Dig Your Way Out
Dig Your Way Out Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Content
- 12 Prisoner standees
- 1 Double-sided game board
- 6 Double-sided prisoner boards
- 77 Search cards: 5 Containers, 6 Pikes, 14 Links, 18 Accessories, 6 Rare items, 18 Actions
- 30 Weapon cards: 10 Blades, 20 Knifes
- 18 Background cards
- 33 Tools cards: 11 Shovels, 11 Pickaxes, 11 Spoons
- 55 Cigarette tokens (5 x 5 Cigarettes, 50 x 1 Cigarette)
- 6 Beating tokens
- 1 die
- 24 Gangs cards: 4 Bikers, 4 Bratva, 4 Cartel, 4 Crew, 4 Queers, 4 Triad
- 8 Michel(le) cards
- 2 Michel(le) standees
Setup
-
On their designated locations on the board, place 4 different piles, face up, for all the Spoon, Knife, Pickaxe and Shovel cards.
Every Spoon, Knife, Pickaxe and Shovel card discarded is replaced on top of their original pile.
-
For every Gang, shuffle and place all its Gang cards as a pile on their designated board location.
Discarded Gang cards are replaced at the bottom of their original pile.
-
Shuffle all the Search cards and form a deck, face down, placed on the designated location on the board.
Next to it, is the discard pile where all discarded Search cards are placed, face up.
When the Search deck is emptied, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
-
Place all Cigarette and Beating tokens next to the board, where everybody can reach them.
-
Each player chooses a prisoner standee. They place the prisoner board corresponding to this prisoner in front of them and its standee on the Cell block.
-
Each player draws a Background card and keeps its face hidden from the other players. Each player can look at their Background card at any time.
-
Each player draws 3 Search cards to constitute their starting hand.
Goal
As soon as a player reaches the necessary number of Tunnel points, this player wins and the game ends.
This prisoner is the only one to escape before the alarm is triggered.
The other prisoners aren't as lucky, the guards proceed to a general search of the cell block, finding all the unfinished tunnels. They win a ticket to the high security prison!
| Number of players | 2-3 | 4 | 5-6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tunnel points needed to win | 12 pts | 10 pts | 8 pts |
How to Play
The player with the most impressive scar is the first player.
Beginning with the first player, players take turns clockwise until one of them wins and the game ends.
When it's your turn to play, you can perform up to 2 actions.
There are two kinds of actions:
Basic actions, that can be performed in different Places; and Place actions, that can only be performed if you are in a specific Place.
In addition to these 2 actions per turn, you can reveal your Background card and, eventually, use the ability granted by the Gang you joined.
Basic Actions
Search
This action can only be performed once per turn.
Draw the number of Search cards indicated on the Place you're in: 1, 2 or 3 cards.
If the Search deck is empty, shuffle the discard pile to form a new deck.
Example: A player in the Cell block draws 1 Search card. If she is in the Cafeteria, she draws 2 cards.
A player can't have more than 10 cards in hand at the end of their turn.
If you have more than 10 cards in hand at the end of your turn, you have to choose and discard immediately enough cards to equal 10 cards.
Move
You can move in two different ways: Simple move or Cautious move.
Simple Move
Roll the die to determine where you can go.
Each score allows you to move to 2 different Places indicated on the board.
Choose one of those 2 Places and move your standee in it.
If your standee is already in one of those Places, you can't stay in the same Place and you have to go to the other Place available.
Example: If a player rolls a 1, she can choose to go to the Cell Block or the Cafeteria. If she is already in the Cell Block, she must go to the Cafeteria.
Cautious Move
Instead of rolling the die, you can decide to use 2 actions to move to the Place of your choice without rolling any die.
Join a Gang
Choose the Gang you want to join among those available on the board.
To join a Gang, you need to have in hand a certain number of different Accessory cards associated with the Gang.
You can't use multiple cards of the same Accessory to join a Gang.
Discard the necessary Accessory cards, then draw the Gang card on top of the pile corresponding to the Gang you join. Place this card face up next to your prisoner board.
Unless specified otherwise, the Gang cards abilities are not considered as actions and there is no limit to their utilization.
The moment when an ability is activated is indicated on each Gang card.
