Prison escape board games
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10 Best board games that involve escaping from prison

Have you got what it takes to reach freedom?

When it comes to board games, there’s a wide variety of themes to pick from, and something toಞ entertain you whatever your mood. If you’re looking to get bogged down trying to escape from captivity, then you can’t do better than a prison escape board game. 

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The first prison escape board game that instantly comes to my mind is “Prison Break”, based on the hit TV show of the same name, which aired between 2006 and 2017. However, for some bizarre reason, the Prison Break boℱard game was only ever released in French, and I’m hedging my bets that you’re looking for something more English to play. 

If that’s the case, here are 10 alternative board games that will have you fleeing captivity iꦚn one way or another. 

Escape from Colditz

Escape from Colditz board game
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Escape from Colditz is probably at the top of the list of games that may come to mind when you think of the prison escape theme, and it’s something of a classic even if there are some wildly questionable gameplay elements at play. L🔴ike watching an old black and white movie, you just have to accept it was made in a different time if you want to enjoy it. 

One player is designated as the German Security Officer, and then assigns a nationality to each Prisoner of War. These prisoners mu𓆉st then secure the fꦆour parts of their Personal Escape Kit (food, disguise, maps, and a compass) to try and make it past the walls and out into the world. It’s a game based on the luck of a dice roll, and definitely worth considering if you want a touch of prison break at your game nights. 

Monopoly

Monopoly board game
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On the opposite end of the spectrum, Monopoly might not be your first guess when it comes to prison escape, but hear me out. Sure, it’s mostly a game about building up a property empire and swindling other players out of their hard earned money, but there is a prison. And if you’re anything like me, you end up there rather a lot while playing and have to deal🃏 with those “just visiting” fla𝓀unting their freedom. 

I know, it’s a stretch, but there are surprisingly few purely escape based board games out there. While Monopoly doesn’t put too much focus on the 🔥jail aspect, the fact that you actually have to put some effor🐽t into getting out makes it worthy of this list. 

EXIT: Prison Break

EXIT: Prison Break board game
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Technically, this is more of an escape room in a box than it is a board game, but it’s still played at the tabletop so forgive me for being loose with the rules here. EXIT: Prison Break is for two to four players, and comes w💯ith everything you need to set up a make-believe prison escape room in your own dining room or wherever you play. 

The game comes with multiple cards, including riddles that must be solved as a team in order to escape. There are also decodor disks to help along the way, each of which works to figure out a separate type of riddle. EXIT: Prison Break is great if you want something that isn’t going to cause competitive arguments, anᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚd would rather work together to reach freedom. 

Star Wars: Escape from the Death Star

Star Wars: Escape from the Death Star board game
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Based on the events of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Escape from the Death Star has players acting out the roles of Han solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia as they try to make it to the control roo✨m, track down the Death Star Blueprints, and flee to the safety of the Millenium Falcon to make their escape.&nbsღp;

Sadly, you’ll be unlikely to find an original copy of Escape from the Death Star, since it was released in 1977 a🌊nd is now considered a fairly popular collectors item. However, it was rereleased in 2019, so you should be able to get your hands on that version pretty easily. Whi𝔍chever version you get, it’s a worthy addition to any board game collection. 

The Great Escape

The Great Escape board game
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The Great Escape is a remarkable true story that became a silver screen classic, with one of the most infuriatingly catchy theme songs in the history of mankind (admit it, you can hear it in your head right now, can’t you? You might be more familiar with it from Wallace and Gromit, but that’s beside🐭 the point), but did you know there’s a♛ board game based on the events of the movie and released in 1960? 

Following the themes of the epic tale, The Great Escape is remarkably similar to Escape from Colditz (which weirdly was released three years later) with easier to foll💜ow rules and a much more appealing game board. You’ll need to gather resources and make your escape along with some friends, all while avoiding detection by the German Security Officers. 

Sadly, you might have a hard time finding a copy of this as it’s been out of of print for decades. However, copies do show up on eBay and other auction sites occasionally, so you might get lucky.

