How an adorable duck sparked our creativity

We have all experienced that profound feeling of being surrounded by others yet feeling utterly out of place. It is this very sensation that sparked the creativity behind Dodo Duckie, a game that wraps players in a cozy adventure driven by an adorable duckling’s quest for belonging.

The story begins with Dodo, a duckling raised among chickens who struggles to find his place in the world. This deeply personal theme became the emotional foundation for the design of the puzzle platformer, offering players a journey that is simultaneously light-hearted and deeply resonant.

Behind this charming creation is BornMonkie, a small indie studio based in India led by Samhith, alongside his sister and producer, Samveda. Pitching such an ambitious vision in the competitive world of independent game development proved challenging, pushing the team to ask themselves: what could we realistically build and see through?

The answer emerged in a surprisingly simple yet profound form: a duck.

As the creative director, Samhith steered the project, focusing on ensuring Dodo’s adventure felt like a warm embrace. The goal was to transform Dodo’s struggle into a playful journey of discovery, where clumsy attempts to fit in are played for laughs, turning a heavy theme into something delightful.

The development process was anything but smooth. Years spent balancing client work and countless prototypes demanded radical design choices. An early decision made by the team was to remove the jump mechanic entirely from the 3D space. While initially thought to be the game’s main hook, testing revealed a different truth: players were falling for Dodo before they fully grasped the puzzles.

This shift in perspective taught them that Dodo’s personality should be the front door to the experience, while the puzzle design provided the compelling reason to stay. It took dedication and time until 2025 to realize this vision fully, resulting in a game that feels complete and heartfelt.

Creating the visual world was another significant hurdle. To ensure the game looked coherent across both 3D and 2D perspectives—allowing players to flip between views to discover hidden paths and solve intricate puzzles—the team had to embrace restraint. This resource management became their superpower, leading them to favor clean shapes, rounded edges, and vibrant colors. What seemed like a stylistic choice ultimately stemmed from a practical need for perfect readability.

The narrative beneath the gameplay is equally important. Dodo’s struggle mirrors the very real pressure faced by the creators growing up in a highly competitive environment. The team chose to tell this story through animation, physical comedy, and expressive character movement, aiming for emotional beats that resonate universally, much like a beloved Pixar short.

Dodo Duckie is now available for players on Xbox Series X|S and PC with XPA. It invites you to explore new perspectives and discover how the journey of one little duckling teaches us that sometimes, a leap doesn’t have to look graceful to count. Sometimes, it just has to happen.