Escape from Colditz

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Title screen.

Our Polish prisoner is tired, and rests in the Polish HQ.

Our French prisoner is in the courtyard, out for some exercise.

Escape from Colditz is a game devised by successful escaper Pat Reid, based on the former POW camp at Colditz Castle in Germany during World War II.

The original game is a board game produced by Parker Brothers.

A computer game was also produced, based on the board game. It was a graphical Action and Adventure game from 1991, by Digital Magic, for the Amiga platform. Four prisoners; British, French, American and Polish, are about to try to escape from the Colditz Castle.

[edit] Board Game

From two to six players may take part in the game, one of which must always be the Germans; the others choosing to be one of six nationalities represented by different coloured playing pieces:

Black: German guards

Prisoners:

Red: British
Blue: American
Brown: French
Orange: Dutch
Green: Polish

The number of playing pieces used for German Guards and Prisoners varies according to the number of players participating in the game:

2 Players: 8 prisoners plus 6 guards
3 players: 7 prisoners for each allied nationality plus 12 guards
4 players: 6 prisoners for each allied nationality plus 14 guards
5 players: 5 prisoners for each allied nationality plus 15 guards
6 players: 4 prisoners for each allied nationality plus 16 guards

The game is given a time limit or a target of escaped prisoners (usually the first to 2) with the objective of the player operating the guards being to limit or stop the escape attempts.

In order to escape, each pow must first obtain an "escape kit", comprising of food, disguise, compass and forged papers.

Other equipment or materials must also be obtained in order for a player to make a successful escape attempt. Wire cutters, lengths of rope and forged keys being some.

[edit] Computer Version

It is played with a combination of joystick and keyboard, whereby the player controls the four prisoners, one at a time, switching between them freely using the F1-F4 keys.

Guards patrol most zones of the prison day and night. There are curfews and there are calls for recounting the prisoners in the courtyard. Violating them would mean getting arrested into solitary cells; resisting would mean getting killed by the guards, who are quite skilled with guns.