Iron Bar Freedom - 2GP Review of "Escape From Colditz: 75th Anniversary Edition" by Osprey

Two-Gun Pixie Presents:

LEGENDARY GAMING

014 – Iron Bar

Freedom

Ever since the failed escape attempt by the French officers and their tunnel collapsing under the chapel those Ratzi bastards have doubled their patrols and placed guards outside the perimeter. Perhaps the plan your soldiers have devised will fare better. With the disguise almost finished and the forged papers finally dry you get ready to move tonight as soon as the makeshift key is finished. This place is neither impregnable nor inescapable, no place is and tonight you will prove it. Tonight will be the night you die or...

Escape From Colditz

(75th Anniversary Edition)

Designers: Major P.R. Reid M.B.E., Bob Brechin, Brian Degas

Artist: Antonio Catalan

Publisher: Osprey Games Published Date: October 20th 2016

Manufacturer Suggested Player Age: 12+ Number of Players: 2 – 6 Players

Average Play Time: 180 - 240 Minutes Game Type: Adventure, Escape, WWII,

Game Mechanics: Card Drafting, Roll & Move, Simulation

SKU: OSPSOG935 MSRP: $65.00

ISBN: 9781472818935

Product Dimensions: 16.8 x 11.6 x 2.8 inches

Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds

https://ospreypublishing.com/escape-from-colditz

Synopsis

During World War II the Nazi P.O.W. camp at Castle Colditz was the most feared prison camp because it was thought to be unescapable. The real-life escape attempts (and successes) were later documented after the war by a British soldier who himself successfully escaped, Major Pat Reid. The book was turned into a BBC show and was an instant hit. In 1972 Major Pat Reid collaborated with Gibson Games to create an amazing game of cat and mouse style escape.

In this tabletop experience one gamer plays as the Nazi Security Guards. The other gamers each play as an Escape Officer representing one of the Allied country whose soldiers are held prisoners at Castle Colditz.

The Box

Let me tell you, this may be a big, heavy box but man is it durable. I actually think it may be the sturdiest game box on any of my shelves. The art work on the box is just amazing! Using a night picture allows for use of darker colors and shades which really pop with theme.

Yes, this big box will take a beating if needed and the art is so stunning you will be tempted to face it out on your shelf but I think, by far, the best feature of the game box is the inside. It is laid out perfectly and holds everything is place beautifully.

Osprey Games continues to hit it out of the ball park when it comes to their game boxes.

The Components

1 Four-Fold Game Board

56 Playing Pawns 96 Playing Cards Rule Booklet 32-Page History Booklet Replica P.O.W. Aid Box 2 Six-Sided Dice

Much like the box these components come in they are all sturdy and well made.

The board is marvelously illustrated while retaining the complete feel of the original game board. The pawns are a great retro feel. They could have used miniatures or meeples as is both common these days and expected by gamers but I applaud the use of old-school player pawns.

Much like the art which adorns the rule book and the history booklet the pictures on the cards are all drawn and colored in the style of a 1940s history book. This drips theme and is so welcomed! As I just mentioned, there is a history booklet and let me tell you this is just freakin’ amazing! I couldn’t put it down. It describes not only the story of a P.O.W.’s POV upon coming to Colditz but the details about both the successful and unsuccessful escape attempts. These attempts make the old TV Sitcom “Hogan’s Heroes” look almost believable. You really need to read this booklet to get a real feel of the game and even a bit of an insight into the thematic reality of the mechanics of how to escape and win the game.

The dice themselves are fine. There is nothing special about them. I personally wish Osprey Games had done something to customize the game dice but at the same time I see how that wasn’t needed. Therefore, I understand why the dice are not customized but it would have been aesthetically pleasing if they had.

Finally, the real star of the components is the replica of the Red Cross Care Package (which were received by the Allied P.O.W.s in real-life during WWII). This box holds the tray for the player pawns and also contains replica of a Nazi wanted poster for several of the escaped P.O.W.s, including the wanted picture of Major Pat Reid. The game contains several of these replicas including a postcard and what a fantastic job they do immersing you into the atmosphere of the time and place.

Overall, Osprey Games has MORE than delivered a true top-notch product here as far as all the components and game box goes.

Set-Up

After placing the game board in the center of the table the players decide on how many rounds the game will be played. Place the round marker on the corresponding number on the track that runs around the board. The rules suggest starting at the 50 mark for new players. The shorter amount of rounds played will make it harder for the Escape Officers to win. The longer you set it at the longer the game can potentially take.

One player chooses to act as the German Security Officer while the others choose an Allied WWII nation and play as those P.O.W.s.

The number of players decides how many pawns each player gets. For example, in a five player game the Security Officer gets 15 black pawns to represent his guards while each Escape Officer gets 5 pawns in his color (Americans – blue, British – red, Dutch – orange, French – brown, and Polish – green). A four player game would see those numbers at 14 and 6 while a six player game it would be 16 and 4, respectively.

