Bags filled with thousands of banknotes. Car chases. Time running out. Digging underground passages. Sirens in the background, accompanied by the sounds of police helicopters.
Heist stories are easily one of my favourite genres. Be it Ocean’s Eleven, Lupin the 3rd or even the Olsen Gang – there’s something addictive about them. Few weeks ago, thanks to Eagle-Gryphon Games, a board game called Escape Plan popped up on Kickstarter and started gaining lots of positive buzz. And yes, you’ve guessed it, it’s about heists.
Gang Responsible for the Game
The team responsible for Escape Plan is by no means made of rookies. Ian O’Toole (the artist) and Vital Lacerda (the designer) have worked together on many great games occupying high spots on BGG rankings.
- The Gallerist lets people try the job of an art dealer and a curator.
- In Lisboa you reconstruct a city ruined after a number of natural disasters.
- Vinhos makes players take on the role of a wine maker who has to manufacture and sell his own goods.
As you can see, all their games deal with economy. In the new project, Ian and Vital decided to explore a darker (and tad more exciting) side of making money.
The Heist is Over
In Escape Plan 2 to 4 players start as really successful thieves. They have just finished their biggest job ever. Unsurprisingly, the police gets interested and starts sniffing around, trying to find all the culprits. The team splits up, and every member has to find his or her own way to leave the city with as many dollar bills as possible.
Meanwhile the city is overflowing with forces of law, and most exits have been blocked. Running away is possible, but only if you invest in friendships with local criminals, bribe some important people, get some good equipment and… betray your accomplices.
Making Your Own Escape Plan
The game takes place over the course of 3 days. Each day the players are limited to 3-5 actions. These may include: moving around the city, hiring thugs, getting hands on disguises, buying equipment and so on. Making contacts and gaining power has a downside – more and more policemen will become aware of you.
To win, players have to leave the city before the third day ends, and then they compare all their leftover dollars. Whoever managed to run away with more money wins. It’s also possible to invest in the city, while you’re still there, and gain some additional cash.
The city map consists of hexes and is randomized to a certain degree. Locations get revealed as the game progresses.
Police actions regarding city exits are controlled by the “patrol deck”. Players also have to keep in mind, that traveling longer distances requires hiding from the eyes of law enforcement. Failing to do so results in wounds, which decrease your final score.
The Campaign
The Kickstarter campaign for Escape Plan is about to end in less than 3 days. So far the creators managed to get $572,756 in pledges. Thanks to these the game saw tons of upgrades: from custom meeples and dual layered player boards to an interesting take on solo mode.
Geeknson Board Game Table | QUESTOWER Ads Sytsem
