Way long ago when I was about 10 years old, my friend Brandon and I where riding home from town in his mom’s Taurus. It had reverse facing seats in the very back, so we where able to watch the city receding into the distance as we left. As I watched it go with the sunset there was a sudden an empty feeling in the pit of my stomach, a few realizations came to me and I was hit with the saddest feeling I had ever felt. It was like the movie was over, and in a way everybody in it was gone forever. They where captured in time and we got to see them as they where for a little while, but then the bit of information we had left from the past ran out and they where gone. The town we visited that day, the people we met, even the people we where- they where all, in a sense, gone forever. One day everything else would go too.
It was the first time I can remember understanding that everything is temporary, that we’re not immortal and that our friends and family, our teachers, our neighbors, could all go away whenever. It wouldn’t be for some plan, to progress a plot point in the story of the universe or to even out some kind of energy. It would just happen at random. Like when a bird hits the window or a salamander gets all dried out in the sandbox. Nobody liked or disliked that salamander, and nothing made a conscious decision to sacrifice him for something more “important”. The universe plays dice, and that salamander was unlucky. Poor guy…
These melancholy realizations where mixed with a reserved but happy appreciation that we all got to go to town together, that the universe didn’t throw a deer or another car in front of us today. It was the first time I felt nostalgia.
I used to sit on the concrete floor in our basement and play through to the second level in Gadget Twins just so I could hear the Zeppelin Attack song, or load up the Lava Reef zone in Sonic & Knuckles and just lie on the floor listening to it until the timer ran out. My brother and I would play Toejam & Earl and let our dudes just sink into the quicksand while we listened to it’s funky beats. I’d play through the final boss in Sonic 3 solely to hear the special Michael Jackson version of the credits music that you could only hear without Sonic & Knuckles attached. The sound of FM synthesis almost makes me cry. That credits music reminds me of our drive home.
These feelings led me to try again and again, for years, to figure out how the heck to make a VST that made Sega Genesis sounds. I suck at math, like really seriously suck at it, but nostalgia had me learning C++, reading through technical documents and calculating frequencies. My only talents have always been naivety and persistence, I’m dumb enough to think I can and excited enough to go for it. Maybe that’s mankind in general. After years of experimentation I finally got a YM2612 plugin working, which lead to trying to make a game like James Pond 3, to a nostalgia for playing Toejam & Earl with my brother, to GENNY and then to Duck Game. And all just to recreate the past. To dig up lost times and bring those feelings forward because the thought of losing them is just too much.
Duck Game came out more than 10 years ago and hasn’t had an update since May of 2022. It’s original publisher, Adult Swim Games, is defunct. From it’s naive beginnings, a team full of passionate gamers who just wanted to publish cool games, to the confident momentum they where able to achieve once they had their bearings, and finally to drama and internal struggles before finally reaching the inevitable end that any honest company tends to reach before a decade is through. They weren’t printing money, so everyone was fired and they where shut down, that their umbrella companies might start over from scratch with some less passionate people and a more corporate strategy. They moved through childhood to old age, starting out with passion and a love for all things, slowly getting more cynical as life wore them down and people broke their trust, and finally died quietly at home once their cells lost the ability to regenerate. Why does everything take this course? Why is nothing immortal, even when not bound by any biological limits?
Westwood Games, Bullfrog, Maxis. Linkin Park, Radwimps, The Goo Goo Dolls. Spongebob, Adventure Time, The Simpsons. Apple, Google, Twitter. Tim Hortons. Everything gets death. Sometimes you get some peace underground, but if you where truly beloved they will string you up and dance you around. Your first puppet master watched the way you moved while you where still alive and they can do a pretty good imitation, but they too will die and each subsequent master will have less and less experience with what you where until finally they tie you to the flywheel on some machine because it’s cheaper and somehow less depressing to watch. As everybody comes to associate your flailing corpse with a deep sense of sadness, they turn away and hope never to see you again. The suits shake their head- they knew this would happen. The public has lost interest, trends must be changing. They liked your dance before but now they don’t. People are fucking fickle.
