- BGG rank
- BGG #10,982
- BGG rating
- 8.0
Armello: The Board Game
- 2–4 players
- 120–180 min
- Complexity 3.3/5
- 2026
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,135
- BGG rating
- 5.7
Escape from New York
1981
Rules assistance for Escape from New York
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 20–60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
Rules assistant for Escape from New York
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Escape from New York is a board game released in 1981 for 2–4 players, 20–60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by David "Zeb" Cook and Harold Johnson and its main mechanics are Race, Set Collection, and Player Elimination.
Similar games
- BGG rank
- BGG #15,030
- BGG rating
- 7.7
Tanxi
- 3–5 players
- 60–80 min
- Complexity 2.3/5
- 2024
- BGG rank
- BGG #199
- BGG rating
- 7.9
Xia: Legends of a Drift System
- 3–5 players
- 60–180 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 2014
- BGG rank
- BGG #1,725
- BGG rating
- 7.4
Aftermath
- 1–4 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #26,978
- BGG rating
- 5.6
Europe Aflame
- 2–4 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.4/5
- 1989
- BGG rank
- BGG #333
- BGG rating
- 7.9
The Witcher: Old World
- 1–5 players
- 90–150 min
- Complexity 2.9/5
- 2023
- BGG rank
- BGG #25,332
- BGG rating
- 5.9
Mafia
- 3–5 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 1.8/5
- 1981
- BGG rank
- BGG #17,822
- BGG rating
- 6.2
TEG: La Revancha
- 2–6 players
- 240 min
- Complexity 2.6/5
- 1990
- BGG rank
- BGG #24,446
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Cloak & Dagger
- 2–4 players
- 30–60 min
- Complexity 1.6/5
- 1984
- BGG rank
- BGG #28
- BGG rating
- 8.5
Clank! Legacy: Acquisitions Incorporated
- 2–4 players
- 90–120 min
- Complexity 2.7/5
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,937
- BGG rating
- 6.4
The Dutch Golden Age
- 3–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 2.5/5
- 2008
- BGG rank
- BGG #23,240
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Creature Features
- 2–6 players
- 120 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
- 1975
About the game
"Snake, I thought you were dead!" This modest board game, based on the John Carpenter movie, casts each player as Snake Plissken, an ex-con sent on a rescue mission into a giant prison once known as New York City. Players begin with weapons and equipment cards used to help fight enemies and find clues. Cards can be lost in fights or gained at landmark spaces. Turn in matching clue cards at the corresponding location to rescue the president or his important tape. To escape, you still need to find a glider or a map to the mine fields. Fans of the movie will enjoy the chance to encounter Slag, Brain, Cabbie, Maggie, the Duke, and Romero with the opporutnity to gain them as allies during the game. Players win by obtaining the Tape first and foremost, failing that - the President himself. The game is very faithful to the movie and players will find that they can mirror many scenes of the movie in the game.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Tactical Studies Rules (TSR)
Questions and answers
Escape from New York 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 Escape from New York is 20–60 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 Escape from New York 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.
Escape from New York has a complexity rating of 1.5 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.
Escape from New York belongs to these categories: Fighting, Wargame, and Movies / TV / Radio theme. Its main mechanics are Race, Set Collection, and Player Elimination. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Escape from New York are: David "Zeb" Cook and Harold Johnson. 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 Escape from New York 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.