You can only have one Gang card at the same moment. If you join a Gang (the same one or a new one) while you already have a Gang card, the previous one is discarded.
A discarded Gang card is placed under the pile of the corresponding Gang.
| Gang | Accessories | Quantity needed |
|---|---|---|
| Crew | Cap, Bandana, Necklace | 2 different |
| Cartel | Cap, Watch, Boots | 2 different |
| Bikers | Bandana, Ring, Boots | 2 different |
| Bratva | Watch, Necklace, Ring | 2 different |
| Triad | All accessory types | 3 different |
| Queers | All accessory types | 3 different |
Play an Action Card
Reveal an Action card from your hand.
Apply the card's effects then discard it.
Extortion
This action can only be performed once per turn.
You need to have at least one Weapon card in your hand to extort someone.
Target another player whose standee is on the same Place as yours.
Intimidation
Announce the Tool you want to extort from your target — a Spoon, a Pickaxe or a Shovel — and lay before him a Weapon card from your hand.
- If the targeted player has the wanted Tool in hand, they can cooperate and give it to you right away. In this case, there is no combat and the extortion ends here.
- If the target doesn't have it or if they don't want to cooperate, a combat immediately starts. You are the attacker and your target is the defender.
Combat
Taking turns, the two players play before them a Weapon card from their hand, beginning by the defender.
Once a player can't or doesn't want to play a Weapon card, this player loses the combat and receives a Beating.
The victor takes one card from the loser's hand: the Tool the attacker was asking for if the defender had it and lost; or a card randomly drawn from the loser's hand in any other case.
All Weapon cards played during an Extortion are discarded.
Knifes cards are put back in the dedicated pile on the board, the other Weapon cards go to the Search discard pile.
Example: Player A wants to extort player B. She plays a Weapon card from her hand in front of player B, asking (with some authority): "Gimme a Pickaxe!"
Player B, having a Pickaxe card in hand, can choose to cooperate. In this case, he would have to give his Pickaxe card to player A and the extortion would end there.
However if he decides not to give it away willingly, a combat begins. Player B, being the defender, must play a Weapon card first, which he does right away.
Player A then plays a new Weapon card from her hand. Player B does the same again.
Player A has one Weapon card left in her hand and plays it without flinching. Player B, having no Weapon card left, loses.
If he indeed has the card requested by the attacker, player B has to give his Pickaxe to player A, in addition to taking a Beating. If he hadn't got the requested card, or if player A had lost, the winner would have taken a card at random in the defeated player's hand.
Craft
This action can't be performed in the Cell Block or the Showers.
You can't perform this action if you have received 1 or 2 Beatings.
Perform one and only one crafting.
Discard the necessary cards from your hand, then draw the crafted card(s) from their corresponding pile on the board.
If the Knife, Pickaxe or Shovel pile is empty, this item can't be crafted until its pile is filled again.
| Necessary cards | Crafted card(s) |
|---|---|
| 2 Links + 1 Pike | 1 Pickaxe |
| 2 Links + 1 Container | 1 Shovel |
| 2 Links + 1 Blade | 2 Knifes |
Backgrounds
Each player keeps their Background card hidden until they reveal it.
Each Background card specifies when it can be revealed.
Revealing a Background card does not count as an action. The effects indicated on each Background card are applied when it is revealed.
A player can only reveal their Background card once per game.
When their Background card is revealed, if the player has joined the Gang specified on the card, they also can apply the second special effect associated.
Beatings
A player can receive up to 2 Beatings.
Regardless of the number of combats lost, a player can't have more than 2 Beatings at the same time.
There is one Beating token per player. One face is used to indicate that the player has received 1 Beating, the other face to indicate that they have received 2 Beatings.
A player with 1 Beating can't perform the Craft action.
A player with 2 Beatings can't perform the Craft nor the Dig action.
Place Actions
Each of these actions can only be performed by players who are actually in the specified Place.
Dig
Location: Cell Block
You can't perform this action if you have received 2 Beatings.
Place one and only one Tool card (Spoon, Pickaxe or Shovel) from your hand next to your prisoner board, face up.
You immediately score the number of Tunnel points indicated on the card: Spoon = 1 point, Pickaxe = 2 points, Shovel = 3 points.
