Prisoner’s Base Game – Classic Team Game That Combines Tag, Strategy, Teamwork, and Rescue Missions

Players: 10 or more
Location: Outdoors
Age Group: Older children and teens

Prisoner’s Base is a classic team game that combines tag, strategy, teamwork, and rescue missions. It was once one of the most popular playground games and is considered a precursor to many modern capture-and-rescue games.

Setup

Players divide into two teams, each led by a Captain.

Mark out four areas:

• Home Base A
• Home Base B
• Prison A
• Prison B

The two Home Bases should be opposite each other, with the Prisons located beyond them on the enemy’s side of the field.

Objective

Capture members of the opposing team and imprison them while protecting your own teammates and rescuing captured players.

The game ends when one team has captured all members of the other team.

How Play Begins

One team starts by sending a player out from Home Base.

The opposing Captain then sends out a player to chase them.

If the chaser tags the runner before they return safely to Home Base, the runner becomes a prisoner and must go to their team’s prison area.

The Tagging Rule

A key feature of Prisoner’s Base is the order in which players leave Home Base.

A player may only tag opponents who left their Home Base before they did.

For example:

• Player A leaves first.
• Player B leaves second.

Player B may tag Player A, but Player A cannot tag Player B.

This creates a constantly changing web of attack and defense as new players enter the field.

Rescuing Prisoners

Captured players remain in prison until a teammate rescues them.

To perform a rescue:

1. A player runs to their team’s prison.
2. They touch a prisoner.
3. The rescued players immediately return toward Home Base.

Traditionally, prisoners could form a chain by holding hands, allowing the rescuer to free several teammates at once.

Team Strategy

Captains coordinate their teams by deciding:

• When to attack.
• When to defend.
• Which players should attempt rescues.
• When to risk sending strong players into enemy territory.

Successful teams often balance aggression with careful timing.

Modern Adaptation

To simplify the game for today’s players:

• Use clear boundary markers such as cones.
• Designate a safe return route for rescued prisoners.
• Limit physical contact to light tagging.
• Allow multiple rescues with a single touch.

Skills Developed

• Speed and agility
• Teamwork
• Strategic thinking
• Communication
• Situational awareness

Why It’s Fun

Prisoner’s Base combines the excitement of tag with the tactics of a team sport. Players must decide whether to chase, defend, rescue, or retreat, and fortunes can change quickly when a daring rescue frees several prisoners at once. The mix of action and strategy makes it one of the most engaging traditional playground games.

Prisoner’s Base Game Printable Instructions