Editing Escape from Colditz (section)

==Description==
''Escape from Colditz'' is a board game for 2–6 players in which one player takes on the role of the German security officer at Colditz, and the other players represent the various nationalities of POWs being held there who are trying to find the means to escape.<ref name=gp29 />

===Components===
The game box contains:<ref name=mbg />
* The game board, covered with a grid of linked circles,  is a pictorial plan of Colditz Castle showing the inner and outer courtyards, various rooms, safe areas, cells, and barracks.
* Five sets of eight tokens representing five nationalities of POWs.
* One set of sixteen black tokens representing the German guards.
* Five "Personal Escape Kit" cards
* Five "Do or Die" cards  
* 27 "Escape Equipment" cards
* 45 "Escape Opportunity" cards
* 14 "Security Opportunity" cards
* rules sheet
* two six-sided dice
* historical account of the castle's role as a POW camp during World War II

===Set up===
* One player agrees to be the German Security Officer, and places some of the black tokens on designated spots on the board, and the rest in the barracks. The other players are Escape Officers; each chooses one of the nationalities of POWs and places their tokens on indicated spots on the Parade Ground in the inner courtyard. (The number of guards and POWs will vary according to the number of players.)<ref name=mbg />
* A "Do or Die" card is dealt facedown to each Escape Officer. This card remains facedown and unknown to all until played.<ref name=mbg />
* A time limit is agreed to by all players, as well as the number of successful escapes required for victory.<ref name=mbg />

===Gameplay===
The first active player is the one sitting to the left of the German Security Officer. Play continues around the table to the left, with the Security Officer always moving last.<ref name=mbg />

====Movement====
The active player rolls two dice and can move any or all of their POWs, the total movement of the POWs equaling the total on the dice. If the player rolls doubles, they can roll again and add the second roll to their movement total. If the player rolls a 3, 7 or 11, the player takes an "Escape Opportunity" card (Escape Officer) or "Security Opportunity" card (Security Officer).<ref name=mbg />
 
====Obtain personal escape kit====
First, Escape Officers must obtain the four elements that make up a Personal Escape Kit: food, disguises, maps, and a compass. Symbols representing these are scattered around the castle in various rooms. An Escape Officer must maneuver POWs so that they are simultaneously in four rooms containing the four different symbols. Once this is accomplished, the Escape Officer receives a "personal Escape Kit" card.<ref name=mbg /> The guards at this point do not have the power of arrest, so can only block doorways in an attempt to slow down the POWs.<ref name=gp29 />

====Obtain escape equipment====
Each different escape route requires specific pieces of escape equipment. Once an Escape Officer has a Personal Escape Kit, and has decided on a route, they must attempt to pick up the required pieces of equipment, by either moving two POWs into a room with the symbol of the desired piece of equipment, or moving two POWs into two different rooms containing the same symbol. Escape Officers can also obtain desired equipment by trading Equipment cards with other Escape Officers. If a guard sees a POW entering or exiting a forbidden room, a guard can arrest the POW by moving a guard into the same circle as the POW. Likewise, a POW can voluntarily offer themselves up for arrest. The POW is sent to the cells for solitary confinement, while the guard immediately returns to the barracks. If the arrest happens in the outer courtyard, the Escape Officer must forfeit an Equipment card. The POW in the cells is released if the Escape Officer rolls doubles, or plays an appropriate Opportunity card.<ref name=mbg />

[[File:Escape_from_Colditz_Dutch_edition.png|thumb|right|Cover of Dutch edition, titled ''Colditz'']]
====Attempted escape====  
Once the Escape officer has obtained the proper equipment, one of their POWs can attempt to escape. As each piece of equipment is used in the attempt, the Equipment card is returned to the deck. Once the POW has made it past the castle wall, the POW attempts to get to one of the target areas on the edge of the board as quickly as possible. If the POW successfully reaches a target area without being arrested or shot, the POW is deemed to have escaped.<ref name=mbg />

====Do or die====
As a last resort, an Escape Officer may elect to use the "Do or Die" card, which allows for one escape attempt without the need for any Equipment. Turning over the "Do or Die" card reveals a number between 3 and 7. This is how many dice rolls the player is allowed to make in attempting to move one chosen POW towards a target area. The player rolls the dice the number of times indicated (rolling again if doubles are rolled). If the total of all rolls equals or exceeds the amount of movement the chosen POW needs to reach a target area, the POW successfully escapes. If the amount of movement generated is not enough for the POW to reach a target area, the escape attempt fails and that player is out of the game.<ref name=mbg />

===Victory conditions===
If any player reaches the agreed-to number of successful escapes, the game is over and that player is the winner. If the time limit is reached before any player has made the required number of escapes, the German Security Officer player is the winner.<ref name=mbg />