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Gravediggers
2005
Rules assistance for Gravediggers
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–5 players
- 25 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Gravediggers
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Gravediggers is a board game released in 2005 for 2–5 players, 25 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Reiner Knizia and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Auction / Bidding, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
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About the game
In Gravediggers (or Bank Robbers), players are competing to earn the most money by robbing graves (or banks). It's a hidden information, bluffing, and deduction family game. During setup, each player receives a hand of 5 cards and 10 coins (which are hidden). Regardless of the number of players, there are always five cemeteries on the table which each receive one card at the start of the game. On a player's turn, the player reveals one of their action tiles and performs the action on it. There are four possible actions: 1. Play a card - The player plays a card from their hand face down to one of the five cemeteries and then draws back up to five cards. 2. Look at one card - The player looks at one face down card on one of the cemeteries (while not showing it to other players). 3. Reveal one card - The player has to reveal and leave face up one of the cards laying down in one of the cemeteries. 4. Rob the cemetery - The player has to choose which cemetery the players will rob. When robbing the cemetery, each player chooses the amount of money that they wish to invest in robbing it. Then all amounts are revealed simultaneously. All the cards that lay face down in the cemetery are revealed and the amount of money that can be robbed is shown. The player who bid the least takes his loot first. They take the money invested and the same amount from the cemetery following by other players. If there is insufficient money for one of the players, they take nothing from the cemetery, and so do the players after them. Apart from money cards, there are also special cards which change the outcome of the robbery: Guard - Prevent the players from stealing the money. Everyone who invested 0 in this robbery receives 5 regardless of the money in the cemetery. Bandit - Prevent the players from stealing the money and also steal the money invested in this robbery by all players. Accomplice - Reverse the order of players taking the money. Widow - Cancels all other special cards. When the deck is depleted, play continues until one of the players uses all of their cards. After that, the players rob all the cemeteries one after another and then the game is over. The player who earned the most coins is the winner.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Piatnik
- Twilight Creations, Inc.
- Yaofish Games
- Group SNE
Questions and answers
Gravediggers supports 2–5 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 Gravediggers is 25 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 Gravediggers for ages 10 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.
Gravediggers has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Gravediggers belongs to these categories: Card Game and Horror. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Auction / Bidding, and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 Gravediggers are: Reiner Knizia. 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 Gravediggers 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.