Duck: Think Outside the Flock

August 1, 2008

Platform: Flash

Tags: bbonte, flash, free, game, kidsafe, macwinlinux, puzzle, simpleidea

By Jay | add to favorites | add to your website | Comments (61)

Jay Following the lead of his previous puzzle games, Seen on Screen and Fields of Logic, Bart Bonte has just released a new game into the wild, this one called Duck: Think Outside the Flock.

The objective of Duck is to figure out what to do for each of the 25 levels of the game. Just right for most casual gamers, though some of the more hardcore out there will be able to breeze through most of the levels easily. As is usual for this type of game, its appeal lies within the thrill of discovery, though you will also need just a dash of luck and skill. And those ducks are so darn cute.

Always a happy day whenever Bart releases a new game, try for yourself and see why. Play Duck: Think Outside the Flock.

Duck: Think Outside the Flock walkthrough now available!

Currently 4.3/5
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Rating: 4.3/5 (160 votes cast)

Walkthrough Guide

Ducks in a Row (a walkthrough in 3 acts)

Act One

Movement I

The duck follows the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to collect both white floats.

Movement II

The ducks turn around at the conductor's command. The conductor turns all three ducks to face him.

Movement III

The ducks swim around in a circle, then stop. The conductor picks the duck that showed an arrow at the beginning.

Movement IV

Sixteen ducks line up in a square. The conductor picks the purple one.

Movement V

The duck mirrors the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to collect both white floats.

Movement VI

The duck follows the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to pick up the white floats while avoiding the purple ones.

Movement VII

The ducks and their neighbors turn around at the conductor's command. The conductor picks five ducks in an X pattern to make them all face him.

Movement VIII

The duck follows the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to pick up the white floats from smallest to largest.

Movement IX

The duck mirrors the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to pick up the white floats while avoiding the purple ones.

End of Act One

Act Two

Movement X

Sixteen ducks line up in a square. The conductor picks the one with one eye.

Movement XI

Yellow and purple ducks arrange in circles, moving to the adjacent empty circle at the conductor's command. The commander directs them around until they all reside in circles of their color.

Movement XII

The ducks swim around in a circle, then stop. The conductor picks the duck that showed an arrow at the beginning.

Movement XIII

The duck follows the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to collect the three small floats, then the three medium, then the three large.

Movement XIV

At the conductor's command, the ducks swim to other locations. The conductor directs the ducks to line up horizontally in the middle.

Movement XV

A large duck shows up, which the conductor pulls out of the way to reveal a smaller duck, which turns around at the conductor's command.

Movement XVI

The ducks and their neighbors turn around at the conductor's command. The conductor picks four ducks in a tilted square formation, so that all sixteen ducks face him.

Movement XVII

Yellow and purple ducks arrange in circles, moving to the adjacent empty circle at the conductor's command. The commander directs them around until they all reside in circles of their color.

Movement XVIII

The duck follows the conductor's horizontal movements, but mirrors the vertical ones. The conductor directs the duck to pick up the white floats while avoiding the purple ones.

End of Act Two

Act Three

Movement XIX

The conductor pulls the large duck out of the way, revealing a smaller duck which he also pulls out of the way, and so on until the smallest duck is revealed. He turns around at the conductor's command.

Movement XX

Sixteen ducks line up in a square. The conductor picks the one with the wrong eye closed.

Movement XXI

The duck follows the conductor's vertical movements, but mirrors the horizontal ones. The conductor directs the duck to collect the white floats while avoiding the purple ones.

Movement XXII

The ducks turn around, two at a time, at the conductor's command. The conductor looks for pairs of ducks that match each other, and they swim away when found.

Movement XXIII

The conductor drags all three ducks out of the way, then drags them again to reveal three smaller ducks which turn around at his command.

Movement XXIV

The ducks and the ones in their diagonal lines turn around at the conductor's command. The conductor picks the four center ducks, then two corners, so that they all face him.

Movement XXV

The finale is a game of tic-tac-toe. The conductor picks the center circle, then the corner opposite where the opponent picks. He then blocks the opponent's attempted threesome, which also gives him the perfect opportunity to win on the next turn.

