Do you love a brain teaser with a bit of puzzle mixed in? ME TOO!!! I like to think games like this will make my mind stay fresh as I age. It is the perfect amount of deduction while still remaining light enough to have a conversation while playing. The Sagrada board game is played in rounds using dice and rules to build an individual board which represents a stained glass window. At the end of the game you score points based well you were able to fill in your window without breaking any rules.
Overview
How to Play Sagrada Example (2 Player)
In Sagrada you’ll take turns drafting dice randomly chosen from a bag. You’ll always pull out a number of dice equal to twice the number of players, plus one extra. In a two player game you’ll randomly draw five dice from the bag. You then do a “snake” draft; in our two player game the first player selects a die, then the second player, then the second player selects again, the it’s back to the first player, leaving one die unselected.
Each time a player selects a die they must place it in their stained glass window. Depending on the pattern they are playing there will be restrictions that must be followed. You may be forced to put a specific color or number in a given spot. Also, adjacent dice (left, right, up, down) can not be the same color, or the same number. You can see how this can get challenging! Don’t worry – if you choose a harder pattern you’ll get more “favor tokens” that you can use to break some of the rules. We’ll talk about that more in the next section when we discuss game setup.
I recommend going to FloodGateGames.com/Sagrada and clicking on the “How to Play” on the right side of the screen for a 9 minute game tutorial.
Sagrada Board Game Setup
- This is the way the board looks for a 2 ~ 4 player game:
- Yellow Cards ~ “Tool Cards” (Left Side)
- Dice bag (Center)
- Round tracker (Center)
- Window frame (Center)
- Private objective card (Center)
- Favor tokens (Center)
- Public objective cards (Right)
Cards with a blue dice on the back signify that it is a public objective card. At game setup the objective cards are placed face up for each player to view.
The tool cards are placed face up for each player to view. In order to play a tool card a player must have favor tokens.
Favor tokens are the glass beads seen above the tool card in this picture.
The gray dice card is the private objective card. Each player gets one private objective that will give them the opportunity to score more points at the end of the game if met.
This card stays hidden from opponents.
Each player is dealt 2 window pattern cards. There are patterns on each side. A player must choose one side to work and discard the remaining card.
The dots on the lower right corner signify how many favor tokens a player receives. Depending on the card difficulty the player may receive up to 6 favor tokens.
Slide the chosen window pattern card into the bottom of the player board. This is your individual board that you will place dice in according to current game play rules.
Each round will leave one extra dice that will be placed on the round tracking board. After 10 rounds the game is concluded and scoring begins.
Dice are kept hidden in the Sagrada dice bag and drawn blindly each round by different players.
- My strategy tips for each game are simple, before choosing a window pattern card do the following:
- Read current public objective cards and be sure to have a good understanding of what is required.
- Look at your private objective card options
- Read current tool cards and be sure to have a good understanding of how they work.
Storage Idea’s
Velvet bags are a great storage solution for small pieces such as these glass beads.
Card sleeves are a great addition to any game to preserve cards especially if you play the game a lot. We also like using small plastic zip lock bags to store cards or small game pieces to make game setup easier.
What we like about Sagrada
Brain Teaser
This game is a great puzzle game that makes you strategize by trying to block other players boards and fill your own without breaking rules. It challenges you to remember your private objective and fulfill public objectives while being at the mercy of random dice.
Easy to Learn
Regardless if you are new to Sagrada or have played a lot, the game play is about 30 to 45 minutes. It is perfect for a game night where you want to play multiple games without consuming the entire evening. I would say by the second round you have a pretty solid understanding of what you are trying to accomplish.
Simple to Score
- The rules sheet breaks down scoring in 4 simple steps:
- Public Objective Cards
- Private Objective Card
- Favor Tokens
- Open spaces on window pattern
Great Box Organization
Sagrada’s box storage is great the way it comes, however, there is always room for improvement. We separated each card type using card sleeves, added a small zip lock bag for the score markers, and a velvet bag for the gems. These small additions make game setup faster.
The Theme Works Well
The stained glass window theme is wonderful with the dice fulfilling the glass pieces you would traditionally see in a stained glass window. It is very beautiful when/if you are able to complete your window pattern card.
Simple Rulebook
The rulebook is not cumbersome and is laid out in a manner that you can quickly look up a rule for clarification. It is simply written and easy to understand with great examples. We always reference it for end of game scorning.
Criticisms of Sagrada
It would be nice for each player to have a small cheat sheet card that displays the end game scoring. This way players can keep it in mind while they are playing and at the end of the game they can quickly score their points.
Is Sagrada Worth the Money?
Sagrada has been around since 2017 and is a fun game that requires a lot of strategic thinking. There are a lot of randomizer features to this game that keep it new and challenging each time you play including: the window pattern cards, tool cards, public objective cards and private objective cards. It is a good quality game with a lot of replayability.
Available Editions of Sagrada
I have heard only good things about the expansions but we have not tried any of them. If you want to change up the game to add more challenges then I highly recommend picking up one of them. We have a lot of game nights with 6 players so at some point I am sure we will add the 5 to 6 player expansion to our collection.
5 to 6 player expansion
This expansion adds additional private objective cards, tool cards, window pattern cards, favor tokens, enhances the window frame player board, and more dice.
Life
This expansion can play from 2 – 4 players of Sagrada. It focuses on the life’s ups and downs and adds new challenges to test your artisanal skills. It adds apprentice cards, masterwork dice and toil public objectives. It is compatible with Passion and Glory expansions.
Passion
With this expansion you can play with up to 6 players. It adds inspiration cards also known as individual player powers, Glass dice to complete new private objectives and new public objectives. You can play with select components of this expansion or all of them.
Glory
This expansion can play 2 – 4 players of Sagrada. It adds strife dice with placement restrictions, a flourish module that adds to the level of competition and pioneer objectives.
Is Sagrada Color Blind Accessible?
Not really is the short answer. Of course you can play with people that can help you out with the colors but this game is going to be a challenge if you are color blind. I have looked around the internet to see if anyone has come up with a good work around and really you will be dependent on other players sorting the dice by color and helping you with your window pattern cards.
Can I Play Sagrada Online?
Yes, you can play Sagrada online through STEAM, Nintendo Switch, Apple App Store or Google Play. It is important to note, none of these options are free but also not expensive.
Final Thoughts
Sagrada is a wonderful game that is perfect for people who love puzzles, chance, and strategy. I find this game very fun and enjoy playing it on game nights. It is perfect to hold a light conversation while enjoying the challenge of game play. I love watching everyone’s window frame player boards come together with different colors. It is impossible to keep track of how each player is doing so it is great fun at the end to see who won.
I highly recommend adding this to your game collection! Your friends and family will request it on game nights. Have fun!