The game takes place during World War II, and the player assumes the character of an American pilot named Captain Lewis Stone, who is captured by the Nazis and held in a prison camp. Captain Stone makes the startling discovery that the Germans are constructing a top-secret weapon that they want to deploy against the Allies as he is in the process of attempting to flee the camp. Soon after, his individual impulse to flee transforms into a yearning to save the world from the disaster that the Nazis are plotting to bring about.
The gameplay of Prisoner of War fits the description of a stealth game. The game, in contrast to the vast majority of other games in its genre (such as the Thief series), is only focused on stealth and does not include any options for violent play. Inside the prison camp, the main character is defenseless, and his wits are his only means of protection. The majority of the gameplay is around stealth-based activities, such as sneaking past guards to hand off a crucial item to another prisoner, concealing goods, remaining in the shadows to avoid being seen, and engaging in a variety of other activities.
