Escape from Colditz cover
1973BGG rank #2,484

Escape from Colditz

by Bob Brechin, Brian Degas, Major P.R. Reid M.B.E., M.C. · Clipper

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Players2–6
Time180m
ComplexityMedium-Light
Age12+

About the game

What is Escape from Colditz?

Escape From Colditz is a 1-vs-many semi-cooperative game where one player is the Security Officer of the German forces, and the others are Escape Officers for various nationalities or prisoners of war (POWs). Escape Officers try to acquire the equipment they need for a successful escape (rope, wire cutters, etc.), while the Security Officer tries to hinder them by putting them in solitary confinement and consficating their equipment. Play lasts for a pre-determined length of time or number of rounds. If an Escape Officer can free a pre-determined number of POWs (usually 2) before then, they win. Otherwise the Security Officer wins. The game was co-designed by Major PR Reid, a British soldier who was one of the few to actually successfully escape from Colditz during the Second World War.

How it plays

Mechanics

Elapsed Real Time EndingGrid MovementHexagon GridOpen DraftingRoll / Spin and MoveSet CollectionSimulation

On the shelf

Categories

AdventureWorld War II

Questions players ask

Questions to bring to BoardGameBrain

  • How do setup and the first turn work in Escape from Colditz?
  • When does scoring happen and what ends the game?
  • How should the table resolve an unusual timing or rules interaction?