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Five Tribes: The Djinns of Naqala
- 2–4 players
- 40–80 min
- Complexity 2.8/5
- 2014
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- BGG #17,943
- BGG rating
- 6.1
Grave Business
2011
Rules assistance for Grave Business
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45 min
- 13+
- Complexity 2.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Grave Business
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Grave Business is a board game released in 2011 for 2–4 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Andy Van Zandt and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding and Worker Placement.
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About the game
You are a Necromancer. In fact, you are a particularly dangerous one, as you are a Necromancer with a business plan. Your zombies will dig up and loot valuables from graves, and while they're there, they can also grab fresh body parts so you can make MORE zombies to dig up MORE graves. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, it's so good that other Necromancers are now competing with you for the choice cemeteries! Players start with zombies of varying values. They take turns placing zombies in specific location to "dig" up graves, steal from opposing laboratories and vaults, and to attack other player's zombies to try and prevent them from digging or stealing (and possibly dismember the opposing zombie beyond further use). Once all the zombies have been placed, zombies still in position will steal body parts or treasure from opponents, and those set to dig will dig the row, column, or specific space of the graveyard they are assigned to. If you are competing for spaces in the graveyard (which is the norm), players compare the combined brainpower of their digging zombies, and the higher value gets to the contents of the grave first. Then you may use your new-found corpse pieces and equipment to assemble new zombies to do your bidding! The goal is to have the highest total in treasure and unused body parts at the end of the game.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Minion Games
Questions and answers
Grave Business supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Grave Business is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Grave Business for ages 13 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Grave Business has a complexity rating of 2.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Grave Business belongs to these categories: Zombies. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding and Worker Placement. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Grave Business are: Andy Van Zandt. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Grave Business as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.