The Polish publisher Kuznia Gier published for the first time a semi-cooperative game. In Alcatraz, players must try as prisoners together to find an escape route from the famous prison, before too many guards to prevent this. There's just one catch: a player has to stay.

The game - design of Alcatraz is therefore very dark, reflecting the atmosphere of a prison well. The playing field consists of 12 separate panels that are designed to be a prison wing. Each panel is a space that has an individual function. Players can take these features as they search for the escape route to complete.

In three rooms are designed in the form of key cards, which must deliver the player to open the exit gate can. A total of 6 different keys are required, which may be shared between multiple players. These players can then break out with the right combination together.

But until then, there is plenty to do. Items must be collected, exchanged and sometimes stolen and eventually stored in the key areas. But the players are caught out, because there are prison guards, which must be overcome, but which may in turn prevent the entering of a room completely. Fortunately, players can incite riots and bribed the guards with money, but to use the function of the room can.

The game takes place in three stages: First, a guard placed in a space. All rooms have numbers, so that the space can be determined by chance. The more monitors in one room there are, the harder it is to get into the room or to use its function.

The next phase is the core of the game mechanics, but also a strange thing: It must be a scapegoat, the "scapegoat" to be elected. The scapegoat may also carry into the next phase of an action game and has the privilege of playing cards and so special scapegoat to disrupt the actions of other players. Nevertheless, the players themselves vote in the election of the scapegoat. this is in the initial phase of the game still mostly agree, but it is interesting progresses playing time, since the choice can have an impact on those involved in the escape. Who is a scapegoat, do not flee, and looks into the tube.

In the third phase of the game, players perform two actions, sometimes even more, by. Anyone who has purchased a suitable space can influence, this influence exchange once per round, an additional action. The incumbent also has additional actions scapegoat. In this phase, players must talk to each other and coordinate their actions. It may be necessary in the room in which a key is to be redeemed, at least two players must be present to redeem the keys.

The game ended in defeat, if it is not possible for players to find the exit, as long as not all the guards are used. Disconnect the player from before the last keeper was employed to win the game, but one that remains.

Alcatraz: The Scapegoat is a fun game that will be spoken in the far, agreements have been made and rejected. The players need each other, but ultimately it is every man for himself, to finally end up in the stripping group. This ensures short while in this cooperative game, which has a moderate playing time of up to one hour. also the difficulty of losing the game against the guards and is not very high, so that the players usually find a way out of the prison wing. Friends of the cooperative play should strike and watch the game. Alcatraz is not in large quantities on the market so that anyone who finds it in a shop, should not hesitate for long.

One tip for better playing comfort: We have the cards that are used in guards and keys for de allocation of spaces, against a W12 - replacement dice. Appear as long as there are no extensions that change the whole prison, the allocation goes through a die much faster. The German's game guide it in the downloads Boardgamegeek .

Year: 2011
Publisher: Kuznia Gier
Author: Rafal Cywicki, Cywicki Krzysztof Krzysztof Hanusz
Design: Rafal Badan, Martyna Szczykutowicz
Players: 3-4
Age: 15 years
Duration: about 45 minutes

Keywords: cooperative , Kuznia Gier