Escape from Tarkov is an online shooting game set in the fictional Norvinsk region in Northwest Russia. You play during a war between two private military companies and join matches to fight others for loot, survival and ultimately escape.

It's unusual because of its realism. Unlike game such as Call of Duty this focuses on the affects of wounds in specific areas of the body. Different wound locations require different medical dressings and bandages. You have fine control of your movement speed and crouch height. In keeping with the realism, Escape from Tarkov has minimal information on the screen. To check your bullets you need to look at the firearm magazine manually as no on-screen counter is provided like in other games.

When shooting the game models realistic ballistics, including features such as ricochets and bullet penetration. You can gain and use firearms, equipment, and armour as you play or keep it for later missions. You can also build and customise weapons from their constituent parts. You also need to look after your energy and hydration levels over the course of a raid.

Escape from Tarkov has various online modes: raids, scavenger missions. You can play on your own or with others. In each mission you have objectives and an extraction point on the other side of the map. Other individuals and teams are doing the exact same thing so you must fight them and non-player characters to escape. You can opt to complete tasks or play with hinderances to access additional extraction points near the middle of the map: paying roubles, not having a backpack or having certain items equipped.

Between missions you can buy and sell items and take on tasks from traders to access more items and quests. You also have an upgradeable Hideout area that, as you equip it, gives you in-game bonuses.