Rust-Like Game Duckside Is Not an April Fool's Joke

Summary

Duckside by tinyBuild Games adds a whimsical twist to survival games, with players embodying ducks with hats instead of the typical humanoid characters.
The game's announcement on April Fool's Day generated buzz, sparking debate on whether it was a joke or a real release.
Duckside's closed beta sign-ups are open, promising an experience that includes resource collection, base building, and duck combat.

TinyBuild Games picked the one day when people question information on the Internet to announce its new game, Duckside, and its upcoming Closed Beta. Announced on April Fool's Day, it's an addition to the survival genre. Instead of playing as a humanoid character looking to stay alive in the wilderness, players are ducks wearing hats. This spawned rumors that Duckside was a joke to celebrate the holiday.

The developer and publisher of a variety of indie games, from Hello Neighbor 2 to one of the best shop simulation games Potion Craft, tinyBuild Games is known for implementing fantastical ideas into its games. Announcing its latest title on April Fool's Day is a move in line with the company itself. This day is when marketing is typically a nightmare due to the prevalence of false information spread as jokes, but it worked in Duckside's favor, generating interest in the title by making gamers question if it's real or not.

The survival crafting game Duckside made waves on whether it was an elaborate joke or an actual game to add to the growing list of survival games released in 2024. After scouring the internet, all signs point to this being an actual game, given the existence of the Duckside Steam page and Discord server. The first closed beta is accepting sign-ups and is expected to start on April 18.

Survival Crafting Game Duckside Announced on April Fool's Day

The announcement trailer shows off a variety of game mechanics, including resource collection, base building, and combat. Building bases and collecting materials are mandatory inclusions in survival titles like Palworld or Rust, leaving the trailer a little lacking when it comes to new mechanics. The main focus, of course, is the interaction between the world and the characters. Ducks dive-bombing bases, taking out human enemies with shotguns, or collecting a bunch of logs certainly sets it apart from the competition. A call for closed beta participants is included at the end of the trailer. Interested players can sign up through the Duckside Steam page.

Survival crafting games are becoming a mainstay genre in the video game industry. While there are a variety of open-world crafting games that have been released into early access this year, Duckside seems to be the most similar to Rust, one of the longstanding giants of survival. It features a realistic world where players need to survive through crafting numerous items. The trailer even shows one character blowing up a base, which could indicate raiding will be a major feature of the game like it is in Rust.

Whether players flock to Duckside due to the way it was announced or just to destroy enemies as a duck remains to be seen. The first closed beta begins in the middle of the month, which should reveal more features and how interested the community is in the title.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image