End of Act Three

Posted by: SonicLover | August 1, 2008 5:42 PM

61 Comments [leave a comment]

I had a breeze of a time until level 14. Here is a hint/giveaway:

the ducks must all be in a row in the middle

Posted by: Robynthegeek

| August 1, 2008 4:22 PM

Cute Game!

Posted by: Michaela | August 1, 2008 4:32 PM

Up to level 17 now. I hate those levels like level 16, where you have to get all the ducks facing the same way...

Posted by: Spanky McPipebomb | August 1, 2008 4:32 PM

I can't beat level 25. This damn pink duck never makes the slighest mistake !

Posted by: Cess | August 1, 2008 4:44 PM

Level 24 anyone?

Posted by: Spanky McPipebomb | August 1, 2008 4:45 PM

Level 24

argghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Posted by: 4red3s

| August 1, 2008 4:45 PM

Ah! I got all but level 25! I kept thinking of the movie War Games.

Posted by: The Fuzz | August 1, 2008 4:46 PM

Level 25

The trick to level 25 is to NOT pick the middle circle. I don't know if it's the only solution, but I took top right, he took center, I took bottom left, he took top right, I took bottom right and it was a guaranteed win,

Posted by: Jay (not that one) | August 1, 2008 4:58 PM

Anybody have a solution for 24, or should I just keep clicking randomly?

Posted by: Spanky McPipebomb | August 1, 2008 5:04 PM

Level 25:

Luckily, tic-tac-toe is a predictable gamespace. Since you can always go first, you can always play a perfect game:

1. Choose center. Opponent will choose a corner.
2. Choose opposite corner from opponent. Opponent will choose an adjacent square to its first choice.
3. Choose a corner that will allow you to win with either a diagonal to corner-to-corner line.

For example:
(O = opponent)
OOX
-XO
--X

Posted by: twb | August 1, 2008 5:06 PM

Could I have some help with level 15 please!

Posted by: Vogonviking

| August 1, 2008 5:09 PM

OK, I've got it now!

Posted by: Vogonviking

| August 1, 2008 5:17 PM

If I remember correctly, on 24 click the middle four ducks then the two bottom corners.

Posted by: Karl

| August 1, 2008 5:20 PM

Thank you Karl! I almost made it through the whole game without help, but I hit a brick wall on 24. Nice little game.

Posted by: Spanky McPipebomb | August 1, 2008 5:39 PM

Ducks in a Row (a walkthrough in 3 acts)

Act One

Movement I

The duck follows the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to collect both white floats.

Movement II

The ducks turn around at the conductor's command. The conductor turns all three ducks to face him.

Movement III

The ducks swim around in a circle, then stop. The conductor picks the duck that showed an arrow at the beginning.

Movement IV

Sixteen ducks line up in a square. The conductor picks the purple one.

Movement V

The duck mirrors the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to collect both white floats.

Movement VI

The duck follows the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to pick up the white floats while avoiding the purple ones.

Movement VII

The ducks and their neighbors turn around at the conductor's command. The conductor picks five ducks in an X pattern to make them all face him.

Movement VIII

The duck follows the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to pick up the white floats from smallest to largest.

Movement IX

The duck mirrors the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to pick up the white floats while avoiding the purple ones.

End of Act One

Act Two

Movement X

Sixteen ducks line up in a square. The conductor picks the one with one eye.

Movement XI

Yellow and purple ducks arrange in circles, moving to the adjacent empty circle at the conductor's command. The commander directs them around until they all reside in circles of their color.

Movement XII

The ducks swim around in a circle, then stop. The conductor picks the duck that showed an arrow at the beginning.

Movement XIII

The duck follows the conductor's movements. The conductor directs the duck to collect the three small floats, then the three medium, then the three large.

Movement XIV

At the conductor's command, the ducks swim to other locations. The conductor directs the ducks to line up horizontally in the middle.

Movement XV

A large duck shows up, which the conductor pulls out of the way to reveal a smaller duck, which turns around at the conductor's command.

Movement XVI

The ducks and their neighbors turn around at the conductor's command. The conductor picks four ducks in a tilted square formation, so that all sixteen ducks face him.

Movement XVII

Yellow and purple ducks arrange in circles, moving to the adjacent empty circle at the conductor's command. The commander directs them around until they all reside in circles of their color.

