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Duck Life 9 News

3 DAYS LEFT FOR THE FLOCK TO COME!

Hello hello Ducks! This is the final stretch for Duck Life 9 to release... JUST 3 DAYS LEFT! We're so happy about what the game looks like and all of the new adventures you will face!

We're going to recap all of the most important features coming to the game in these 3 days, let's go for it!


[h2]A new lick of paint[/h2]


With every new game, we’re always trying to push the boundaries of how beautiful we can make the world around you, so this time we’ve decided to go with a lovely pastel art style, with calligraphic outlines to nail that painterly feel. Above you can see some of the visual development of how we evolved the look of the ducks, with the OG style on the left morphing into something a little *too* different in version 2, and being reigned back into something more familiar by the end. The result is a cute new spin on the designs seen in Duck Life Adventure, with slightly altered proportions, fluffy shoulders and some feet that lend themselves a lot better to the new 3D environment.

[h2]You’ve got a golden ticket![/h2]


Duck Life 9 is set in the tropical paradise of Featherhaven Island. The island is separated into 9 areas, but we’re not going to be spoiling them all today, where would be the fun in that?? Take a look below to see what we’re willing to reveal to you this week...

[h2]Cel shading[/h2]


Cel shading is a great way to give a 3D object a cartoony appearance. When used right, everything will pop out with bright colors that help bring the world to life. Less is more and that’s what we’ve tried to do, many of the models use a simple gradient to help give a subtle bit of depth whilst the shadows are key to giving us our lighting.

Using the shadows right gives us lovely shapes that can turn a simple flat surface into a fluffy meadow worthy of lying in under the stars!

[h2]It's in the details[/h2]


Sometimes it’s the little things that can bring the world to life, the visual effects (VFX) are a big part of that but it’s surprisingly easy to make them look realistic. Game dev tools are often made nowadays to do realism really well. The art is giving the game its character!

The VFX is a language of its own and helps make Duck Life 9 feel special. The glints on the water are more than just dots which give it a magical look. The waterfall itself spits out comicbook style shapes that help to distance the look of the game from many other games.

[h2]Training games are back[/h2]


Training games are a staple of Duck Life and they will be returning in Duck Life 9! This time we have trainers from all over the animal kingdom, from Doug the Dog to Percy the Penguin - true masters of their skills. When you are below level 50 in a skill, you will do beginner training. Once you hit level 50 you can unlock pro training and train up to the maximum level of 100. Both types of training have 5 parts each, which you can unlock after every 10 levels. This makes a whopping total of 60 training mini games.

[h2]Perilous Planks[/h2]


Perilous Planks procedurally creates a bridge going all the way from the entrance to the exit of the section, meaning each time you attempt this obstacle it will be a little different - memorizing the course won’t help you breeze through this one! The goal of this obstacle is very simple… Don’t fall off!! While this may seem easy to some, the true difficulty comes in when you combine the longer stretches with an overconfident speeding duck! If you are truly gifted in the ways of the running skill, you’ll be able to complete it without stopping or slowing down, but that of course, will come with practice.

That’s everything for now, but come tomorrow for another recap! Join our Discord channel to stay updated and join the discussion. We’ll also be posting trailers and updates on our YouTube channel, and if you’d like to wishlist the game, you can do so now on the official Steam page.

See you on May 7th.

Demo Update Notes (3/5/24)

  • Fixed bug which caused the Lover’s Spring chest to not open
  • Added Headmaster Hoot, school and owl tasks
  • Tournament qualifiers are now hosted by DNN
  • Improved cookbook and cooking system
  • Food shop has been removed (sorry Mona fans!)
  • Too many small fixes and improvements to count!

Farming Fest begins today!

[h2]Hello fellow Ducks![/h2]

We are thrilled to announce that Duck Life 9: The Flock will be part of Farming Fest – the festival celebrating all things related to farming based video games starting today until May 6th.



During the festival, you'll also have the chance to watch our devs stream Duck Life on the Steam page and get a sneak peek of what's coming with the game release.

Don't forget to follow us on Socials and stay up to date

Catch you soon on the island!✌️

~Wix Games

Dev Log 18 - Mark your calendars!

Firsts


Hi everyone! It’s Sam the artist here, and I have the honour of bringing you guys the final Duck Life 9 dev log before the release of the game - yes, you read that right! It’s with great pleasure that I can finally reveal the release date of our latest entry into the series, Duck Life 9: The Flock, and that date is… The 7th of May! Mark your calendars!
In celebration of this, today’s blog post is going to be all about “firsts”, that being everything we’ve packed into DL9 that’s a “first” for the duck life series overall. Let’s face it; when you’re working on the ninth instalment of a series it can be hard to innovate the experience if you just keep sticking to the same old formula. “More races and mini games with a different coat of paint” may have been enough in the past, but as we look to the future and build up the Wix Games team we can finally start to push some boundaries. It may be the last dev log, but there’s ironically plenty of firsts to count down! Let’s go!

[h2]Plucky Polygons - 3D Graphics[/h2]

Obvious ones first! Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you may have noticed that Duck Life 9 is now in THREE DIMENSIONS! We can finally stand shoulder-to-shoulder with many other popular games that we’ve considered an inspiration in the past, and racing your ducks can now be enjoyed the way it was intended all those years ago…

[h2]Update your CV - The Balancing Skill[/h2]

Another one that the more informed among you may already know, for the first time ever ducks must learn a skill not previously present in any Duck Life game - balancing! Not to worry, though - you’ve got Kat the cat to help you out! No doubt there’ll be a tightrope or two in the races, so best make sure you keep up with your training.

