OUR REVIEW

Execute an escape plan

Alcatraz – The Scapegoat

Verrat hinter gittern

Alcatraz is a cooperative game, in which players take on the roles of prisoners and try to instigate a prison breakout. In order to succeed they must solve six different tasks. As soon as two or more players manage to solve such six tasks among themselves they can escape. The scapegoat is left behind (nearly) as a matter of course.

But beware, there are also guards on the prowl in Alcatraz and when all guards have entered the game all players have lost together and are condemned to go to seed in Alcatraz.

Background:

On the island of Alcatraz, in the middle of San Francisco Bay, there was once located a high-security prison, which before being turned into prison had been a fortified fortress. Today the prison only serves as a tourist attraction.

Alcatraz prison was said to be escape-proof. According to official records nobody managed to escape in its 29 years of use, despite there being several attempts. Those attempts sometimes had a fatal ending, some prisoners drowned, some fugitives were shot. On top of that a rumor was spread about man-eating sharks to ward of attempts. But the only sharks in the waters around Alcatraz were harmless cat sharks. Nonetheless countless legends are flying about telling of successful breakouts, which also were often topics in films and literature.

One of the best-known legends might be the escape of Frank Morris and the Anglin Brothers who dug a path through the air ventilation grids of the cells and fled with w self-assembled rubber dinghy put together from raincoats and glue. They were never seen again and the FBI assumes that they drowned. But their bodies were never found. This story was made into a film with Clint Eastwood.

There are many more such legends surrounding Alcatraz, but we now want to experience our own legend.

The game:

Aim of the game in our legend, too, is to escape from prison.

To succeed, players must collect items, cooperate with their fellow prisoner and try not to be the Scapegoat at the right time. Those players/prisoners who manage to execute the plan, that is, complete all tasks that are necessary to implement the plan, can leave Alcatraz together.

But beware; when all possible guards have entered Alcatraz the game ends and all players have lost together.

Before you can start to plan the escape location sheets are laid out randomly. In accordance with the location cards four guards are introduced onto the board and two task cards are laid out.

Each player receives a prisoner sheet, on which he marks his stamina and cash levels using two of his markers. Furthermore, each prisoner receives one marker each in all the colors of other prisoners.

The first Scapegoat is determined randomly.

Each round of the game is made up from three phases (with the exception of the first round, in this round only Phase 3 is played).

Phase 1:

The Scapegoat places as many new guards as there are players, using the auxiliary cards.

Phase 2:

The new Scapegoat is chosen. The election happens secretly, the prisoners can discuss the matter beforehand. After about two minutes of discussion players vote for the new Scapegoat, using their markers. If a tie occurs, the new Scapegoat is the old Scapegoat.

Phase3:

In this phase prisoners move about in the prison. In order to do so they can use three actions (with the exception of the Scapegoat who has more actions at this disposal). You play your actions in clockwise direction, starting with the Scapegoat. At the end of this phase you check if escape would be possible.

Actions that you can do:

Move on the board, take an item, swap or give away an item, take a Scapegoat card, instigate a revolt or acquire stamina, for instance for bonus actions, or acquire money in order to bribe guards. All those actions come at a cost of one action point.

On top of this there are free actions, for instance bribe a guard or use stamina.

Furthermore, a player can, should he have collected all items necessary for a task, resolve this task. As a reward for solving a task you receive the letter shown on the task card and mark this letter with a yellow marker on your prisoner sheet. Then every other player, with the exception of the Scapegoat, will receive a reward. Each player randomly draws a task card and gets the letter depicted on this card. Then you choose a new task in a location with the help of the auxiliary cards. This also costs one Action Point.

Why bribe the guards? Well, there are tasks for which there can only be a certain number of guards around or you are restricted in your action when a certain number of guards are around.

When one or several players have completed the escape plan (they hold all letters from the prisoner cards - A, B, C, D and E - together), they can escape and win the game. The Scapegoat is left behind and loses, unless he is necessary to complete the plan because he holds a letter that nobody else owns - in this case he can join the break-out; in all other cases he is left as a matter of course.

Whatever the outcome, one prisoner is left behind in Alcatraz. When there are several prisoners who are not indispensable and none of them is the Scapegoat, then this tie is decided be the fewest completed plan elements, then by the fewest cash owned, then by the fewest items held and then by the lowest stamina level. When all those criteria do not break the tie, players decide who remains behind-

Should the plan be incomplete at the end of a round, a new round begins.

But should all guards be on the board, all players lose together.

Now for a look at the Scapegoat, whose role has advantages as well as disadvantages!

Advantages:

He has more actions, depending on how long he has already been Scapegoat

He can use Scapegoat cards

Disadvantages:

No reward when others complete a task

He cannot complete a task

Is left behind with a very high probability

Variant:

When you turn over the locations you are offered more possibilities to complete a task.

The idea behind this game is a very good starting point for the game itself and I do like it very much. Besides that, Alcatraz is once again a game where one can cooperate. What I do not like at all is that there is always a loser as a matter of fact, perforce. This results in a very high probability that, especially in a game for three players, some players band together and always choose the same player for a Scapegoat which robs this player of all chances to win. On the positive side again, components and graphics are very nice and fit the topic beautifully.

Katharina Knoll

Players: 3-4

Age: 15+

Time: 60+

Designer: Rafal Cywicki, Krzysztof Hanusz, Krzysztof Cywicki

Art: Rafal Badan, Martyna Szczykutowicz

Price: ca. 21 Euro

Publisher: Heidelberger 2012

Web: www.heidelbaer.de

Genre: Cooperative collecting game

Users: With friends

Version: de

Rules: de en es fr it pl ru

In-game text: no

Comments:

German/Italian edition at Heidelberger

Good mechanisms

Lots of communication and interaction

The role of Scapegoat has its allures, too

Compares to:

Other cooperative games, in this combination first game of its kind

Other editions:

Z-Man, Gen X, Filosofia, Cranio Creations, Kuznia Gier, Magellan

My rating: 5

Katharina Knoll:

Alcatraz is a good cooperative game with an interesting topic and beautiful components, the forced loser is the only fly in the ointment.

Chance (pink): 0

Tactic (turquoise): 0

Strategy (blue): 0

Creativity (dark blue): 1

Knowledge (yellow): 0

Memory (orange): 0

Communication (red): 3

Interaction (brown): 1

Dexterity (green): 0

Action (dark green): 0