Movement XVIII

The duck follows the conductor's horizontal movements, but mirrors the vertical ones. The conductor directs the duck to pick up the white floats while avoiding the purple ones.

End of Act Two

Act Three

Movement XIX

Movement XX

Sixteen ducks line up in a square. The conductor picks the one with the wrong eye closed.

Movement XXI

The duck follows the conductor's vertical movements, but mirrors the horizontal ones. The conductor directs the duck to collect the white floats while avoiding the purple ones.

Movement XXII

The ducks turn around, two at a time, at the conductor's command. The conductor looks for pairs of ducks that match each other, and they swim away when found.

Movement XXIII

The conductor drags all three ducks out of the way, then drags them again to reveal three smaller ducks which turn around at his command.

Movement XXIV

The ducks and the ones in their diagonal lines turn around at the conductor's command. The conductor picks the four center ducks, then two corners, so that they all face him.

Movement XXV

End of Act Three

Posted by: SonicLover

| August 1, 2008 5:42 PM

someone help with #10?
pathetic, i know, but i suck @ these x)

Posted by: cindy | August 1, 2008 5:46 PM

For those requiring a solution to 24,

Click every outside duck.

Posted by: MaybeLater_x | August 1, 2008 5:51 PM

Act Three

Movement XIX

Movement XX

Sixteen ducks line up in a square. The conductor picks the one with the wrong eye closed.

Movement XXI

The duck follows the conductor's vertical movements, but mirrors the horizontal ones. The conductor directs the duck to collect the white floats while avoiding the purple ones.

Movement XXII

The ducks turn around, two at a time, at the conductor's command. The conductor looks for pairs of ducks that match each other, and they swim away when found.

Movement XXIII

The conductor drags all three ducks out of the way, then drags them again to reveal three smaller ducks which turn around at his command.

Movement XXIV

The ducks and the ones in their diagonal lines turn around at the conductor's command. The conductor picks the four center ducks, then two corners, so that they all face him.

Movement XXV

End of Act Three

Posted by: SonicLover

| August 1, 2008 6:02 PM

Can't do four, grr.

Posted by: RedRevolver

| August 1, 2008 6:04 PM

Ha! Didn't need any luck, thank you.
That was the easiest thing.

I don't feel like watching the movie...

There has been an unusual quantity of ducks here lately - you know, we had a farting duck a few days ago :)

Posted by: Petrucio

| August 1, 2008 6:29 PM

I LOVE Bart Bonte games. They're always the perfect difficulty to offer a nice distraction without being to frustrating. Unfortunately with this last installment I hope Bart isn't falling into a slump of some of the same puzzles with different objects (screen, cow, duck etc.) Still a lovely game.

Posted by: vinny

| August 1, 2008 6:49 PM

Another great Bonte game! My only complaint is that it was way too easy. I know Bart's games are simple, made to entertain without being tiresome or hard, yet I think Bart should make his next game a bit harder. I really like his style =D

Posted by: Donut

| August 1, 2008 7:09 PM

twb, AFAIK in tic-tac-toe if poth players play "perfect" you always get a draw. The corner start is stopable. So its here about testing where the weakness in this cpu implementation is.

Posted by: fuzzyface

| August 1, 2008 7:14 PM

i <3 Ducks!!!!

:DDDDDD

Posted by: Ninjaz

| August 1, 2008 7:21 PM

Yeah, I always loved Bart's games like these. They're so simple, but without sacraficing the fun factor.

Posted by: rkr7

| August 1, 2008 8:00 PM

Moderately fun. I found it a little too simple, though. I kept hoping for something that would require more "thinking outside the box" (or flock, as it were) but for almost all of the puzzles, it was obvious what had to be done within a few seconds.

Also, is there any particular reason why the credits had to crawl by at a snail's pace?

Posted by: fishy

| August 1, 2008 8:36 PM

heh, cute little game, only needed 2 hints: one on 14 and on 25. I'd like to see these kind of games more often, but not too hard, or else I'd get frustrated.

Posted by: Alex Kantal

| August 1, 2008 8:54 PM

Fun game. Ran a bit slow on my computer though.

