Need an Escape? Try Break Out!

Board games are a great way to escape from the grind of everyday life. Yet, what if a game took the concept of “escape” a bit more literally? University Games flew the coop when they launched Break Out—a game about who will break out of prison first. This two-player game features two characters for kids to play with: Harry Highjump and Billy Breakout. These fictional jailbirds both have same idea of bailing out, but who’ll be first to scale the wall and make a run for it? The concept is to join together the colored pieces of rope to get your Prisoner from the penitentiary. The colored pieces of rope need to be continuous, from the top to the bottom of the wall. You want to be the first to break out, so you also need to block off your opponent prisoner’s route before he blocks yours. The first to create an unbroken rope to the bottom wins!

You can play on either side of the board to block from the left or right, up or down. When the game is over, the pieces easily unsnap for storage in the original packaging. When ready to play again, the pieces snap together and set up is easy. Far from solitary confinement, it can be great for couples, a play day between friends, or a rainy day game for siblings who want to keep the other one in the slammer. Designed for kids ages 6 and up, the game features pieces that are substantial, so they are easy to handle. Dropping the rope pieces in the plastic slots is a simple task. However, the game is not simple—it is all about strategy. It is more challenging than typical three- or four-in-row games due to the dynamic of pattern changes in every turn. It can be suspenseful right until the end because you never know what your cellmate has in mind. When you need to escape from everyday life, bust out this one!

About the author

Charlene DeLoach

Charlene DeLoach is a contributing editor at The Toy Insider where she primarily covers parenting topics. Charlene has been featured in print and on television more than 100 times. Before joining The Toy Insider, Charlene was an attorney, real estate broker, and interior decorator. In her current life, she has vowed to get grownups using toys as decor and to teach parents and toy companies to think outside the toy box at her websites playroomchronicles.com and totaltoycreative.com. Follow Charlene on Instagram where you'll see that her account is mostly dedicated to pics of her cute dogs, kids, and fun finds.