The P.O.W. pawns are then place in a specific spot in a specific order according to the number of pawns. The Security Guards are placed in some specific locations while also allowing a little leeway in that player placing some at his discretion.

Lastly, set up the decks. Separate the Escape Equipment Cards into four piles placing them face-up besides the board. Each Escape Officer Player gets ONE Escape Kit Card.

Shuffle both the Opportunity Deck and the Security Deck and place them each near the board. Each Escape Officer gets to draw ONE Opportunity Card from the top of the deck and the Security Officer Player gets to draw ONE Security Card from the top of that deck.

That’s it for the set-up, nerds.

Get Ready To RUN!

Game Play

The Escape Officers get to roll two six-sided dice (2d6) and move any number of their own pawns up to a total of that number. Example, if you roll an eight you can move one pawn 8 spaces or two pawns 4 spaces each or two pawns 3 spaces and a third 2 spaces, etc.

Then the Security Officer rolls 2d6 and does the same.

You get caught and put in solitary.

No... LOL. This game can be tough but not that tough, ;-]

The board has a movement grid comprised of circles; wherever one circle touches another you can move between those circles to get around the board. The object is to escape and the game allows that in many different ways. The Escape Officers try to move their pawns into areas that will allow them to gain certain objects to help them escape such as copies of keys or rope or false ID papers. Maybe even a disguise! Each room that can be used to find/manufacture an item is in pairs. As long the same Escape Officer has two pawns in the same location or one in each of the two matching item rooms they may claim that item.

If an Escape Officer rolls doubles (for movement or for any other reason they need to make a 2d6 roll) they may move one pawn from solitary to the nearest designated space... any pawn, not just

your own. ALSO whenever a player rolls doubles they get to keep that roll and ROLL A SECOND TIME Adding those scores together. IF doubles are rolled a second time you get to ROLL A THIRD TIME AGAIN ADDING TOGETHER THE ROLLS. You CAN NOT roll again even you get doubles for a third time.

Whenever a player rolls a total of five or lower for movement they may draw an appropriate card; Opportunity for the Security Officer Player who made the roll or a Security Card for that player. A player may never have more than three cards at a time.

During the course of the game Escape Officers will try to gain items to help them escape and use Opportunity Cards to help and enhance their cause, you may even STEAL A GERMAN OFFICER’S STAFF CAR TO TRY TO ESCAPE! The Security Officer will attempt to arrest players to put them in solitary and his Security Cards will enhance his abilities during the game to do things like call all prisoners back to the appel where they all have to be accounted for.

Escape From Colditz does have a few more rules, mostly significant with certain cards each side can play as well as what players can do depending on where on the map there pawns are situated in. Interestingly, the game comes with a deck of "Do Or Die" cards. These are hold-overs from the original rules. Let me tell you, these cards are Exactly what they say they are, Do or Die! They give Escape Officer players a last ditch attempt to escape but if hey fail that pawn is removed from the game as it has been shot dead for its attempt. INTENSE!

The real game play is the matching of wits between the Allied Escape Officer players and the German Security Officer player.

The game ends when one player gets two of their pawns to the Escape Target icons. This does not have to be together or during the same round. The game will also end if the round counter gets to the end of its track which signals the official win of the German Security Officer.

Final Thoughts

If you ever played the original game these new, updated rules will feel very familiar to you. If you never played the original game then you are in luck! The original rules are included and can be played as the game was initially written.

This game really does play like a great fantastic game of cat-and-mouse. The balance between the Nazi Security Guards and the Allied Escape Officers is as complex as a game of chess or Risk and is as intense as a high-stake game of poker. Escape from Colditz plays as a roll-and-move game which does put off some players. From a thematic point of view I get it. Why? Why does the dumb luck of a die roll determine how far I can move from turn-to-turn? I understand and for the most part I usually agree with this reasoning. However, with that said, let me just say this, It Works. Although you are rolling to move the roll represents the total move that you can assign to one or more of your pawns. It really does work for this system; it makes sense since you are in control of multiple pawns.

I enjoy the fact that this is a game that you don’t have to worry about a player board. This is a big enough board to begin with and having everything tracked directly on the game board is so convenient.

This game can take almost a full day to play. Yes, the game box lists this as an hour and a half game but it can easily go twice as long as that, especially with very clever gamers at the table or a first-time game being played. Our first game went almost 5 hours but it did keep us hooked the whole time. Although any multi-player game can suffer from player down-time this game doesn’t feel that way. That’s because this game balances between a co-op and an all vs all very well. You definitely want to keep an eye on every other players’ movement and this keeps you involved even between your turns.

Overall, the Twenty-Sided Warriors and I were completely engaged in this game. We are all looking for our chance to play the Security team and pit ourselves against each other. This game will grab you by the throat!

The mechanics, the components, and all the great extras make this game worthy of a place on your game shelf.