Phoenixx Inc. and developer Fukuoka Fighters are set to release ZAKO NO AHIRU, a precision platformer, on PC via Steam on Friday, 21 November 2025. The game will be priced at $6.99 USD or local equivalent, with a 20% launch discount available until Thursday, 4 December 2025 at 11:59 pm PST.
Tackling the genre with the aim of combining cute visuals with punishing platforming, ZAKO NO AHIRU is framed as a game played alongside an in-universe companion. Sassy character Mary Sugaki introduces the player to the titular platformer, insisting they join her in trying to guide a rubber duck up a mountain filled with hazards. Players charge and fire water from the duck’s beak to propel themselves across colourful stages, using momentum and careful positioning to climb ever higher.
The rubber duck moves through low poly environments that feature trampolines for extra height, palm trees, falling comets and oversized fruit scattered across chaotic plateaus. A single mistake can send the duck tumbling back toward the start of a stage, reinforcing the precision focused nature of the game.
Mary is pitched as not being a silent observer. Throughout play she reacts to success and failure with fully voiced dialogue, often reveling in the player’s missteps. According to the developer, she has more than 1,000 voiced lines that range from sharp insults to longer monologues and occasional encouragement designed to push players to keep trying as they recover from a fall. To those who succeed, seven different endings await.