Where is Duck Game on this path? Where am I on this path? Are we still young, is there still more left to do? The world makes me tired. I’m tired of watching it crush things between it’s fingers and then wonder why those things died. I’m tired of getting used to seeing it, tired of the apathy and desensitization it brings. The things that used to make me angry only make me sad, because anger is an emotion that demands action. Action requires energy. I’m out of that.
I said I would start working on Duck Game again in January, motivated by nostalgia and sad thoughts of how incredibly long everyone has been waiting. I’m learning that I only have so much energy. Our new game, Flatlanders, has been in development for more than 2 years now and it’s half done. As of January we have a publisher, and I forgot how stressful deadlines are- a team of people are relying on me for critical features that I have to finish before they can do stuff. This, combined with what feels to me like an all out war on love and understanding in the states, fueled by nostalgia for a time when civilization was a candle burning at both ends, when we where able to do whatever we wanted without caring about tomorrow because a lack of experience allowed us to be ignorant of the fact that we where on a path to destruction.
I don’t want to make games as anything but a Canadian. Or do anything else, for that matter. God. This country has done everything for me, it’s a part of my identity. I don’t know what makes a country better or worse, all I know is that I feel completely different here than I feel when I’m in America, I feel intensely like this is my home. I don’t know what will happen, but all I can hope is that if the worst happens the shock of it will stop my heart, because that’s the only way my mind could bear the betrayal of it all.
And I’m in the dumps again, sorry. I started with the desire to say something happy, I’ve tried to do this half a dozen times now and I always end up in the shit pit. I wanted to write a post about Duck Game, about what’s up with it, because those of you who have been waiting patiently for an update deserve to know what’s going on. I wanted to maybe reminisce about the past again, about good times playing Duck Game, meeting people, talking to everyone on Discord. To thank everyone for everything they’ve given me, thank them for the sheer positivity and happiness they’ve blessed me with over the years. Seriously, thank you.
I can’t say what Duck Game is to other people, but I know what it is to me. It’s a collection of feelings from my past, a way to share jokes with my friends, a place to store happy thoughts for safe keeping when I worry that those feelings wont last forever. It is a yearning for the love expressed in all the games that came before it. As a kid, I imagined somebody sitting in front of a computer making those games, having that same feeling of excitement and wonder they gave me. We need to have that energy when we do things, or those things wont give any energy back. I’m trying to have that energy, and I’m trying to share it with everything else that wears on my mind right now.
I’m trying to work on Duck Game, but it really hasn’t been going well this year. I’m sorry. I feel like saying that I would be back on it in January was a betrayal, like it suggested that I’d be able to work on it full time, full of energy and ideas. That isn’t what happened. I won’t stop working on it, but I don’t know when things will happen.
I’ve always wanted Duck Game to remain a pure expression of things that I love, something that can still bring tears of nostalgia and that can remain untainted from any signs of a worldly desire for fortune. I don’t want to dance it around. The emotion is stronger than a want- I really can’t bear to see more things danced around. But I don’t want it to die… I know there is still love in this world, more good will be done, and a very special few things will sail off into the sunset leaving behind only sadness at the necessity of their departure, and a feeling of nostalgia. And in the silence afterwards, an intense happiness. The warmth of knowing that something good happened, that it was only there for the love of things, that the attention and care it represents is timeless. It was somebody’s reason to live.
My favorite thing about Duck Game is that it’s a timeless game. Sometimes I’ll get tired of it for a while but I always come back and find that it’s somehow just as fun, if not more fun than the day I first installed it. I don’t know how you’ve done it. There’s definitely some evil magic in there that makes me laugh every time I get in a good game.
No one feels betrayed that you didn’t work on the game in January, you were pretty clear that it wasn’t a guarantee. Also lets be real, we’re happy to take whatever you feel like giving us, but there’s no expectations. The most dedicated players (at least those on PC) are very happy with the state the game, it’s in a good place all things considered. We’ve gotten our moneys worth, more than a few times over.
I know very well how hard it can be to not do exactly the things that “the people” are asking you to do, it feels guilty and paralyzing. I’m sure you’ve felt this before. It’s not good to let it burden you if you can help it, I’m not very good at that part.
I look forward to playing Flatlanders when it’s ready.
