{"id":88669,"date":"2026-01-26T14:00:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T14:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bigbossbattle.com\/?p=88669"},"modified":"2025-12-30T09:17:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T09:17:26","slug":"escape-from-project-riese-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bigbossbattle.com\/escape-from-project-riese-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Escape from Project Riese is the serious refinement of the cooperative zombie shooter"},"content":{"rendered":"
Escape from Projekt Riese<\/em> is a tense, narrative-driven solo\/co-op campaign game from Raybox Games that blends tactical combat, horror, and historical fiction into a modular, campaign driven experience that builds on its predecessor, Escape from Stalingrad Z<\/i> with refined mechanics, deeper storytelling, and the same smart, concise production.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Set in 1943 beneath the Owl Mountains of occupied Poland, <\/span>Escape from Projekt Riese<\/span><\/i> casts players as members of an Allied strike team infiltrating a secret Nazi facility plagued by a zombie outbreak. Your mission: rescue eccentric genius Dr. Hinzelmann and his resistance allies, uncover the horrors lurking in the base, and escape before the undead overwhelm you. It\u2019s a cinematic setup, and the game delivers on it with a mix of tactical skirmishes, branching narratives, and modular scenario design.<\/span><\/p>\n

Please note that this review and the images within are almost spoiler free. I have used a couple of pictures from early scenarios, but where possible I’ve tried to avoid showing anything that you wouldn’t see within an hour or so of starting the game.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Gameplay unfolds across a series of linked scenarios, each played on maps presented as part of a ring-bound book that includes scenario specific rules, an illustrated map and any narrative. These maps are richly detailed \u2014 claustrophobic corridors, decaying laboratories, and occult chambers onto which you add cardboard doors and in this Deluxe Edition, plastic zombie and survivor models. The maps and miniatures serve well as both tactical terrain and narrative backdrop, with each scenario introducing new objectives, enemies, and environmental hazards, creating a sense of escalation and discovery.<\/span><\/p>\n

Combat is fast-paced and streamlined. As a solo or cooperative game for one to two, the players control one or two heroes, each with unique stats, abilities, and gear represented by a unique player board. Actions are largely straightforward and include the likes of moving \u2014 at either a run or a walk \u2014 searching or fighting. Fights are resolved using custom dice, with modifiers based on weapon type, range, and enemy traits, as well as whether you are standing, walking or running.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The system used by <\/span>Escape from Projekt Riese <\/span><\/i>rewards positioning and timing \u2014 player facing, flanking enemies, managing line of sight, and conserving key items are all critical. Enemies include standard zombies, more powerful variants (that I won\u2019t spoil), and Nazi occultists, each with distinct behaviors and attack patterns. AI is handled via simple enough flowcharts and dice rolls, keeping turns brisk without sacrificing tension.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Whilst I am not likening <\/span>Escape from Projekt Riese <\/span><\/i>too directly to <\/span>Zombicide<\/span><\/i><\/a>, I was not surprised to see designer Marco Pecota enjoying <\/span>Zombicide<\/span><\/i> at a recent convention, and as I played <\/span>Escape from Projekt Riese <\/span><\/i>I often had the feeling of a smarter, more focussed and narrative-driven take on CMON\u2019s popular game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Where <\/span>Zombicide <\/span><\/i>is a dumb-but-fun dice chucker, <\/span>Escape from Projekt Riese <\/span><\/i>is considerably tighter, smarter and more complex. The scale is both broader thanks to the much higher number of scenarios, detailed narrative and additional complexity, and also smaller because scenarios take place on a small, focussed map and can be done in 30 minutes with ease.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the game\u2019s standout features is its modular campaign structure. Scenarios move towards different conclusions, and player choices affect which missions unlock next. You might choose to explore a sealed wing of the facility, rescue a captured ally, or sabotage the facility power systems \u2014 each path offers different rewards and risks. This branching design adds replayability and encourages strategic planning beyond individual battles.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The campaign is underpinned by a light RPG system that carries over character progression and in many cases, items. Between missions, players can upgrade weapons, acquire new gear and improve stats. A strong story enhances this RPG feel, and the original Kickstarter claims that over a year of writing and development took place to bring it to life – a claim I can completely believe.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Production quality is high. The artwork \u2014 by Riccardo Federici, Nat Jones, and Juli\u00e1n Tunni \u2014 is gritty and atmospheric, with a graphic novel aesthetic that suits the horror theme. The map pages are detailed and atmospheric, and the character standees (should you choose to use them over miniatures) are detailed and thematic. The rulebook is well-organized with clear examples, but it\u2019s also dense. I would suggest inexperienced players stick with it, because your first mission won\u2019t require more than the first few pages, with the rest coming as scenarios and character builds get more complex.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Compared to <\/span>Escape from Stalingrad Z<\/span><\/i>, <\/span>Projekt Riese<\/span><\/i> introduces several refinements:<\/span><\/p>\n