Dodo Duckie fairly quickly. However, those who like to take their time could discover a bunch of secrets. From a capybara staring at the clouds to some frogs posing for a photo, there’s so much to be discovered here.
Not to mention, Dodo Duckie is extremely accessible for newcomers. I don’t have kids. But if I did, this is the type of game I imagine I’d be playing with them. Finding new collectibles is fun, the game rewards you for shifting perspectives even when it isn’t required, and it’s always a joy to come across a new face.
Graphics & Audio
Despite its start, Dodo Duckie is a cozy game in every sense of the word. In particular, the art style is extremely charming, bringing a cartoonish vibe that doesn’t interrupt the fun at all. Every planet brings something new to the table, whether it’s fluffy clouds floating over green grass or frozen lands with ice all around.
Every character is drawn in a simple but cute way. Capybaras, frogs, owls, and even the chickens we’re out to save all look great. Not to mention, Duckie’s character animations are surprisingly high-quality, whether he’s jumping around or just posing for a nice picture with his newfound friends.
This doesn’t mean that visuals are all Dodo Duckie has going for it. The game’s music is great as well. It isn’t something that you’ll find yourself humming while doing the laundry, but it perfectly complements the game’s cozy nature. It isn’t distracting or repetitive, and it helps that every environment has a fitting theme.
Longevity
Dodo Duckie isn’t too long, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It isn’t a stretch to call it a perfectly bite-sized adventure that doesn’t overstay its welcome. It would have been nice if the game’s main story was slightly longer, but there are enough secrets to discover that you can comfortably get more out of it.
Most players will likely finish the game in under four hours, though properly exploring it could bump the time up to around six. The good news is that every world and puzzle is polished enough that this runtime makes sense, especially for such a small team of developers.
Final Thoughts
Dodo Duckie is a great debut title from the studio. I’m not usually a fan of playing platformers on my PC, but I had a surprising blast here, even if it was short. I can’t wait to see what the developers bring to the table next, because I’ll definitely be giving it a shot.
It’s for this reason that I give it the Thumb Culture Platinum Award!
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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