As soon as a player gains an equipment card, their pieces can be arrested by guards that land on the same space (although they initially cannot enter certain rooms), sending them to solitary confinement until, Monopoly-style, they roll a double or get a card allowing them out. The typical larger, shallower box, easily prone to damage, has given way to a much more sturdy package.

But there is an upside to being arrested: any German guard that arrests a player’s piece is sent to the commander’s office afterward. If the time limit is reached before any player has made the required number of escapes, the German Security Officer player is the winner.They may also be exchanged for an Escape Kit Card if all four components of the Escape Kit are held. The board game was fairly innovative, featuring co-operative and asymmetrical gameplay – a rarity at the time. The black guard pawn stand absentmindedly near the orange player’s POW that is stuck in solitary confinement.

Osprey did a great job in cleaning up the rules, and making them a little less random (relatively speaking) but also included the old rules with extra cards to play the game just like you used to! Sooner or later someone will roll big, and when that happens, there is often a better chance than not that a prisoner will slip through the dragnet. Several times I executed wonderful escape plans, timed to perfection so that the Security Officer was busy dealing with other players, and yet despite having a seemingly clear run with the nearest guard some distance away a simple change of fortune lost me the game.Teams of prisoners make their way around the inner courtyard’s rooms to collect all manner of escape equipment. The attribution to the devisers of the game and particularly the reproduction of the signature of the key figure, P.

The dice also create a few pacing issues in two players games because it can get to a point where the Escape Officer is just waiting to roll a high enough number to get across the yard without being arrested or to do something else. It’s frustrating to come so close to winning because you played well, and then lose because of a bad roll or two.

Everything in this beautiful game instantly establishes a feeling that you’re about to step back in time, and the elements of secrecy and discovery are as much a part of the packaging as the game itself. Whereas, the anniversary edition's escapees are distinctly less impressive, especially with the startled expression of the left-hand figure and the overshadowing German guard. The Security Officer, similarly, moves his men, collects Security Cards, and attempts to prevent escapes by arresting PoWs. A new edition of the board game, with new artwork and updated rules, was released in October 2016 by Osprey Games. Despite having reviewed a fair number of board games now on this site, I’ve not once reviewed a game where you roll dice to move.