Thanks Tater, seriously appreciate the message and I’m sorry that I don’t keep in touch… The guilt of being a part of something that people have hopes for seems like it’s inescapable, feeling like there’s a positive impact you could be having but you’d rather focus on something else. It feels selfish. It doesn’t matter how much people say it’s okay, how much positivity you get, how wonderfully understanding and loving the community is… actually that makes it even harder. I still feel guilty and I will always be thinking ahead to the next update, however far ahead it might end up being.
Thanks for the love and understanding as always man, it makes my day to hear from you. I hope we can play Flatlanders together soon.
Thank you for this wonderful read – I first played Duck Game in August of 2017, I remember playing it over Steam voice chat at 15 years old. It was some of the most multiplayer I’d had, even as a nerdy kid in year 10. I’d play it every school lunch with anyone who would share my laptop keyboard, and we’d lose our shit laughing at the stupid game. I was a king at the green bouncy lasergun, I’d store it in a save block every time I had the chance. One of my friends Vincent was especially fond of the Bible, throwing away perfectly good weapons for the chance to score an infuriating Bible victory. Jordi, a friend I haven’t spoken to in years now would always store the grapple gun in order to escape the map and hide underneath the platforms and wait for everyone to commit suicide. I have so many fond memories for this silly little game, and I’m so glad to hear it’s something the creator has just as much love for, even all these years later.
I consider Duck Game complete – some games aren’t meant to become a Battle Pass, or receive Season XVII updates. Don’t think you’re doing the owners a disservice by not putting out updates every 2 years. At some point, ever project is complete.
That being said, I can’t wait for another excuse to bring Duck Game back into my life. I played it again for the first time in years a few months back and I had truly forgotten just how fun it is. Duck Game could only come from the soul, a game no corporate entity or bottom line-focused dev team could ever bring to creation. I would gladly share a crusty laptop keyboard in a cold school courtyard with you Landon 🙂
The best thing is when you can manage to flap down to the bottom of the map and take down dude whose grappling to the bottom, even though you have to go out with them. It feels like justice lol. But I respect Jordi for doing it just cause they could.
Thanks for comment man, it brings back some serious nostalgia because we all used to share a crusty keyboard plugged into a 386 PC with Triplane Turmoil installed on it. It was in the back of the classroom and we’d all play every morning while we waited for the teacher to show up, or we’d play Scorched Earth in the library, or Armagetron or an old top down shooter called SND Online. Playing with friends at school rules and I really took it for granted, it means a lot to hear that Duck Game was one of those games for you guys. I’m sharing that keyboard with you in spirit <3
The constant state of decay seen through these recent years is certainly disheartening, not only to you but to everyone. But if my still young naivety has teached me something, is that sometimes happiness comes back around. That right now things aren’t really the best but maybe, just a random Tuesday, a surge of ideas might come back to wrap your mind in excitement.
Keep going with Flatlanders, even if deadlines can be stressful. In the midst of it, maybe even the deadlines themselves can cause a spark of energy that pushes you even more forward. Because, really, when one wants, one can. But it has to be earnest, it must come from the heart. Not an act of indulgence.
Sometimes our greatest joys can turn into chores, and that’s usually where you draw the line. Patience is really an art more than anything, because sometimes impatience can get us to dark times we didn’t intend or even deserve. And patience is a thing I know for sure can feel lacking when you have the feeling that you’re constantly carrying an entire community on your shoulders. But really, if time has proven anything, is that as long as there’s a spark, there will be light. Eventually. And whatever happened on January wasn’t a betrayal, just bad indulgence and a race to go back to good times. But in the end, the good times will come on their own when you don’t look for them.
Lots of love, and I hope my poor writing got through.
Sorry I responded to this a while back but accidentally didn’t reply directly to your message-
Thanks man, your writing is not at all poor and it definitely hit me. Happiness absolutely comes back around and I can see why people compare emotions with the weather because a good day feels like a sunny one- it comes at random and can be disorienting when you forgot what the sun looks like. Stuff really needs to come from the heart, I don’t see a reason for living otherwise. People sometimes wonder why I’m not updating Duck Game if it’s what makes money, why I’m not working on DG2 or otherwise exploiting the game however I can… but there’s so much other stuff I want to make and I’m all tied up in that stuff right now. I can’t think of anything more depressing than forcing yourself to work on something that isn’t at the front of your mind, that you can’t give proper attention to because you’re thinking about something else. We all do work like this every day and it eats at our souls, dissociates us and leaves us apathetic. Forcing that kind of work gives love a bad taste, and what other unique thing do we have to offer this universe other than a love for things? I don’t know… thanks for the message man. You’re absolutely right, time and patience are the key and the spark will return. Despair just stretches it out. We need to remember that when we feel we’re at our worst.