Steal a Spoon
Location: Cafeteria
Take one Spoon card from the board.
This action can't be performed if the Spoon pile is empty.
Heal
Location: Infirmary
Remove 1 Beating you received.
Sell
Location: Recreational Area
Discard any number of cards from your hand.
Gain as many Cigarette tokens as their total value, i.e. the number of cigarettes shown on all the cards sold.
Buy
Location: Recreational Area
Perform one transaction:
- Discard 2 Cigarette tokens to take 1 Knife card from the board.
- Or discard 5 Cigarette tokens to take 2 Knife cards from the board.
- Or discard 6 Cigarette tokens to take 1 Pickaxe card from the board.
- Or discard 8 Cigarette tokens to take 1 Shovel card from the board.
If any of the Knife, Pickaxe or Shovel piles is empty, no one can buy this item until its pile is filled again.
Michel & Michelle
Michel and Michelle form an optional expansion, especially appropriate for two player games, because it multiplies interactions and extortions.
With more players, the prison becomes more dangerous than ever!
There are two Michels, but there is only one of them in the prison at any moment. This prisoner is not under the control of any specific player.
If players agree to play Michelle or Michel, the corresponding standee is placed in the Showers during setup. Michel cards are shuffled to constitute a deck, face down, next to the board, near the Showers.
Discarded Michel cards are placed face up beside this deck. When the Michel deck is empty, the corresponding discard pile is shuffled to form a new deck face down.
Move
At the end of their turn, in addition to their action, each player can move Michel(le) by rolling the die.
This move is done as a simple move and the player having rolled the die chooses in which Place Michel(le) moves if there are two possibilities.
Extortion
Everytime Michel(le) ends a move, they extorts automatically every players on the same Place as theirs.
If there are several players in that Place, Michel(le) extorts them one at a time, clockwise from the player having made them move.
Likewise, when a player ends a move on the same place as Michel(le), they extort that player automatically.
When Michel(le) extort a player, this player draws a Michel card and reveals it.
- If the card doesn't show any Knife, the player manages to avoid confrontation and the extortion ends there.
- If there is a Knife, the player can eventually cooperate by discarding from their hand one of the Tools shown on the Michel card (if they are able to). If the player doesn't have any of the Tools shown, or if they don't want to discard it, a combat starts.
The player must play a Weapon from their hand, then a new Michel card is drawn and revealed.
If the card shows no Knife, the combat ends and the player wins. If not, the player must play another Weapon, and a new Michel card is drawn, etc.
If, at any moment, the player can't or doesn't want to play a Weapon, they lose the combat and take a Beating. In addition, they must discard, if able, one of the Tools shown on the initial Michel card. If not, they must discard one card randomly picked from their hand.
If the player wins, they can draw 1 Search card.
All Michel cards revealed during an extortion are discarded.
Team Mode
The Team mode can only be played with an even number of players.
Players must divide themselves evenly between team A and team B.
The other side of the board is used, the one on which two distinct Cell Blocks A and B are shown. Each Block is considered as a separate Place for rules purposes, but still counts as the Place Cell Block for any game effect.
Usual rules apply, with the following exceptions:
Goal
Tunnel points are scored and victory decided for each team and not for each player.
| Number of players | 4 | 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Tunnel points needed to win | 16 pts | 20 pts |
Simple Move
Results of 1, 2 or 3 on the die allow players to move to Cell Block A as well as to Cell Block B.
Extort
During any combat, any players can help a teammate (attacker or defender) on the same Place as theirs by playing a Weapon card in place of this teammate. However, at the end of the combat, all players having helped the loser must take a Beating too, and the winning player having originally initiated or suffered the extortion can take a card at random from the hand of each losing participating player.
Craft
Players can craft in the Cell Block of the other team but not in theirs.
Dig
Players can only dig in the Cell Block of their team and not in the other team's Block.
Exchange (new basic action)
The player can give any number of cards from their hand to a teammate in the same Place as theirs and receive any number of cards from this same teammate.
The player can also give or receive any number of Cigarette tokens from this same teammate.
Gangs
During a simple move, instead of rolling the die, a player can go to the same Place as a teammate belonging to the same Gang.