Dungeon Escape! 

Dungeon Escape! board game
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Prisons can take many forms, and perhaps none are more slimy or depressing than a literal dungeon. Unlike many of the other games on this list, Dungeon Escape! is different every time you play it, and you’ll need to keep your wits about y🅘ou to make your way out of the dungeon. 

Not only do you have rival players to worry about, but there are also traps🎃 and monsters along the way, just waiting to cause you drama as you make your escape. Handily, you can gather up different useful items s🔯uch as Enchantments or Weapons that can be used to aid your escape, but there’s always something waiting around every corner to challenge you. 

This is a pretty niche and old game, but you migh✤t get lucky and find one listed on auction sites such as eBay. 

Battlestar Galactica: The Board Game

Battlestar Galactica board game
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If you’re a fan of the Battlestar Galactica TV show, then you’ll𝔉 absolutely love this board game version of it. You play as familiar characters, and while the main aim of the game isn’t prison escape, there’s definitely an element of it in there. Someone in every game will choose to side with the Cylons, and if you’re suspected, you’ll be thrown in the brig and need to escape. 

There’s a hint of AmongUs about the Battlestar Galactica board game, with mistrust and sabotage being necessary to complete a game. For those not siding with the Cylons, there are added complications oꦏf fuel and food shortages, contamination in the food supply, and political unrest, all of which need to be dealt with while keeping the traitors locked up in the brig. 

Escape from the Asylum

Escape from the Asylum board game
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Asylums are just another type of prison, and imagine how you’d feel getting thrown into one by your own brother when you don’t need to be there at all. That’s the vague premise of one of the stories in Escape from the Asylum, a cooperative mini escape room in a box that requires you to retrieve personal files, hide from the n🃏ight guard, and make a bid for freedom. 

There are multiple different stories to complete, split over two halves of the game. To complete each story, you’ll need to complete different challenges and puzzles, and doing so wil🐬l e🃏nable you to unlock how each of the stories intertwine together to form a larger, more dramatic tale. 

Mystery Rummy: Escape from Alcatraz

Mystery Rummy: Escape from Alcatraz board game
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Rather than taking on the role of the escapee, Escape from Alcatraz puts you in the shoes of the guards trying to prevent the escapes. It’s technically a card game, made up ofꦛ 81 cards in the Plans deck and 31 in the Actions deck, and you’ll need to collect points by foiling ไthe escape plans of prisoners within the walls of Alcatraz. 

Escape from Alcatraz is a remar🐈kably straightforward game, and really easy to learn quickly. It’s designed for groups of two to four, which is great for game nights with the family, but also excellent if you want to have a quiet night in with a friend or partner. It also has a really quick play time of 30 minutes per round, so you can just reset the deck and keep playing if you want more. 

Escape from Iron Gate

Escape from Iron Gate board game
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Escape from Iron Gate takes inspiration from games like Escape from Colditz and The Great Escape, but modernizes the rules and gameplay elements, making them more streamlined for the 21st century. The game board is really nice, and it’s really easy to pick up in 🧸a short space of time, so it might be the best game on this list if 🏅you want something new to play without having to study the instruction guide. 

In Escape from Iron Gate, you’ll need to work your way through the four areas (Cellblock, Yard, Cafeteria, and Warden’s Office) as you slowly work your way to freedom. You’ll also need to earn items by completing puzzles, or ♛completing pictionary or charades-style challenges, which can then be handed to the Commissary to earn your ticket to the next area. You win by making your escape first, and it’s as simple as that. 

If you are still hungry to grow your collection after these suggestions, check out our list of essential board games to 🌼add to 🐽your collection, or our list of games for big fans of Root.


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Paula Vaynshteyn
With her first experience of gaming being on an Atari ST, Paula has been gaming for her entire life. She’s 9,000 hours deep into Final Fantasy XIV, spends more time on cozy games than she would care to admit, and is also a huge bookworm. Juggling online adventuring with family life has its struggles, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.