İ first stumbled upon duck game around 2017 and was hooked the minute i started playing it Duck Game has meant a lot to me and my friends, and it’s something I’ll always hold on to. The nostalgia it gives me, whether it’s the joy of playing with my friends or the feeling of timeless fun reminds me of simpler times of my highschool years where i was clueless about everything and didnt care about much other than coming home from school to play some games with my friends. It’s clear that Duck Game is more than just a game to you, and that’s what makes it resonate so deeply with people like me. I really appreciate what you’ve created and the memories it’s given me. once again thank you for expressing your creativity in a game format but dont force yourself to do something be less harsh on yourself please
I miss the naivety of high school times but since then have also learned a lot of lessons that I’m happy I (hopefully) won’t have to learn again. I also get super nostalgic thinking about playing games with friends in the back of the classroom and it’s crazy to me and very cool that Duck Game was a game like that for you guys. Thanks for the comment, it means a lot.
Duck game is a beautiful experience. The memories made with my brothers and cousins are priceless. I’m anxiously awaiting the version update to come to switch, but thay being said im satisfied with the state of the game and me and my brothers still play to this day. Thank you for what you’ve done for us.
Thank you <3 I'm sorry it's been so long.
I have nothing to say that hasn’t been said already, but I still want you to know that your passion doesn’t go unnoticed. Whether the game gets an update every week, or never gets an update again, I will treat it the same– every so often my friends and I will log on and have a barrel of laughs shooting each other. Then I’ll put it down and come back again later.
I will follow you wherever your passion lies. If your passion right now is Flatlanders, I am excited as hell to play it. Whatever you’re working on, I’ll be there to enjoy it. So I want you to enjoy it too.
Duck Game will definitely be getting another update, who knows when… but as soon as I’ve got some room to breath there’s a lot of stuff I still wanna add! Thanks for the patience and the encouragement, thank you especially for looking forward to Flatlanders too.
Hi Landon,
The best part of Duck game is that it bridged 2 generations of gamers. My son introduced me to that game and we played together a fair amount (even though his reflexes were maddeningly faster than mine.). I loved the music, the 8 bit spirit and of course the multiplayer mayhem.
I stumbled upon your site as I wanted to thank you for your game: I mentioned it in a new post.
Your post is timely as I wrote with a fair amount of optimism about creating awesome tech products with love after watching Andor S02E03.
You may like where I am going with it:
https://technopoliticsmusinings.substack.com/p/wasted-love
Thank you, keep on working on awesome games.
I hope to collaborate with you on games, soon.
Man.. kids are really good at Duck Game lol. It makes me really happy to hear that it’s something you where able to play with him, playing games with my dad is a huge part of why I got into games in the first place! I also feel incredibly shocked and honored whenever kids play DG because they could be playing Minecraft instead… honestly if Minecraft existed when I was 10 I would have played the shit out of that.
I read your blog post and it’s a bit more logic than I usually like to get into with these sorts of things but I agree with and appreciate your concern about modern games racing to give players a “hit” rather than being fun in a way that gets our imaginations going. I’ve always imagined that if a game is designed like a drug, with the goal of hitting something primal in order to make money, that game exists in a different sphere and isn’t really relevant to the kinds of games I want to make and play. I really believe we need to follow our hearts and make time to work on things that get us excited regardless of whether there’s a product or a career path at the end. I think finding something real, something you find simple and beautiful, is the root of happiness and I think you can be happy in almost any situation if you have that. I want to be the guy who’s satisfied making Commodore 64 demos in his basement, not the one who’s dissatisfied making million dollar casino games.
As for AI stuff, I’m old fashioned when it comes to that sort of thing. I’ve always really enjoyed trying to re-invent the wheel- even if my wheels are all fucked up- because I live for the discoveries you make along the way. I want to do a post about AI eventually but for now I’ll say: I’m optimistic about it too, but I want nothing to do with it!
