Duck Merge

Every level in Duck Merge has one goal: get a duck to the red heart. You rarely reach it with the ducks you start with. Instead you combine two identical ducks to produce a stronger, more complex one, and each new duck brings an ability that the simpler ones lack. Poki's description gives examples such as jumping higher or bouncing a basketball. The level is solved when the right duck, with the right ability, reaches the heart. Merging is therefore not a goal in itself, however sweet it looks, but a way to get the tool the level asks for.

The controls are simple. Click or tap to make a choice, and click and hold to pick up a duck and move it. Merging works by bringing two matching ducks together. Because every level is built differently, the useful question is not only which duck is strongest, but which ability this particular level needs: height, a bounce, or something else. A good habit is to pause before the first move, find the heart, and ask what stands between it and your ducks: a gap, a height, an object to bounce. Then merge towards the duck that solves that problem.

Around the levels sits a slower layer. Poki's summary mentions upgrades and passive coins for a growing duck pond, so part of the game is about building up between levels rather than only solving them. Treat the levels as small puzzles and the pond as the part that grows in the background. If a level does not work out, the cause is usually the choice of duck rather than the timing, so it is worth trying a different merge instead of repeating the same one.

• Click / tapMake a choice
• Click and holdPick up and move a duck
• Drag onto a matching duckMerge the two

• Look at the level before merging. If the heart sits high, an ability like a higher jump is probably what you need, not simply the largest duck.

• Do not merge everything at once. Keeping a pair of simpler ducks in reserve can be useful if the level calls for a different ability.

• Since every level is different, a route that worked earlier may not work now. Read each layout as new.

• Spend coins on upgrades between levels; Poki's summary describes upgrades and passive coins as part of how the pond grows.

Players who like short puzzle-like levels with a sweet, playful theme, and younger players who can click and drag comfortably. It also works in short breaks, since each level is a small task with a clear goal. Players who want fast reactions or competition will find more of that in Talking Tom Gold Run or Soccer Skills 2: World Cup.

Drawbacks, honestly

— Poki shows ads around its games, including this one.

— The idle and coin layer may feel slow if you only want the level puzzles.

— Because each level works differently, there is no single strategy to learn once and repeat.

What is the goal of a level?

To get a duck to the red heart. You usually need to merge ducks first to unlock one with the ability the level requires, such as jumping higher.

How do I merge ducks?

Click and hold a duck to move it, and bring it to an identical duck. The two combine into a stronger, more complex duck.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. Poki lists Duck Merge for computer, phone and tablet; on touch screens you tap instead of clicking and hold to move ducks.

• 11-11Also about combining matching pieces, but on a grid of numbered blocks with no characters.
• Color ArtistAnother calm casual game with simple click controls and a finished result to work towards.