Escape from Colditz Castle
(OGBOX07)
An impregnable fortress. An inescapable prison. Until now.
Designed by Major Pat Reid, one of only a handful of prisoners-of-war to escape Colditz Castle, and screenwriter Brian Degas, Escape From Colditz is the iconic game of careful planning and nerves of steel.
Become Allied escape officers - assemble your equipment, plot your escape routes, and coordinate your efforts to avoid the guards. Become the German security officer - maintain control through guile, ruthlessness, and careful observation despite limited numbers.
This deluxe edition of the classic game for 2 to 6 players includes both original and updated rules, new hand-painted artwork, an oversized board, 56 wooden playing pieces, 100 fully illustrated cards, a 32-page history book, and unique replicas of artefacts from the prison.
Seventy-five years ago, Major Reid braved barbed wire, searchlights, and armed guards to Escape from Colditz. Now it's your turn to do the same.
Oflag IV-C, the prisoner-of-war camp at Colditz Castle designed to house Allied prisoners who had previously made escape attempts from other camps, was made famous by the BBC television series Colditz in 1972–74. It would be a board game, however, that would truly immortalise the Colditz story in the minds of generations. Today, we are proud to release our new edition of that game – Escape From Colditz.
Designed by Major Pat Reid, one of only a handful of men to escape from Colditz, and Brian Degas, screenwriter of Colditz, Escape From Colditz captures the drama, tension, and excitement of the attempts to break out from the inescapable fortress.
Featuring stunning new artwork by Peter Dennis, an oversized board, 56 wooden playing pieces, 100 fully illustrated cards, a 32-page history book, and unique replicas of artefacts from the prison, we hope that this new edition will both inspire a new generation and allow long-time fans to revisit a board game classic.
Escape From Colditz is a game for two to six players, with one controlling the German guards, attempting to maintain order within the prison, and the others playing Allied escape officers, seeking to get their men beyond the walls and to freedom. As the prisoners-of-war sneak through the prison, gathering rope and wire-cutters, forging keys, digging tunnels, and preparing for their escape attempts, the guards must remain wary, patrolling the castle, sending troublemakers to the cells, and reacting swiftly when a breakout is attempted.
This new edition of Escape From Colditz includes two sets of rules – the classic set, from the game’s original release, and an updated set, developed in collaboration with Brian Degas. These changes clarify and streamline certain elements in light of more than 40 years of intensive play and better reflect the designers’ original intent. To find out more about these changes, we’ve put together a video laying all of these out.
Major Pat Reid, OBE, was a British Army officer and prisoner of war during World War II. Held in the infamous Colditz Castle, a Nazi prison designated for troublesome enemy combatants, he is one of the few prisoners who managed to escape. He is also the author of two books about his experience in Colditz, The Colditz Story and Latter Days at Colditz, which form the basis for the prison's lasting appeal in popular culture.Brian Degas is a script writer and producer, best known for his work on Barbarella, Danger: Diabolik, and the BBC's iconic Colditz series. A close friend of Pat Reid, they worked closely together to create recreate the tension and daring of Major Reid's escape, making Escape from Colditz a household name.Peter Dennis was born in 1950. Inspired by contemporary magazines such as Look and Learn he studied illustration at Liverpool Art College. Peter has since contributed to hundreds of books, predominantly on historical subjects, including many Osprey titles. A keen wargamer and modelmaker, he is based in Nottinghamshire, UK.