Posted by: UnknownGuy

| August 1, 2008 9:06 PM

Great Game! I finshed the whole thing without help =D. My fav level was 25 becuase it was just tic-tac-toe lol. *****

Posted by: Cassie! :D | August 1, 2008 9:09 PM

Finishing up through 23 was a breeze, I needed help with 24, and 25 was no trouble. I am the king of

tic-tac-toe.

Posted by: Jaiim

| August 1, 2008 9:45 PM

Umm... is it just me, or did the picture on this entry change?

And yes, it's sad that I know that.

Posted by: BuenoCabra

| August 1, 2008 9:57 PM

It changed. I liked the new one better. :)

Posted by: Jay

| August 1, 2008 9:58 PM

Pretty good. I did have to come here for help with 14, but the rest I got without help. It is a little disappointingly similar to some of his others, I do hope he isn't in a rut.

Posted by: OrigamiMarie

| August 1, 2008 11:34 PM

Did all 25, no walkthrough, 15 minutes, during an AIM chat.

24 was rather creative, 25 was a little annoying, the click-and-the-adjacent-ones-turn were stupid, stupid, I hate them so much but random clicking worked fine.

Posted by: PandaKnight

| August 2, 2008 1:57 AM

I don't understand level 24!
What do you mean, MaybeLater_x?
What does:

"Click every outside duck"

mean?
I don't quite understand you.

Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2008 2:21 AM

wow... this is ridiculously lame.. you dont have to think outside of any box/flock..

its just a compilation of..
click the duck
lights out
matching
tic tac toe..

waste of time if you ask me

Posted by: mark | August 2, 2008 2:56 AM

Well nice game, however as many said already, it are all "inbox" puzzles, so the title "think outside the box" is IMHO very unlucky picked.

Posted by: fuzzyface

| August 2, 2008 3:46 AM

This game is really cute, finely crafted and has a nice difficulty curve. Level 24 in particular is a nice twist on a venerable puzzle.

That being said, a word to future game developers, from your adoring, appreciative fans:

Don't make a game element where the controls get all reversed.

Look, we know that changing the X and Y axis controls is easy and adds a "challenge" to a regular board, but players *hate* it. If we really like a game, we are polite enough to endure it, but really, We loathe it...

Don't believe me? Check through all of the JiG forums, and I guarantee you that you'll never find this comment: "Remember that part of the game where my controls went all wonky?! MAN! I LOVE THAT PART!!!!"

Ahem. I thank you for your time.

Posted by: Zug | August 2, 2008 4:37 AM

Nice little distraction. Definitely easier than Bart's previous logic games, I was thru in about 15 minutes - but, since this is a CASUAL game, it's not at all a problem.

One rather weird thing, though: I finished the game, that classical exit screen song came on. I closed the window - the music played on. After some minutes it bacame a little boring. But there was nothing I could do to stop it. Closed the browser - guess what: the music kept playing. Closed the net connection - music still went on. I had to restart the computer to get rid of it. WTF???

Posted by: bioLarzen

| August 2, 2008 6:40 AM

That was happy ducky fun
*sigh*

Posted by: stupidcheeseboy

| August 2, 2008 8:01 AM

Well, I do wish it was a bit more complicated, but it was lovely. And the glowing duck in the end is so gorgeous.

Posted by: Catu | August 2, 2008 9:36 AM

This was a great distraction, especially with the music and visuals. My favorites actually were the ones where they had to all face the same way. Most of the other puzzles were on the edge of too easy.

Choosing tic tac toe for the last puzzle I think was a mistake. When I saw it it was a bit of an 'oh, that's all?' moment. Good fun just the same, though.

Posted by: MailOrderYaks

| August 2, 2008 10:22 AM

I love ducks!

This was very enjoyable while undergoing the induction phase for a Ketogenic diet.

Thank you

Posted by: Dr. Pepsi | August 2, 2008 10:26 AM

Zug, I disagree

that nobody likes the kind of puzzle where the controls are reversed. Me, I liked the challenge of those levels, especially that different controls were reversed each time.

A fun game all around. I love this kind where you have to figure out what to do. There were a couple that almost had me coming here to get a hint.

