I have ADHD. I have extreme ADHD. In fact, my ADHD has gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. I’m not sure if its technology or what, but Placid Plastic Duck Simulator drives me insane. It is exactly what it appears to be, a rubber duck simulator. The marketing blurb states, “A relaxing 3D environment where you experience life as a rubber duck, Placid Plastic Duck Simulator is an experiment to induce calm and bliss.” This game does anything but. Its essentially a glorified screen saver. You just sit there and watch rubber ducks swim around, and that’s all you ever. You watch them from a beach chair, or in free camera.
Now you start off in Placid Plastic Duck Simulator with one duck, and after a few minutes, another duck drops in. The goal is to sit there for several hours until all ninety-eight drop in the pool. They have different look and personalities. Some will swim around, others just float. I’m sure some people find this relaxing. I do not. I must be stimulated. There must something to do in the game! Well, what about visual novels, you might ask, where I just read. Well in those, my mind is engaged, so I can stand them.
In the end, Placid Plastic Duck Simulator is exactly what it advertises. You sit and watch rubber ducks float around a pool. If you want to do that for several hours and relax, be my guest. I’ll be over here playing something else. It’s not that I don’t find things relaxing. I do, like sunbathing by a real pool, for example, I don’t find glorified screen savers relaxing. I’ll give this a YMMV verdict.
Overall: Placid Plastic Duck Simulator is exactly as advertised. If you have ADD, please steer clear, trust me.
Verdict: YMMV
| Platform | Nintendo Switch |
| Release Date | 6/27/23 |
| Cost | $8.99 |
| Publisher | Tunnel Vision |
| ESRB Rating | E |
P.S. I’m currently over here playing Army of Ruin, a Vampire Survivors clone better than Vampire Survivors!
