JAILBREAK! is a semi-cooperative game for 2-4 players between the ages 8 & infinity.

In JAILBREAK! your goal is to, well, break out of jail (I know right?!). Each time you play, will be a unique experience with a different shaped board, route, room locations, and escape points. However, it’s not as easy as just moving from point A to point B, before you can escape, you have to gather contraband to assist you in your grand scheme. Also there are triggers that can either boost you forward or send you back to your cell.

Each inmate has their own punny names, and unique skills/traits that could give you the edge

The gameplay and board design is reminiscent of old school RTS video games (Warcraft I, II, & III, Command and Conquer, StarCraft, etc.) where you have a ‘fog of war’ type effect, meaning you don’t know the routes, or see the whole board as you’re going. To reach your goal of escaping, you have to explore the jail and find the locations where you can gather the necessary items, and then make your way to the escape point. Meanwhile your fellow players are doing the same thing, and building upon the same map that you are. Will you be the first one to escape?

About JAILBREAK!

Mug shot of an inmate named Robyn Banks, charged with robbery, with a height of about five feet, wearing glasses and a red braided hairstyle, holding a sign with her ID and a police lineup background.

Cards

Mug shot of a man with glasses, blond hair, and a beard, wearing an orange jumpsuit, with a badge labeled "Inmate" and details including name Otto Graff, charge Forgery, and a note about forging a contraband piece.

Contraband

Illustration of a bedsheet rope contraband warning sign showing a raveled bedsheet tied around a stick, on a red background.

A red background with repeating white text that says 'CONTINENTAL BAND'.

A card labeled 'CONTRABAND' featuring an illustration of a dagger wrapped in brown tape, with the name 'Shiv' at the bottom.

Mugshot of an inmate named Lucy Furr, with blue and black hair, dark makeup, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, and the ID number 12281980, featuring charges of smuggling and a special tip about hiding contraband in her clothing.

Mugshot of a male inmate with the ID 10141987, name Al E. Bye, charged with fraud. The card notes he is a fast talker who can charm guards and choose his cell when caught.

Characters

Version 2 (Current)

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Hand-drawn paper game board with a central square labeled 'JAIL BREAK' and surrounded by smaller squares, some with grid patterns, connected by lines.

Version 1

Board game with a drawn map, game pieces including a red die showing the number two, and character cards with personal information on a wooden table. Surrounding objects include a black phone, some red cards, and a white sketch with hand-drawn features.

This is the first version of Jailbreak! that I ever created. The idea came to me while I was working as a contract security guard in downtown Seattle, WA. The long timespans with nothing going on at the front desk of my site allowed my mind to wander and to come up with ideas for books and games.

This is the first game that I ever thought up and prototyped. In this version, you are restricted to the standard sized game board, and each player would start from one of the colored squares you see along the perimeter.

The exit/escape point was the checkered spots on the far side of the board.

Additionally the brown squares on the upper left & right sides worked the same as the secret passages in Clue.

Finally the

In this version I was toying with the idea of a mechanic where a guard can chase you through the halls, but unfortunately the logistics of it didn’t fit in with the overall gameplay.