In 1981, director John Carpenter released his action spectacle Escape from New York, starring Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken.
The film became a cult classic, with quotable lines and memorable characters. Escape from New York the board game—part of a trend of games based on older movies—now sits proudly next to other period faves on my shelf like Planet of the Apes, Aliens, The Warriors, and Big Trouble in Little China.
The game was designed by Kevin Wilson and published by Pendragon and Studio Canal. It plays up to 4 and takes 120 minutes. The Bands of New York 5-player expansion came with this copy, allowing one player to play as New York.
You play as one of the Heroes racing through the streets of New York City, now converted into a prison, in search of the president of the United States.
The president is being held by the Duke of New York, who also controls other bosses and prisoners. Not only do you have to find the president, but you will also need to collect his briefcase and a diagram of the bridges before your team can escape to safety.