Thanks for the comment man, it got me thinking. I hope we can make something fun.
I just wanted to say thank you for making such as amazing game.
A friend booted it up on his laptop and connected it to the tv in our dorm, and when I got home I showed my brother it and eventually my whole family started playing it, and they shared it with their colleagues and started playing it during breaks.
More than a thousand hours later we still play it during holidays and when we meet up.
It’s such a fun and pure game that feels like it came from a genuine place.
It’s really easy to get overwhelmed by the nature of the world at the moment, and it’s easy to get sad when it feels like I can’t do anything about it, and that cycle drains even more energy making it harder to do things.
For me it feels like the only thing I can do is try to make my little corner of the world a little better, and duck game has undoubtedly done that by bringing my family and friends together.
When I saw your post about continuing to work on it I was happily surprised, but it felt like a bonus, because duck game is already such an amazing game.
Doing two things you split your focus, and personally (if possible), it’s good to give one thing complete focus and then do the next thing, especially when there’s no energy left.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for duck game
Wish you the best
I think doing the best you can by the people around you is all you can really do in the grand scheme of things, and I think it makes a big difference. We made this world the way it is and the only way to truly make it better is to treat people the way you want to be treated in spite of what comes back to you, and to think “What if a million people did what I just did?”. Because every time you shit in the urinal a million other people are squatting right alongside you.
It’s really cool that DG has become a thing with your family, when everybody comes together from all over the place it can be hard to loosen up and find common ground again, games are so good for that… so many good nights have started with some Track Mania or Catan. Having fun with people is something I really took for granted as a kid and I feel incredibly blessed when I’m in a room full of people playing games. These are the good times.
Thanks for reaching out, for the kind words and understanding. Totally agree that it’s best not to split your focus if you can help it, especially as we get older you only get so much energy so you have to be careful where you use it. There’s a lot I still want to do with Duck Game and I will absolutely come back to it, but only when I can give it the amount of care and love that everybody else has given it. Thanks again man.
Landon, I have absorbed a great number of your words this past week via this blog and past interviews. Initially, I was just curious to better understand the mind behind Duck Game, but my appreciation of the game deepened as I realized the remarkable humanity, humility, and sensitivity behind it. My son Maxwell is 5 years old, and his love of gaming is fueled by games like Duck Game. Seeing my favorite games through his eyes is such a joy for me, and our gaming sessions are brought to new levels when we get his sister and mom to join in the fun. I’ve enjoyed Duck Game among my family and friend group for more than a decade, but it’s playing with Max that has allowed me to really appreciate every detail and decision that’s gone into making it the multiplayer miracle it is. As a game developer myself, I marvel at the way the systems interplay with such a focus on playfulness, creativity, and endless humor. Max and I have invested more than 60 hours of playtime in the past few months, and I have only grown more and more fond of it. All this to say that I connected with your description of melancholy nostalgia, so I wanted to make the effort to shine a light in this darkening world by contacting you to thank you personally. It’s a perfect time to reflect on the things that bring us joy, and to pass along appreciation to those responsible for fueling it. Whether Duck Game ever sees another update or follow-up or any additional effort from you, I want you to know that Max and I are full of gratitude for every line of code. Game dev is the hardest thing I’ve ever attempted in my life of 50 years, so I’m well aware of the trials it involves, the personal toll it can take, and the need for positive energy to get something of value over the finish line. As an American who has spent 4 stints in Canada spanning more than a decade–and even married a Canadian–I am heartbroken by the current state of international affairs, but remain humbled that if everyone knew what I knew about Canada and how it always felt like home, there would be no chance of a disruption in our countries’ once harmonious alliance. I hope this message finds you on a bright and beautiful day, and that your reflections of the heart manifest in the change and perseverance you desire.
Sorry for taking so long to respond man, this is an incredibly thoughtful message and I wanted to give it back the thought it deserves and respond with my mind in a good place. You and your family having fun playing DG together is the biggest compliment imaginable and it makes me so happy, I wouldn’t be making games if it wasn’t for all the time I spent playing them with my dad and brothers growing up. I feel incredibly lucky to have been given that experience and I think your son will feel the same nostalgia we feel some day!
