- BGG rank
- BGG #4,779
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Punto
- 2–4 players
- 20 min
- Complexity 1.1/5
- 2018
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,283
- BGG rating
- 5.5
Alcatraz
1999
Rules assistance for Alcatraz
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.9/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Alcatraz
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Alcatraz is a board game released in 1999 for 2–4 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Bernhard Weber.
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About the game
Players try to escape from the prison island Alcatraz in this quite abstract game. Board resembles a chess board, it's a 9x9 grid where players must move their pieces from one end to the other. Each piece can move horizontally or vertically as many spaces as the player wishes, but there are few complications: the guards. Each row has a guard. Whenever a piece moves to a row, the guard on that row moves as many spaces towards the piece as the piece moved (if you move three rows up, the guard on that row moves three spaces towards you). If the guard catches you, the move is illegal. Of course, it's legal to make the guards catch other players' pieces... The first player to have three of their four pieces escape wins. Alcatraz is fun, quick game and a nice brain-teaser, especially with more than two players when the board gets quite crowded.
Questions and answers
Alcatraz supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Alcatraz is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Alcatraz for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Alcatraz has a complexity rating of 1.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Alcatraz belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Alcatraz and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Alcatraz are: Bernhard Weber. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Alcatraz as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.