Posted by: barbara

| August 2, 2008 11:16 AM

It's a little disappointing, when playing a game subtitled "Think outside the flock", to discover that the last level is tic-tac-toe. I resolved sometime around the age of 13 never to play the card-game war, or tic-tac-toe again. I broke that resolution today when I completed this game. Luckily for me, the computer isn't quite as smart as my friends back then had been, and I eventually found a solution it didn't anticipate. This game was a pleasant way to while away 12 minutes or so. I'd advise the creator to lose the subtitle, or come up with a different final level, however.

Posted by: Twee

| August 2, 2008 1:54 PM

Wow, a very charming game. I love the ducks--so cute! And their movements are cool.

However, I felt this game really fell flat with the challenges. Many of them were just repeats of each other. And, as others have pointed out, it really is about thinking inside the box.

Posted by: bogus

| August 2, 2008 3:54 PM

I liked it - but perhaps more importantly my non-gamer wife liked playing along over my shoulder. Though at the end she said it seemed like 250 levels instead of just 25...

For the games where the goal is getting them all turned the same way:

Clicking with some degree of symmetry can help.

And for level 25:

I beat it the second try by making my second move ambiguous - not obviously connected to my first.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
ME AI 6 5 7 1 9 3 8*
Then again, I've been practicing with a 5 year old...

Posted by: DaveS

| August 2, 2008 11:15 PM

Oh wow, that was easy. I only hated level 24. But try to click with a pattern, and not randomly, that'll help.

Plus, level 25. Come on, it's just tic tac toe. Play it like you always do. I tied my first and won on my second try. Started with middle circle.

Posted by: Faeleia

| August 3, 2008 1:23 AM

I love this game - simple with the nutcracker classical music keeping it light and "fluffy" mood (or is it the duck quacks...?)

Got through without a walkthrough! (That's a new for me).

I find the making all the ducks turn the same way and reverse direction movement of the mouse a bit challenging at times, but patience does pay off.

I'm glad it ends in tic-tac-toe - an easy way out (I was taught ways to inevitably beat tic-tac-toe or at least draw, so that was nice).

Thanks Bronte!

Posted by: shobaday

| August 3, 2008 2:12 AM

cute game, made it through 23 without help, then tired-brain set in and it just wouldn't work.

a nice 10 minute diversion, that's for sure :)

Posted by: chibidani

| August 4, 2008 1:45 AM

=(')
(>>>>>>>)'
~~~~~~~~~~

Posted by: sillybuttons™

| August 4, 2008 10:50 AM

Remember that part of the game where my controls went all wonky?! MAN! I LOVE THAT PART!!!!

Zug was wrong

Posted by: Pig | August 4, 2008 9:06 PM

i finished all 25 levels without any help/walkthrough :)
i'm so proud
this is a defining moment in my life.

Posted by: dinosaurus

| August 5, 2008 2:15 AM

I loved that game! The only part I had to look-up was a solution to tic-tac-toe. I'm horrible at that game, I hate to admit. But it was easy and fin. And at the end, after you've won, how the duck leaves ripples when you move him around. Is he pooping behind him or something? Hmmmm....

Posted by: Sarah Mac | August 5, 2008 12:05 PM

This was a really charming little game, a bit repetitive in level design, but still somehow the rubber duckies made that forgivable. Maybe I'll even check out that DVD now.

Posted by: David S

| August 5, 2008 11:08 PM

25 is like tic tac toe do top right bottom left then bottom right whichever one the purple ducks goes in you go in the other

Posted by: weirdo | August 6, 2008 8:01 PM

i cant get past level 16 any spoilers for me

Posted by: sarah harper | August 7, 2008 3:02 PM

1st column 3rd row down, 2nd column top row, 4th column 2nd row down, 3rd column bottom row.

Posted by: jan.jan

| August 7, 2008 3:37 PM

I suggest we rename this to "what the flock?"

Posted by: cboater

| August 7, 2008 4:37 PM

This game totaly KVACKED. :) 5/5

Posted by: Tobberian

| August 9, 2008 12:41 PM

I really loved this one...the tiny ducks and their ''kwekkwek'' everytime you win a round and of course the music from Swanlake.
Proud to be of the same country as Bart!!

Posted by: sally | August 18, 2008 5:26 PM

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