| "Keymaster" | all keys |
| "die die die" | all guards die |
| "i want everything" | all inventory |
There are hundreds of doors throughout the castle and many will be locked. A collection of keys and lock picks can be found and used to open these doors. There are three types of door, which are:
| Low Security Door | Use a lock-pick to open it. |
| Grade 1 Security Door | Use a Grade 1 key to open it. |
| Grade 2 Security Door | Use a Grade 2 key to open it. |
Each key or lock pick can only be used once but any unlocked doors will remain so until the end of the game. Beware of the Prisoner's Quarters because many of the doors here lead into small empty rooms. Therefore precious keys may be unnecessarily wasted. Explore all areas as soon as possible and remember which contain useful items so they can be collected early on in future games.
Some Germans may open fire if they think a POW is getting away. As these guards are skilled marksmen, they'll need only one bullet to kill a potential escapee. To minimize the chance of a Guard shooting you in the back, place a solid object (such as a wall) between yourself and the Nazi. Even better is to walk through an unlocked door where you'll be able to hide and should remain safe for a while.
Wait in a room in 'Stooge' for a couple of minutes and the guard should go away, as they rarely enter certain rooms at all. However, leaving sanctuary too early may mean the guard is still snooping around and you're likely to be arrested.
Beware when opening doors because sentries have a nasty habit of waiting on the other side. Arrest in this situation is almost unavoidable, as you'll usually walk straight into the German!
Various tools and other important items can be collected to aid your escape. Most are hidden behind walls, tables, bunks, etc, so you should investigate every possible hiding place. Some of the most important equipment includes:
| Keys | Use these to open specific doors. |
| Lock pick | Use these to open low-security doors. |
| Uniform | Disguise yourself as a Nazi. |
| Pick-axe, Saw, Spade | Use to re-open disused tunnels. |
| Candle | Needed in tunnels to light your way. |
| Stone | Throw to distract the attention of suspicious guards. |
| Pass | Use this with the uniform. It'll be discarded if stopped and interrogated by genuine guards. |
| Papers | Needed at the main gateway in conjunction with the Pass and Uniform. |
Never carry too much equipment at once because if you're caught, every item will be confiscated and lost. Stash equipment in "Safe" areas (e.g. the Chapel) as these places are never searched by the Germans. Although several trips may be required and this can be time consuming, you run no risk of having valuable equipment confiscated.
Pressing the 'F9' key will allow your POW's to go to sleep in a bunk at their start location. This is very useful at night because the Fatigue bar will diminish. If a tired POW is sent to Solitary, rest him for a few minutes when he's returned to his Quarters.
Use the map supplied with the game as it gives an outline to each sector of the castle. Although not every room is included, at least it shows you roughly your current whereabouts.
Nazi guards will not hesitate to open fire if it looks as if you're getting away. If a pursuing sentry stops running, then it's a safe bet he's about to fire, and they never miss. A good tactic to avoid this is, if the German is not too close, to suddenly stop running. The sentry will run towards you to make an arrest at which point you should continue your escape and head for a door or obstacle to put between you. As it takes a second for a Nazi to raise and lower his rifle you'll still be able to successfully avoid him. But only if your timing is right! Fatigue plays an important part in the game, especially after a POW has been doing a lot of running.
| Return to Escape from Colditz index entry |