I often find myself both delighted and puzzled by which games capture the hearts of players on Steam. Among them, few have managed to be as simultaneously engaging and perplexing as the success of Placid Plastic Duck Simulator. This game, better described as an interactive screensaver, involves steering a rubber duck around a pool filled with other floating companions, while seeking out 50 hidden rubber ducks and some other curiosities.

Since its 2022 launch, Placid Plastic Duck Simulator boasts an impressive 97% ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ rating on Steam, ranking as the 127th top-rated game on the platform according to SteamDB.

Naturally, the acclaim has led to the development of a sequel, but the creative minds behind this new project—turbolento games and Fantastico Studio—have crafted something entirely different rather than merely adding more duck models.

The successor, titled Placid Plastic Deck – A Quiet Quest, is a card-battling experience where players take on the role of Zoi, a teenager reconciling with her best friend by entering a regional card game tournament. The game features an exploration phase reminiscent of classic JRPGs with top-down, sprite-based graphics and branching dialogues before shifting to a first-person perspective for its strategic card battles.

Despite its duck-centric theme, players will have access to several unique decks, providing a refreshing gameplay experience. A demo is available to download, allowing players to dive into the tutorial and explore the game’s mechanics.

While the theme may sound whimsical, the depth of gameplay aims to evolve beyond a mere intro into strategic card combat, similar to Inscryption.

With no specific release date confirmed yet, the developers are looking to launch the game later this year.