No matter where you look, it seems like Extraction Shooters are the hottest new trend in gaming. From darlings like Escape from Tarkov and Arc Raiders, to lesser-known games like Exoborn or Zero Sivert, there are a ton of these games popping up wherever you look. Their hook is incredibly fun and exciting — working with or against your fellow man, and trying to escape with look and glory. But sometimes, people can be assholes. We know this to be far too true about many things, and it's not just in the world of gaming. Sometimes, I just want to explore a vast land, and not have to worry about some sweaty nerd taking me out from 1,000 meters away. That's why Escape from Duckov has quickly become a favorite of mine.

I stumbled upon this game quite some time ago, trying out a demo and writing about it for another site back in June. I was excited to jump into it at the time, but a non-stop barrage of game releases, layoffs, and everything in between held me back from dipping my toes in fully. Now that I've spent an embarrassing amount of time playing Escape from Duckov, I can easily say that this cutesy little extraction shooter is one of my favorite games of the year. Yes, high praise, but don't start quacking at me yet until you hear me out.

What the Duck Am I Supposed To Be Doing?

Escape From Duckov is one of those games that could have very easily coasted on its weird and wacky premise, but decided against it. Sure, it's one of the cutest games I've ever seen, with a completely customizable duck friend and a little dog pal exploring the lands, blat blatting everything that gets in their way. But under the utter adorableness is a game that can be as hardcore as you'd like it to be. Want to breeze through, shoot things, and grab loot? You can do that. Or you can ramp up the difficulty, making it just as do-or-die as games like Tarkov.

Yes, Escape From Duckov, as the name implies, takes heavy inspiration from Tarkov. Well, from many different extraction shooters, blending it together with an excellent gameplay loop that has me coming back for more quite often. Rather than getting tossed into the world and needing to learn everything on your own, Duckov could be considered "baby's first extraction shooter", very fitting of the aesthetic and vibes. But just because you get a map and don't have to manually load bullets and clear jammed guns doesn't mean this is going to be a cakewalk.

Balanced is just right for me

Escape from Tarkov is one of those games that I love to play with my friends. The Milsim genre, as a whole, is something that we've devoted far too many hours to, and a lot of that time was spent trading gear with random NPCs to get something that may give us a fighting chance to survive the next round. They're exciting, terrifying, and most importantly, incredibly intimidating. Escape from Duckov, on the other hand, is a far more forgiving experience if you want it to be.

Since it's a solo experience, players can tweak their difficulty settings. Some players may hate this choice. I welcome it entirely. Games like Escape from Duckov open the door for prospective players to jump into the world of extraction shooters. Outside of Soulslikes, these types of games can be some of the most difficult to get into. So having something like this to ease players into the trap... I mean, the enjoyment of Extraction shooters, it's a win-win for everybody.

Merchants, Loot Galore, and So Much More — ‘Escape From Duckov’ Has It All

You know what I love just as much as a good game? A game that is content-rich and full of good ideas that make progression feel worthwhile. Escape from Duckov has all of that, and then some. Taking a few ideas from Roguelike games, Escape from Duckov features permanent progression, so players don't need to rely completely on RNG to ensure that they can survive. No, this isn't a "big number means big things" type of game, which I am beyond grateful for. It's a game that respects my time and doesn't duck me around, unlike many AAA games and Live Service titles.

Instead, it's a compact, tight, and surprisingly tactical extraction shooter that also happens to be one of the most adorable things I've ever laid my eyes on. I mean, a little duck walking around with a machine gun? Tell me something cuter than that. I'll wait to hear from you on that one. But it's also got a great sense of humor, with Pigeons that get turned into cooked birds when they get killed, and just enough violence to make me grin.

Zero Duck Thirty Could Have Also Been a Great Name for This Game

As the screenshots suggest, Escape from Duckov isn't an FPS or even a third-person shooter. It's an isometric shooter, one that uses an excellent tilt-shift style and stylized graphics to look and run incredibly on most hardware. There's something so charming about running around incredibly detailed maps as a little duck with a gun, and I'm not exactly sure what it is. Maybe the combination of milsim strategy with something we always associate as adorable ticks some boxes? I don't know, but I want more of what this has to offer, please and thank you.

I Don’t Need PVP, but for the Love of All That Is Holy, Please Add Controller Support

We all eventually realize it one day, but I'm getting older. I'm 33, and in the world of gaming, I may as well be packing my bags and getting ready to hit the retirement home if I plan on playing anything competitive nowadays. Sure, I can somewhat hold my own in Tarkov, but I don't always feel like getting domed by someone who lives and breathes the game. At least I can play Fortnite without needing to worry about someone boxing me in and building a skyscraper on top of my head in 10 seconds now. But that's why I'm extremely thankful about Escape from Duckov — letting me enjoy a genre that I love without being pressured into spending 500 hours "getting gud".

But no game can be perfect, even my favorite ones. If there is one piece missing from the puzzle here, it would be the lack of controller support. It's got the same recipe as a twin stick shooter, mixed with some extraction and rougelike elements. Why can't I just grab a controller and sit back to play? I need this in my life everywhere I go, please and thank you!

I’ll Likely Ring in the New Year Trying To Escape From Duckov, Honestly

There are a lot of games in my backlog, and Escape from Duckov isn't helping that situation in the slightest. I've been dumping a lot of hours into this one, and I don't see that changing any time soon. It's an incredibly fun romp and offers quite a bit of value for under $20. Curious about Extraction Shooters, or just want an adorably violent little game to play? Be sure to check this one out — I promise you'll fall in love with it just as quickly as I did.

Plus, I can pause the damn game. You never realize how important something is like that until you're 3/4 of the way to extraction and realize your cat is trying to eat a cord. If you stop in your tracks in Tarkov or Hunt: Showdown, you're as good as dead. Here? You can just pause the game. Thank DUCK.