The art of stained glass

There are projects. Then, there are those projects of almost an entire lifetime. And then, there are yet the other ones, those that go beyond life itself! Such as this one, authored by Antoni Gaudí, standing high in Barcelona, still unfinished. One hundred and thirty-eight years after the initial sketches, outlined in the late 19th century, circa 1882, the unmistakable silhouette is now a solid body. While the spires keep reaching for the sky, time continues to tick away.

We will not retrace the history of the temple nor that of the man behind it. We will not build or even try to complete the work. We won't try to overcome the creator.

Instead, we will play with light, mediating between the strong sunlight under the blue sky, tasting like the Mediterranean, and the inward fresh shadows, where believers and tourists mingle.

Let's make stained glass!

Joining the small fragments that allow you to see inside, pushing the darkness away, casting colours over stones, revealing images.

The raw material for stained glass.
That's 90 dice, in 5 different colours.
Only a few will be available in each round.
Randomly taken from the black bag and thrown over the table.

Each craftsman will make his own stained glass window.

Respecting the constraints defined by the base pattern selected, regarding value or colour of the fragment to be placed in certain positions.

Respecting the restrictions defined by the theory of stained-glass creation adopted for this occasion: always start from the outside; proceed through adjacent spaces (diagonals included); ensure diversity by not repeating colors or values in adjacent spaces (diagonals excluded).

As for the rest, creative freedom!

Competing for the raw material, over only 10 rounds, as one must not further delay the monument completion! Acting in two moments in each round, following an oscillatory pattern: from the starting player to the last, and then from the last one back to the first player.

Therefore, you must choose the right fragment at the right time. Or wait. Or even use tools to retouch the work.

In the search for the most appreciated stained-glass window there are some objectives to reach for.
One of them is individual, secret and different for each craftsman: the color that will be specially rewarded at the very end, through the sum of the value of each of their fragments.

The others are common goals, three per game.
So that a certain coherence in the style of all the works is achieved.
Colors, patterns or values to benefit from.
Some easier than others.
Some more valuable than others.

As the work progresses, it becomes more and more difficult to reconcile restrictions and the available raw material.

It is then time to reach for the tool kit, enabling one to retouch the stained-glass window under construction, to change the positions of some fragments, to obtain permission to ignore some restrictions, to gain access to more material, or to change values.

The use of tools comes with a cost, being only cheaper for the first one to do so. Since these artisans are not exactly rich, the decision must be well thought. Save it to the end, as a last resource when everything may become more difficult, or use it beforehand, benefitting from a lower cost?

After the work is finished it is time to contemplate it, to let the light falls upon the stained-glass window and to marvel at the magic of the rich colours.

Although contemplation is brief, because there will always be someone impatient to ascertain who has best fulfilled the common specifications for the work, and the touch of personal taste!

This is Sagrada, a game with dice, which is not the same of being a dice game, in which each player-craftsman has his own puzzle to solve, following a single individual goal and sharing the remaining goals, features and tools.

The interaction between artisans relies on competition for the raw material available in each round, and on access to the tools.

It is also possible to play it in solitary.

A game enjoyed here, at home, and that is played under 60 minutes, even at a 4 player-count, being suitable for a very wide range of ages and tastes.

Sagrada (2017), by Daryl Andrews and Adrian Adamescu, Floodgate Games, presented here in the Portuguese version by MEBO Games.