Totally feel your thoughts on game dev, it’s definitely a lot of work. It requires a lot of mental energy but you can brute force your way into a completed game that isn’t fun at all if you can’t get your emotional energy into it too. Like anything I guess, you really need to get your mind into a good place in order to get that kind of energy into whatever you’re working on. During development I spent hundreds of hours playing Duck Game with people, laughing and swearing and having a good time and honestly anything fun that managed to get into it came from our experience as a group. I might be repeating myself with this especially if you’ve ready my blog recently, I can’t remember… but the people I’ve played with back home, living with roommates and at a bunch of shows over the years had a drastic effect on the game and it wouldn’t be the same without them, it’s a party game built through partying so I guess it’s kind of honest that way.
As for the alliance thing, no matter what happens I will always love you guys and believe that love will win out in the end. I know the stuff going on over there is mainly the will of a few people in power and their influence on a ton of people who feel anxious and alienated by the modern world, people who don’t know what they want but who have put their trust in someone who claims to know it’s name. In a way it’s good to see that emotion still has such a strong influence in this world because I don’t want to live in a world driven solely by logic… But I think we have to have both things. Logic can help us find empathy in the face of anxiety, by reminding us that we’re not the only ones who suffer.
Seriously, thank you for the message. It feels harder every day to connect with the world and it means a lot to read something so kind. Looking forward to playing your game when it comes out!
Been playing Duck Game most weeks with my mates from uni for the past couple years, and have consistently found it funnier, more entertaining, fairer than a lot of other competitive party games.
I cannot state this enough but the game genuinely amazes us. Like, with its artstyle and simple nature, you would be forgiven for thinking it would do exactly what you expect- a duck shooter. But it is so much more than that, and even after years there are so many details and techs that we’re discovering. (Though I’m sure competitive players have discovered this long ago). Things like the more advanced movement techs, certain equipment and features, the purple boxes, the holster, the stances with the guns.
The amount of different Vincent interactions, and the fact I only now discovered the egg/child thingy can actually be interacted with and spoken to. Like geez every new detail I discover, I think to myself “the developer of this game is easily the most passionate person in the industry imo, and I’d rather meet them than any big name developer”
So, be proud of what you’ve created- I’ve yet to find a party game that remains as fresh as Duck Game- we try many different ones, but inevitably tire of it. But Duck Game is the gift that keeps on giving, and I imagine it’s a game that’ll end up giving us memories from college through to our working lives. The passion and love you clearly hold for this game has kept it relevant to those who can see that, and love it as much as you do.
Very few people bring up the Vincent/egg stuff so it’s really cool to hear that you got into that! When a game has a lot of effort put into rare and hidden stuff it makes it feel really magical, it’s awesome when you can play a game for a long time and still feel like you’ll never quite see everything. Thanks for the comment man, it means a lot to hear that you guys have had fun playing it and a ton that you took the time to send this kindness my way. I never feel like I deserve it but I’m super grateful. Thanks for playing <3
Hey Landon. The state of the world has got me in the dumps too. I was born and raised in the USA and its getting harder and harder for me to wear that badge with any semblance pride. It always feels like 1 step forward 2 steps back and that I can’t do anything to stop it.
I don’t remember when I discovered Duck Game but I can remember all the laughs I have had with it. All the times waiting for my friend to finish making a level so I could have my turn and we could brawl it out on our own creations. I remember never skipping the intro so that the title screen animation lines up with the music. I remember setting the soundtrack to repeat while I studied in high school and college. Point is I love this game. Some of the tracks in it do make me tear up sometimes. It reminds me of times past like many other games I love.
Games like Duck Game, Undertale, Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Binding of Isaac; They are what got me interested in programming and game design. They made me want to recreate my favorite parts of them in Game Maker. In some way I feel like Duck Game to me is the way your childhood games are to you.
Now I work as a software engineer on a product I don’t care about and in my free time I always forget to make games like I used to. And that problem solving itch that I scratch when I program feels like it is being sucked away by AI agents that I need to either use or fall behind on what my team expects of me. Its draining. I feel like I am losing that naivety to try as hard as I can to make things that I want to. But I am trying to hold onto it.
