Nehemiah

About this board game

Nehemiah is a 2014 board game for 2–4 players, played in about 45 minutes. Players take the roles of Israelite leaders helping rebuild Jerusalem’s ruined wall and protect the city and Temple.

At the heart of the game is a distinctive worker-placement mechanism. Players place their workers on labor cards, but those cards are constantly changing. Choosing where to commit a worker is important, because a useful card may not remain available for long.

When a player activates a worker, they may also activate other labor cards in the same row that have already been activated. This costs gold, but can help players use their resources more effectively. The result is a game of careful timing, tactical choices, and close attention to the changing board.

• Place workers on ever-changing labor cards.
• Activate additional cards in the same row by spending gold.
• Balance using workers already placed with sending new workers to strong opportunities.
• Explore two polished game variants.

Players must stay watchful: a row of labor cards can change before a worker has been used. It is therefore important both to claim good cards and to make the most of workers already on the board.

Fast-paced and suitable for family or Eurogame audiences, Nehemiah keeps turns very short, ensuring that everyone remains engaged throughout the game. Its highly variable and intense course supports different strategies and makes each rebuilding effort feel distinct.