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Gamehelpdigyourwayout
You are inmates sentenced to life in Blackgate prison. After the first escape, security will be reinforced and nobody else will get out. Be the first to dig your way out!
Goal
The first player to reach the required number of Tunnel points wins immediately.
| Players | 2-3 | 4 | 5-6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tunnel points to win | 12 | 10 | 8 |
The game in a nutshell
- Get Tools: Spoon (1 Tunnel point), Pickaxe (2 points) or Shovel (3 points).
- Steal a Spoon in the Cafeteria.
- Craft a Pickaxe or a Shovel from materials found by Searching.
- Buy them with Cigarettes, earned by Selling cards.
- Extort them from other players with Weapons.
- Bring your Tools back to the Cell Block and Dig: each Tool gives its Tunnel points.
Along the way, Gangs give you permanent abilities, and your secret Background card gives you one powerful surprise per game. Watch what the others have in hand: you need to know who to extort, and who is a threat.
Your turn
You have 2 actions, to choose from this table. You can do the same action twice, except Search and Extort (once per turn).
| Action | Where | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Move | anywhere | Roll the die and go to one of the 2 Places shown (1 action), or go anywhere (2 actions). |
| Search | anywhere but Solitary | Draw 1 to 3 cards, depending on the Place. Once per turn. |
| Craft | not in the Cell Block, Showers or Solitary | Turn materials into a Pickaxe, a Shovel or 2 Knives. |
| Extort | anywhere but Solitary | Demand a Tool from a player in your Place, with a Weapon. Once per turn. |
| Join a Gang | anywhere | Discard Accessories to get a Gang ability. |
| Play an Action card | anywhere | Apply the card, then discard it. |
| Dig | Cell Block | Place a Tool from your hand and score its Tunnel points. |
| Steal a Spoon | Cafeteria | Take a Spoon. |
| Sell | Recreational Area | Discard cards to gain the Cigarettes shown on them. |
| Buy | Recreational Area | Spend Cigarettes on a Knife, a Pickaxe or a Shovel. |
| Heal | Infirmary | Remove 1 Beating. |
Free, at any time they allow: use your Gang ability, reveal your Background card.
At the end of your turn, discard down to 10 cards in hand.
Actions in detail
Move
- Simple move (1 action): roll the die and go to one of the 2 Places shown. You can't stay where you are: if one of them is your current Place, go to the other one.
- Cautious move (2 actions): go to the Place of your choice.
| Die | Places |
|---|---|
| 1 | Cell Block or Cafeteria |
| 2 | Cell Block or Recreational Area |
| 3 | Cell Block or Infirmary |
| 4 | Cafeteria or Recreational Area |
| 5 | Showers or Infirmary |
| 6 | Showers or Recreational Area |
Craft
Discard the materials, then take the crafted card(s). Not possible with 1 or 2 Beatings.
| Materials | Crafted |
|---|---|
| Links + Pike | 1 Pickaxe |
| Links + Container | 1 Shovel |
| Links + Blade | 2 Knives |
Extort
You need at least 1 Weapon (Knife or Blade) in hand. Choose a player in your Place and the Tool you want, then lay 1 Weapon in front of them.
- If they have the Tool, they may cooperate and give it to you. No combat.
- Otherwise, combat: starting with the defender, both players take turns playing a Weapon. The first one who can't or won't play loses and takes 1 Beating.
- The winning attacker takes the requested Tool if the defender has it. Otherwise, the winner takes a random card from the loser's hand.
All Weapons played are discarded.
Buy and Sell
- Sell: discard any number of cards and gain 1 Cigarette per cigarette icon on them.
- Buy (one purchase per action): 2 Cigarettes = 1 Knife, 5 = 2 Knives, 6 = 1 Pickaxe, 8 = 1 Shovel.
Join a Gang
Discard Accessories of different types, then take the top card of that Gang's pile. You belong to one Gang at a time: joining again replaces your Gang card.
| Gang | Accessories accepted | Discard |
|---|---|---|
| Bikers | Boots, Ring, Bandana | 2 different |
| Bratva | Golden chain, Ring, Silver watch | 2 different |
| Cartel | Boots, Cap, Silver watch | 2 different |
| Crew | Cap, Golden chain, Bandana | 2 different |
| Queers, Triad | any | 3 different |
Beatings
You can have at most 2 Beatings.
- 1 Beating: you can't Craft.
- 2 Beatings: you can't Craft nor Dig.
Heal in the Infirmary to remove them.
Background card
Each player has 1 secret Background card. Reveal it once per game, for free, at the moment written on the card. If you belong to the Gang shown on it, you also get its bonus effect. Read your card well: used at the right time, it can turn the game around.
Reference
Places
| Place | Search | Die | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cell Block | 1 card | 1, 2, 3 | Dig. No Craft. |
| Cafeteria | 2 cards | 1, 4 | Steal a Spoon. |
| Recreational Area | 2 cards | 2, 4, 6 | Sell, Buy. |
| Infirmary | 1 card | 3, 5 | Heal. |
| Showers | 3 cards | 5, 6 | No Craft. |
| Solitary Confinement | - | - | Only 1 action if you start your turn here. No Search, Extort or Craft. Only reachable by Cautious move or a card. |
Cards
Search cards (draw pile):
- Materials: Links (14), Pikes (6), Containers (5).
- Blades (10): materials that are also Weapons.
- Accessories (18): Boots, Ring, Bandana, Golden chain, Silver watch, Cap. To join Gangs.
- Rare items (6): sell them for many Cigarettes.
- Actions (18): one-shot effects.
Board piles: Spoons, Pickaxes and Shovels (11 each), Knives (20). Discarded Tools and Knives go back to their pile (Tools used to Dig stay next to your board). An empty pile can't be bought, crafted or stolen from.
Gang abilities
Each Gang has 4 different cards: you get the top one, so you don't choose your ability. Abilities are free and unlimited unless stated otherwise.
Setup
Each player starts in the Cell Block with 3 Search cards and 1 secret Background card.
Option: Michel & Michelle
Recommended for 2 players: Michel is a prisoner controlled by no one, who starts in the Showers and extorts everyone he meets.
- Move: at the end of your turn, you may roll the die to move Michel (Simple move rules, you choose his destination).
- Extortion: when Michel ends a move, he extorts every player in his Place, clockwise. When a player arrives in his Place, he extorts them too.
When Michel extorts you, a Michel card is revealed:
- No Knife: nothing happens.
- Knife: give him one of the Tools shown on the card, or fight. To fight, play a Weapon, then a new card is revealed: no Knife, you win and draw 1 Search card; a Knife, play another Weapon, and so on.
If you can't or won't play a Weapon, you lose: take 1 Beating and discard one of the Tools shown on the first card (or a random card if you have none). You can only give a Tool on the first card.