Background information
400,000 concurrent Banana players – what’s behind the trend
by Debora Pape
Ducks with machine guns: "Escape from Duckov" conquers Steam
23.10.2025
Translation: machine translated
"Escape from Duckov" is the new indie hit on Steam. It parodies the nerve-wracking extraction shooter genre with cute, heavily armed ducks.
The ducks are on the loose on Steam: once again, an indie studio has managed to create hype with a quirky game. In «Escape from Duckov», you equip a duck with weapons up to its beak and use them to shoot your way through enemies who want to get at your stubby wings. Your goal: to leave your egg-shaped home planet before it is destroyed.
The reviews on Steam show that there is also good gameplay behind the humorous guise. Of around 12,500 reviews, 96 per cent are positive.
What is «Escape from Duckov» about?
If the name «Escape from Duckov» sounds vaguely familiar to you, you're right. It parodies the first-person PvP shooter «Escape from Tarkov», which is known for the tough fight for loot and its steep learning curve. The military seriousness of its role model is poked fun at «Escape from Duckov» with its cute visuals, absurd setting with armed ducks and lots of humour.
You create your own duck character and then find yourself in a post-apocalyptic world. Your headquarters and safe house is a bunker, from where you can explore the world from a top-down view. The aim is to pick up as much good loot as possible from the dangerous zones and bring it back to the bunker.
So you can equip your duck with better equipment and stronger attributes to turn enemy fowl into roast duck faster (yes, really!). Use the materials you collect to expand your bunker. The aim of the campaign is to build a rocket and use it to leave the egg world.
You will also meet quirky characters in the world and complete quests. According to the description, «Escape from Duckov» offers a total playing time of around 50 hours per playthrough. The replay value is said to be high because the game world, the enemies and the loot keep changing. Unlike «Tarkov», however, «Duckov» is a purely single-player game.
Why is «Escape from Duckov» so well received?
The most important reason is that the game is fun. The expeditions through the world are supposed to be dangerous: You lose the loot you've collected if you're not careful or have bad luck. This creates excitement and a sense of reward when you successfully save the stuff in your bunker.
The battles are designed to give you tactical freedom thanks to the huge selection of weapons and the option to seek cover. The bunker building and weapon modding system should also be sophisticated and fun. The captivating extraction mechanisms can also be experienced without the stress and pressure of a classic PvP shooter. This makes «Escape from Duckov» more relaxed.
The game is also reasonably priced. It regularly costs around 18 euros or 15 francs on Steam. It is currently also available at a discounted introductory price.
The mod support is also well received by players. Team Soda has announced that it will promote Community mods. This makes it even easier to customise the game to your own wishes.
In summary, «Escape from Duckov» is so popular because it is a good game with accessible yet exciting gameplay and a good dose of humour. It is affordable and can be expanded with mods. The game's success is therefore well deserved.
Header image: Team Soda
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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