Another game I forgot to add to the initial list of games with extraction as a theme or mechanic was State of Decay 2. I consider SoD2 to be maybe one of the most slept on games I’ve ever played. It’s not perfect, and it has its jank, but i don’t think any other game does the “zombie survivor” thing better.
As for the extracting. You would generally refer to this game as a survival or base building game. And it is. But it is also a very short term AND long term extraction game. On the micro scale, you’re venturing away from your base to loot houses, stores, clinics and maybe even other survivor enclaves. On the macro scale, you’re trying to destroy all the zombie nests on the map, gather enough resources, upgrade your base and escape the current map.
A lot of people find the game lacking due to lack of story and quests. Finding the core goals repetitive. Which i completely understand. But for me, this is one of the best extraction games. Once you clear the map, you can pack up your crew and move onto the next with ever increasing difficulty. That’s where the game shines.
Ratcheting up the various difficulty sliders like the amount of resources on the map, zombie lethality or the food consumption of your survivors completely changes how you see the game world. If you leave these on normal, you probably won’t have any issue killing hordes, getting reaources/equipment and upgrading your base. And that will make destroying the nests and leaving the map a matter of time rather than difficulty.
But what if you search the gas station and you don’t find the fuel you need? What if rations are running low and your team’s morale is plummeting? How will you destroy the nest next door if you simply can’t find ammo or even a gun? All of these stressors make both the moment to moment and the long form extraction goals so high stakes and satisfying.
I recommend anyone try it. It’s cheap, on sale often and it’s on Gamepass. And if you ever want someone to walk through it with you, I’d be happy to!
Thanks for reading!