Pick Balanced or an easier difficulty for a first save if you want to recover your gear after a death; on Brave, Extreme and Rage, lost gear is gone for good. Then follow Jeff’s quest board in order: extract from Ground Zero, kill one enemy and come back, build the workbench, and keep valuables in the Pet Backpack, the one container you keep when you die.
First quests in order
Jeff’s opening chain teaches every system you need before the Warehouse Area. Each step below unlocks the next on the quest board.
| Quest | What to do | Reward that matters |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome to Duckov! | Extract from Ground Zero | 300 money |
| Startup Capital | Kill any enemy, then extract from Ground Zero | 1,296 money |
| Hunter’s Path | Kill 2 Rampaging Scavengers (red ducks with butcher knives) and hand in 2 Butcher Knives | Metal Plate, Nut and Bolt for the workbench |
| Basic Construction | Build the Workbench | 3 Bandages |
| Signal Tower | Fix the northern Signal Tower in Ground Zero | Unlocks Basic Construction II |
| Basic Construction II and III | Build the Weapon Shop, then the Armor Shop | Xavier and Orange join the bunker |
| Aim for the Head | 3 headshot kills | Laser (Basic) attachment |
The bunker door counts as an extraction from Ground Zero: walk back through it and you keep what you carry. Startup Capital’s quest text calls it the fastest way home.
Choosing a difficulty
The difficulty screen states each preset’s numbers. Custom and Rage cannot be changed after you pick them.
| Preset | Enemy damage | Enemy health | Lost gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scavenge | 40% | 40% | Recoverable |
| Relaxed | 60% | 60% | Recoverable |
| Balanced | 80% | 80% | Recoverable |
| Survival | 100% | 100% | Recoverable |
| Brave | Not listed | Not listed | Gone for good |
| Extreme | 150% | Not listed | Gone for good |
| Rage | 160% | 40% | Gone for good; bleeding is never removed |
Scavenge and Relaxed also lower recoil and slow enemy reactions. The launch FAQ says Rage unlocks after you clear any difficulty. The difficulty and death guide explains how recovering lost items works.
What to build and buy first
- Workbench (Basic Construction): crafting, dismantling, repairs and blueprint registration. The quest Upgrade Workbench unlocks Advanced Processing.
- Weapon Shop and Armor Shop: Xavier sells guns and ammo, Orange sells helmets and armor. Both are quest-gated buildings, not starting merchants.
- Medic Station (Basic Construction (Medical), level 2): crafts basic medical supplies. Update 1.0.18 removed the Hunter’s Path requirement.
- Teleporter (Basic Construction IV): needed for the Unlock Beacon quests. Since update 1.0.23 it requires the quest Tech Expert.
The hideout guide lists every building and the NPC each one brings.
Habits that save runs
- Sell common supplies at the vending machine; it pays half an item’s base value. Keep anything on the quest items list first.
- A gun below 50% durability loses damage and accuracy. Repair at the workbench before you head out.
- Press T while holding a gun to switch ammo types.
- When a melee enemy flashes red, dodge roll with the spacebar.
- Getting hit causes pain that drains stamina and slows you; painkillers cancel it. A bandage stops bleeding.
- Storm: Phase I and Phase II are weather states during raids. The game’s loading tip calls the storm extremely dangerous and suggests sleeping through the day.
Where to go next
After Startup Capital, Jeff’s quests lead to Explore Warehouse Area at level 5: ride the zipline from the top of North Mountain in Ground Zero. The maps page lists every map in unlock order with its entry and extraction rules.
Sources
- Escape from Duckov launch FAQ (Steam)Difficulty presets, save location, co-op and controller status at launch.
- Escape from Duckov quest dataEarly Jeff and Xavier quests, tasks and rewards.
- Update log V1.0.23 (Steam)Teleporter now requires the quest Tech Expert; fishing made easier.
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