[h2]Cultural Exchange - New Animal Friends[/h2]

We all saw this coming - Duck Life finally has more than just ducks! That’s right, it’s a big wide world out there and for too long it’s been feeling a little sparse, populated by only ducks and their elusive human friends. No longer! Duck Life 9 has a cast of over 15 new characters, each with their own way to help contribute to your flock. Don’t be shy, they don’t bite! (Apart from Tyler the Tiger)

[h2]It’s Honest Work - Farming[/h2]

Your ducks may not have thumbs, but if they did they’d be green. Given the right tools and a little bit of patience, you’ll never run out of provisions again! Over the course of your adventure you’ll be picking up various seeds that you can plant in your village to grow Juicespruce, Duckroot, Dazeradish and more…

[h2]Recipe for Success - Cooking[/h2]

And then you can put them to good use! If you want the biggest stat bonuses possible then you’ll definitely want to invest some time into discovering new recipes with the cooking pot, an upgradeable item in The Flock that you can use to mix, bake and stew yourself many different combinations of food, with over 30 possible resulting dishes. Eat up!

[h2]Got a Bite! - Fishing[/h2]

Another source of ingredients for your culinary ventures - the rock pools in the Fishing Beach! Once you gain access to this secret hideaway on Featherhaven Island, Benson the Bear can teach you how to use nets and fishing rods, and you can begin catching some whoppers!

[h2]Community of Cuties - Build Your Village[/h2]

You better believe it - it’s the name of the game - expand the flock zone and make it your own! The demo only offers a tiny taste of what’s possible, so believe me when I say that once you start using those Magic Water Droplets to upgrade your well, the options are only going to keep growing. When you’ve uncovered the full expanse of The Flock’s area then you can really start to get your SimCity juices flowing and build some delightful ducky neighbourhoods.

[h2]Hop, Skip and Jump! - Shoes[/h2]

Some people following our social media may have spotted our new friend Sid the Snake, who you’ll all hopefully meet very soon. He specialises in the collection and acquisition of the island’s finest footwear (don’t ask why, we haven’t a clue) and he’s willing to share his wares! This is the first time that ducks have ever had access to fashionable footwear, so make sure to look out for him when you’re exploring the lofty heights of Featherhaven.

[h2]Talk the Talk - Conversational Ducks[/h2]

Don’t be rude! Or do! In Duck Life 9 you can steer the discussion as you see fit, with multiple response options when talking to your island chums. Long gone are the days of having to sit and listen to Barbie Velvet run her mouth while you stare silently into the middle distance, now you can talk back! Quite Liberating, I know!

That’s just about the last “first” we’re inclined to reveal at this point - to experience the full breadth of what we’ve got in store for you, we hope to see you in-game on release day - May 7th! Until then, join our Discord channel to keep updated and to join the discussion. We’ll also be posting trailers and updates on our YouTube channel, and if you’d like to wishlist the game you can do so now on the official Steam page (wishlisting helps a lot with getting the game featured on Steam when it releases, so please do it if you can!)

Dev Log 17

Duck Life has always been known for its training mini games. But in Duck Life 9, we’ve included a whole bunch more mini games that have nothing to do with training whatsoever! In today’s dev log we’re going to take a look at some of them (warning, this dev log includes some spoilers!)

[h2]Archery Cave[/h2]


In the archery cave, your duck is given a crossbow and told to shoot! Shoot all of the targets on the doors to open them up and progress through the cave. Watch the time limit bar at the bottom because if it runs out, you’ll have to start over. Get the to end of the cave before running out of time to receive a mystery prize!

[h2]Beach Clean Up[/h2]


A clumsy duck has dropped all of their precious paper cranes on the beach, and they need your help to pick them all up. But watch out, the tide is coming in (and fast!). You’ll have to think about the right route to take in order to pick them all up without letting any be taken by the ocean!

[h2]Pipes[/h2]


There’s a duck who’s having plumbing problems, and they’ve enlisted you to help (in exchange a tasty reward that is!). Click on a pipe segment to rotate it, and keep rotating segments until everything is connected up nicely. This one is a puzzler for sure!

[h2]Crystal Mines[/h2]


Deep below the Crystal Desert is the Crystal Mines, where there’s treasure to be found! Unfortunately, the only way out of the mine is via a terrifying mine cart track. Use the brake to control the speed of the mine cart and stop it flying off the track (or make it fly off the track and land nicely for swag points!). If you make it to the end of the track without crashing, the treasure is yours!

[h2]Hot Air Balloon[/h2]


There’s something valuable in the sky, and luckily you have a hot air balloon to go and fetch it. Unluckily, the sky is full of obstacles and mines that are ready to pop your balloon and send you hurtling towards the ground! You can only move up and down, so you’ll have to use the wind gusts to move around

[h2]Toadstool Tower[/h2]


Inside this enormous tower is a load of platforms, and it’s your job to jump up them all the way to the top! Some platforms are special and will give you a massive boost, but others will start to crumble as soon as you jump on them. Don’t fall down!

[h2]Volcano Skydive[/h2]


Just outside the volcano is what the ducks lovingly call the “death hole”. This is a giant deep hole filled with lava, rocks and fireballs that no one should ever venture into. It’s your job to skydive all the way to the bottom, avoiding all the obstacles on the way down. If you make it to the bottoms there’s a prize for you, but that’s a big if!

Believe it or not, there are even more mini games than this! But we’ll let you discover them for yourself when the game comes out next month. The next dev log in 2 weeks time will be the final one before release, so get ready for some big reveals! In the meantime, join our Discord channel to keep updated and to join the discussion. We’ll also be posting trailers and updates on our YouTube channel, and if you’d like to wishlist the game you can do so now on the official Steam page (wishlisting helps a lot with getting the game featured on Steam when it releases, so please do it if you can!)

Wix Games Mr.Wix