Osprey Games OSP8935 Escape from Colditz 75th Anniversary Edition Game for 14 years to 18 years,Multicolor,11.6 x 2.8 x 426.72 inches

Product Information

The original Escape from Colditz was released in 1973, 31 years after its co-creator and source of inspiration, Major Pat Reid, absconded from the notoriously high-security prisoner-of-war camp during World War II.

The right tools to break out are also needed; rope, wire-cutters, keys and German passes are collected using the same method. The typical larger, shallower box, easily prone to damage, has given way to a much more sturdy package. The Opportunity cards can unbalance the difficulty in the favour of low-rolling players, with prisoners who uncover a tunnel nigh uncatchable until the security officer draws the counteractive 'Tunnel Detected' card. Because the game is a simulation of conditions in Colditz it is virtually impossible to prevent a number of successfull escapes being achieved.

The rules are accompanied by a 30-page booklet of history that covers the events about to unfold on your table. I’ve read that some people blame the long wait and randomness off a good dice roll, but actually this mimics nicely the reality in wich escaping was actually very hard ( read the real stories they are very inspiring) However experience has tought me that it is sometimes better to start an atempt on a mediore dice roll since it will give another escape officer a better window of opportunity, and waiting to long can be to risky. Provided his Escape Officer holds an Escape Kit card, a PoW can, in his turn, make a 'Do or Die' Escape.

Instead, I would describe what we have been given as a more thoroughly explained set of the original rules. I can’t say it’s brilliant or one of my favorite games and therefore I don’t feel it quite earns a full recommendation sticker. The only hope for the Security Officer is to intuit where the prisoners are assembling and where an escape will occur next. A PoW who is escaping down rope or through wire and wants to get back into the Castle, must forfeit another appropriate equipment card.Originally, the winner was the player who first made two successful escapes and failing this being achieved in the time agreed by the players the winner was the player taking the role of the German Security Officer. On top of that, the board has been revamped for this edition, it’s big and clear and also keeps that nostalgic feel with it’s style. The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. If the prisoner does not manage to escape, they are “dead” and their whole team is removed from the board and from play. The Allied players need to spend their time collecting equipment cards by exploiting opportunities and careful planning.