Not sure exactly what I mean to say but your posts always get me thinking. Just want you to know that I look up to you. And that even now that I have grown up and I am not a kid playing games on summer break, I still want to make things like Duck Game.
I am excited to try out flatlanders when it comes out! It looks exactly like my kind of game and I don’t feel betrayed at all that you are spending your time working on something awesome like that. Even if another update for Duck Game never came I will always come back to it and have fun. Hang in there Landon!
Hey man!
It can be *really* hard but I think it’s important to love the country you live in and to put that love into helping it towards being the place you want it to be. Even just sticking around and being unhappy with the state of things helps a little because you remain as a voice of discontent. There’s nowhere else we can really go because Earth is home and everything is here, if we leave a mess in one place it will spill over into the next place so we gotta help clean up the room we’re in. It can feel really hopeless sometimes but I think the best thing anyone can do is to focus on their part and to really care about little things.
It really sucks that work is making you feel that way man, I worked a while for a mobile games company when I got out of school and it was a soul draining experience. We where making shallow addictive microtransaction games that where basically slot machines and I really felt like I was betraying my heart and games in general. I’m lucky that I didn’t have to deal with the AI aspect and honestly man I’m so fucking sorry that you’re experiencing that… I think that the way AI is being used right now is today’s moral corruption equivalent to how microtransactions felt to me back then. It’s the path to the quickest buck with the least care for the future, for honesty or for happiness. It sucks the life out of the people who get it slopped onto their plates and it especially sucks the life and creativity out of the people who have to work with it. Similar to microtransactions I think it turns the whole creative process into a formula you’re forced to follow in order to appease the higher ups, who just want to appease those above them and look like they made the cheapest and most logical choice that their charts could dictate. Because if the sales history says that games with dogs sell, that’s evidence they can use to send you to businessman jail when you decide that you’d rather make a game with cats…
Seriously sorry you’re going through that. I don’t know if I have any good advice, but what worked for me when I dreaded going to work was to think: You’re not doing anything wrong, you’re planning to get out and as long as you take it seriously you’ll get there and you just need to mitigate damage in the meantime. We all have to do shitty jobs and they remind us of what we really care about and they motivate us to escape to a better place. Hold on to that feeling of dislike, hold onto your moral qualms and do your work in a way that satisfies your bosses while contributing minimally to the damage caused by what you’re helping to make. If at all possible, think about the people who will be tricked into using your software and make decisions that you feel will make the end user happy without draining anything from them, in spite of the conventions that are forcing you to pretty much make garbage. If it’s getting worse you could set a time limit for yourself, say you’re going to work at a place for one year and save some money every month so you have time to do your own thing or find a new job at the end of it. Even if your new job sucks it’s better to move around than to get stuck in one place.
I’m sorry if this is all nonsense… All situations are different and what works for you will definitely be different too. Just remember that this shitty job isn’t the end. Naivety can take a lot of damage before you lose it completely and losing a little bit of it is important in order to be able to battle your way through the bullshit and find something real. The fact that you’re worried about it is the most important thing. Don’t give up, man. Hold onto your inspiration. Every bit of time you can find to work on something you care about makes a big difference, but you need to have fun with it too or it’ll feel like another job. Make time for the lols, and make stuff for the lols… They’re the best motivator.
Thanks for all the kind words, it means a lot to hear that Duck Game is one of your inspirations and it makes me feel like I should go thank some of mine too. Thank you for playing dude <3
Hello! I had actually been tracking the update progress for a long time but I somehow never stumbled upon this page until now.
I just wanted to say thank you for creating what I genuinely consider to be the greatest multiplayer game of all time, at least for me personally. I’ve been playing since 2020 and on a system like the switch, with Smash, Mario party, Mario Kart, even other multiplayer indie titles, it is by far the one I go back to the most and never, ever gets old. It really is a magical experience.
That being said, please don’t feel too much pressure to revisit the game and push that parity update for all consoles if you aren’t absolutely sure you want to. The game doesn’t need an update! Genuinely! It would be nice, but the lack of an update is never gonna NOT make me go back to it because it is always fresh no matter what. So seriously, don’t apologize for not having motivation to work on a game you’ve poured near a decade of work into, I much rather know the dev behind one of my favorite games is living their best life.
