Duck Paradox wasn’t on my radar before this week, but now it very much is thanks to a new launch date reveal trailer that had me tapping away to its classic rock vibes.
I don’t typically highlight the individual release dates of upcoming games – I have my guide to the best new roguelikes for that – but so much energy and good humour went into the creation of the music video below, and I sensed an opportunity.
But before we get to that, let’s cover the basics!
What is Duck Paradox?
Duck Paradox is an upcoming side-scrolling action-roguelite by Magic Games. There’s a focus on precision platforming and also bouncing bullets off of walls. Throughout your adventures you’ll be growing in strength through a roguish gameplay loop that introduces a range of new mechanics as you progress.
Playing as Dr. Cynthia Paraducks, you must venture through a multiverse of combat encounters while all the time trying to maintain your sanity. Don’t worry though, you’re armed with a ray gun.
Actually, do worry, as each shot will bounce off the walls and may well come back to haunt you. Don’t forget to duck, I guess…
Dr. Paraducks can also slow down time, which will no doubt help, and as per the genre, you’re going to be presented with a series of decisions about new abilities. In fact, you get choose one of two randomised upgrades at the end of each encounter. There are 30 levels all told, plus there’s an endless mode for those who want it.
Duck Paradox Release Date Trailer – She’s Unstoppable
Publisher Midwest Games is working with Magic Games to bring Duck Paradox to a wider audience and help the developer make a splash as the game leaves Early Access. As the new trailer caught my attention so thoroughly, I thought I’d put some questions to the people behind the song to find out more about how it came to be.
Why, I hear you scream into the duck-filled metaverse? Classic rock vibes aside, I wanted to see if there was anything that indie devs could learn from this campaign that might help when marketing their own projects in the future (something I’ve noticed some independent developers struggle with).
That leads us nicely to the below Q&A with Midwest’s Head of Production Chris Klimecky, who orchestrated the video and also starred in it. Check out the trailer if you haven’t already, and then have a read to find out more!
She’s Unstoppable music video interview
RL: Rad tune, Chris. How did this idea come to be?
CK: Thank you! I was playing a lot of Duck Paradox in Early Access almost a year ago now as Midwest Games was figuring out if there was a way we could support the Magic Games team. I was having so much fun, and thought the whole concept and characters were endearing.
I had some music I was working on at the time and the main character “Dr. Cynthia Paraducks” was on my mind. I had never written a “character portrait” lyric before and thought I’d take a shot with Dr. Paraducks as my muse!
It was fun and I approached it like Green Day’s “Last of the American Girls” or Blink 182’s “She’s Out of Her Mind” – a combo of whimsy, respect (for her being badass), and adoration.
RL: Is this a one off or will we get music like this in the OST?
CK: It is a one off and will be on the OST! The rest of the OST will be the in-game music written by Adam Brown, who has done a great job with the game audio.
RL: Have you considered putting together more rock tunes for future projects or even turning pro?
CK: I’m always writing, recording, performing, and producing music, both for myself and other independent musicians. I was musically trained from a young age, have a music degree, am in multiple bands, and ran a songwriters non-profit org in Seattle for over a decade, so it’s not something I do casually.
I don’t usually write about games or game characters despite my passion for video games, though, so it is a bit of an oddity. Could it happen again? Sure! Not something I’m striving for, but fun to tackle if the opportunity and inspiration arises. I like the freedom of being a music artist on my own time while helping game developers as my daily profession.
RL: If you could do the music video for one game that isn’t affiliated to Midwest, which one would you choose?
CK: There are so many – what a fun challenge! I like the idea of taking a complex world or characters and writing about them through an unexpected lens.
So maybe something like Fallout: New Vegas, where I just loved the humor despite the violent, post-apocalyptic setting. There is so much material to mine in a game like that I think it would be a blast to write a song and create visuals to reflect a unique perspective.
RL: It’s funny you say that because I’ve been watching my wife play Fallout: New Vegas this month and I think it would be excellent source material for a rock ballad or two. Make it happen, Chris!
Indie marketing that fits the bill
RL: A lot of roguelike devs struggle to promote their games. If you could give one piece of advice for devs marketing a game, what would you recommend?
CK: I certainly understand that being an artist and a promoter is a heavy lift. My advice would be to start small and don’t rush – build a community for the long run.
Ship, iterate, and ship some more. It’s never about just one game – success comes from building trust with a community that really enjoys what you are making.
Once you have that going at a high quality level, then bring on a publisher or other marketing help to expand to the next level and bring more potential fans to the fun community you’ve built.
Otherwise you’re just buying a lottery ticket and that rarely works out. Being an overnight success takes years and years of hard work and preparation.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!
