
Playtest report preview
Sort Them Ducks
Cozy organizing simulator where you sort rubber ducks onto shelves.
We listened to 8 Twitch streams of Sort Them Ducks (7h 17m in total). The problem that came up most: duck category assignments feel arbitrary and hard to predict, in 6 of 8 streams.
8 Twitch streams · 7h 17m analysed · English, Russian · analysed in the week of 28 Sept 2026 · Steam page
- Problems
- 38
- Ideas
- 7
- Highlights
- 7
Where the moments happened
Grey bars show when the streamer was talking. Each mark is one reported moment; select a type below to hide or show it.
- Stream 1, 58 min analysed: 8 problems, 1 highlight.
- Stream 2, 51 min analysed: 9 problems, 3 suggestions or comparisons, 5 highlights.
- Stream 3, 1h analysed: 10 problems, 4 suggestions or comparisons, 3 highlights.
- Stream 4, 1h analysed: 13 problems, 1 suggestion or comparison, 4 highlights.
- Stream 5, 44 min analysed: 11 problems, 3 highlights.
- Stream 6, 44 min analysed: 4 problems, 1 suggestion or comparison, 1 highlight.
- Stream 7, 1h analysed: 11 problems, 2 highlights.
- Stream 8, 1h analysed: 15 problems, 1 suggestion or comparison, 1 highlight.
Problems (38)
Bugs, confusion, frustration and the moments players gave up.
- #1Confusion
duck category assignments feel arbitrary and hard to predict
6 of 8 streams · 22 moments
22 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #2Confusion
no clear strategy for where to start on a large unsorted pile
2 of 8 streams · 4 moments
4 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #3Confusion
shelf capacity and space needed per category go unexplained
2 of 8 streams · 3 moments
3 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #4Confusion
upgrade lever costs and effects are never explained
1 of 8 streams · 4 moments
4 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #5Confusion
duck names do not match their visual design
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #6Confusion
purpose of the stronger throw upgrade is unclear
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #7Confusion
new ability is liked but its notification sound confuses
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #8Confusion
same duck design fits more than one category shelf
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #9Confusion
upgrade shop and available tools are hard to discover early on
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #10Confusion
upgrade prices are hard to track while saving up money
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #11Confusion
no clear feedback when a placement or pickup is rejected or missed
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #12Confusion
color coding for item status is hard to interpret
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #13Confusion
crouch is a locked upgrade, not available from the start
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #14Confusion
meaning of the red tag marker on a duck is unclear
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #15Confusion
collected egg items never explain their purpose
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #16Confusion
achievement popup does not explain what was unlocked
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #17Confusion
symbol marked special ducks have unclear purpose
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #18Confusion
similar duck colors on shelves are hard to tell apart
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #19Confusion
controller controls take time to learn
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #20Confusion
purpose of the slot machines is unclear
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #21Frustration
movement feels too slow with no running option
2 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #22Frustration
sheer volume of items to sort feels overwhelming
1 of 8 streams · 3 moments
3 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #23Frustration
shelf storage keeps running out as the duck collection grows
1 of 8 streams · 3 moments
3 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #24Frustration
piles of unsorted ducks block visibility and clicking
1 of 8 streams · 3 moments
3 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #25Frustration
money earned per duck placed feels too low for the effort
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #26Frustration
the no upgrades achievement is not disclosed before buying upgrades
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #27Frustration
bomb duck explosion scatters an already sorted pile
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #28Frustration
shelved ducks are hard to re-spot once placed
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #29Frustration
background music cuts out and becomes repetitive over time
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #30Frustration
hard to find one specific duck type in the pile
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #31Frustration
starting duck pile can be blocked, forcing a bad opening spot
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #32Frustration
sorting gameplay feels too passive or boring for some viewers
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #33Frustration
poor visibility of lower shelves causes sorting mistakes
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #34Frustration
starting money is too low to afford upgrades
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #35Frustration
sustained sorting focus causes eye strain
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #36Frustration
wrong shelf placement and locked upgrades cost money
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #37Frustration
limited throw range before upgrades feels restrictive
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #38Frustration
no way to recall which category an item was assigned
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report
Suggestions and comparisons (7)
What players asked for, and which games they compared yours to.
- #39Suggestion
requests for more duck variety and design tweaks
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #40Suggestion
clutter blocks reaching some shelves
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #41Suggestion
in-game text feels too small
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #42Suggestion
wants alphabetical sorting for duck subvariants
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #43Suggestion
chat controlled chaotic mode suggested as a game mode
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #44Comparison
fairy duck design resembles another character in an unflattering way
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #45Comparison
compares the sorting to another librarian-style sorting game
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report
What landed (7)
Moments players clearly enjoyed.
- #46Highlight
players repeatedly love specific duck figurine and skin designs
5 of 8 streams · 10 moments
10 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #47Highlight
sorting progress and finishing a shelf section feels rewarding
2 of 8 streams · 3 moments
3 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #48Highlight
spotting an oversized duck variant delights players
2 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #49Highlight
praised as a relaxing memory training game
1 of 8 streams · 2 moments
2 quotes + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #50Highlight
duck quack sounds feel nicely varied
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #51Highlight
relief after finally placing the first profession category duck
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report - #52Highlight
autosave feature reassures players during long sorting sessions
1 of 8 streams · 1 moment
1 quote + ▶ timestamps in the full report
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