Hello folks! Sam here, Lead Artist at Wix Games, and I’m here to tell you all about how Duck Life’s visual language is evolving going into the third dimension. This week, we thought we’d give you a deeper look into the new-and-improved world of Duck Life, more specifically Featherhaven Island, our most ambitious destination to date! But before we dive in head-first, lets take a look at some of the defining principles of Duck Life 9’s art…
A new lick of paint
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 really the 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.
You’ve got a golden ticket!
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...
Another zen garden?!
Let’s get to the meat and potatoes - Featherhaven Island! More specifically Spring Meadows, which is one of the first areas you’ll come across on your adventure. Here you’ll be meeting and racing other ducks, gaining access to merchants, and even learning a new skill or two! This area was heavily inspired by traditional Japanese gardens, which means the inclusion of water features and cherry blossoms aplenty - but it obviously wouldn’t be a proper Duck Life game without a windmill in the background, so we’ve got you covered there, too!
A place in the sun
Another zone that you’ll come across is Splash Lagoon, the ideal holiday destination for any duck who wants get away from it all and float in the ocean with a tropical drink. You’ll notice a sneaky set of vines in the background there, which you can utilise with your climbing skill to reach new heights! This will also be the first time in Duck Life where you’ll be able to come across fellow ducks to race just chilling in the water, a bit like in the Seafoam Islands area of the original Pokemon game. This helps make your surroundings feel more like a natural breathing world, with ducks going about their day-to-day in each section of Featherhaven Island’s 9 zones. The Lagoon takes a few visual notes from Super Mario Sunshine, really leaning into those sun-blazed tropical colours to make it feel like a true island hideaway.
That’s everything for now, but come back soon for more dev logs! We’ll be posting here every two weeks. 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