I still really want to do more with Duck Game both updates and parity wise but life just goes quick… Thanks for playing and for taking the time to say something kind, it means a lot.
im going to cry i think
Really eloquent writing. The analogy of subsequent puppeteers is darkly beautiful.
I started playing Duck Game on the couch with friends when I was a student. That was about a decade ago. I have a great many burned-in memories, nights shared with good friends, a 4-pack of Red Stripe beer each (terrible stuff), laughing and joking as we battled for hours on end.
I’m 30 now. I have a career, built on those student days. Some of those friends have moved away. Some have families. Some have high-energy careers. I only see one of them on the regular. A couple months back, we booted up Duck Game again, and for a couple of hours, we returned to that place.
That place is something special. I became a Christian a few years back, partly as a result of facing up to some of the truths you touched on here. The world is a terrible place, and that must be confronted. But… it’s also a beautiful place, where friendships blossom and artistry is beloved.
Creations like Duck Game are a part of that beauty. For a moment, you can go to that place, and know that God is good, because we were made to smile and be with one another and laugh in fellowship.
It’ll never be the same, but it’ll always be there.
God bless you, man. Thanks for the memories. Hope things pick up soon, you got this.
Thanks man, I do believe there’s more good in the world than bad and joy really feels like the stronger emotion when it’s there. I remember very few days of misery further than a few months back but so many good times make themselves into core memories and nostalgia will always take me back to those times. It means a lot to hear that Duck Game is a part of that for you so seriously thanks for the comment. I hope 30 treats you well, it’s not so bad!
The reason why I love Duck Game Landon, is that it always brings me joy, the fact that I was born in the 21st century yet this game makes me nostalgic is phenomenal. I love Duck Game I love love love this game, the retro aesthetic and continuity to the inspiration is incredible. Thank you for all the time you put into ties project, I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but I admire the dedication. I really honestly love the musical composition in the game, it is always the right thing at the right time. Thank you, seriously Landon this game has brought me so much joy and I just want you to know that there is no need for rush future updates as the game itself, is more than enough.
Man, thank you. Duck Game is pure Sega Genesis nostalgia for me and it makes me really happy to hear that it was able to bring some of that feeling forward, it means a lot especially to hear that the music hit you. Thanks for taking the time to comment, reading this has made my day a few times.
A good chunk of the stuff you’ve made has given me unimaginable inspiration and joy. Genny practically kickstarted my musical career, and Duck Game has been a pretty common go-to for big game nights & streams. Ten years from now I bet I’ll still be telling people to pick it up so they can play it with me – and I’ll also probably still be making tunes with Genny involved.
I’m looking forward to Flatlanders, and whatever is up next for Duck Game. Hopefully that guilt doesn’t overstay. Keep making cool stuff!
Dude it’s unreal to hear this, it’s awesome to know you’re into Sega Genesis stuff too and it’s wild and cool to know that my stuff has been a part of that. The only way to fight the guilt is to keep making stuff to stay on top of it so that’s what I’m gonna do and one way or another Flatlanders will come out and Duck Game will get another update ^^ Thanks for taking the time to say this, it means a lot- the stuff you’re working on looks really cool too and I hope you always keep that energy up for what’s next!
Hey! I just wanted to let you know how much Duck Game has had an impact on me and my family over the years. After playing it years ago with friends, I picked it up again 2 years ago on the Switch. Funny enough, my inlaws bought a switch to play Pac-Man or Mario party with us online, but after I showed them Duck Game, that’s all they’ve played religiously almost every other day since. Even though they aren’t the most tech savvy, they practiced to the point where they are seriously competitive… We’ll often play online every now and then online and recently after my father in-law was off work recovering from a surgery he dove into making his own levels on the Switch since they’d played the same ones for so long. Over the years I’ve tried to show them other games, but nothing ever made it past the first play like Duck Game has. Thank you for the creating Duck Game.
Honestly the thought of your inlaws spanking you in Duck Game brings me indescribable joy and your father inlaw making levels actually brings tears to my eyes, that is so damn cool. Thank you so much for taking the time to say this, and for playing <3