It's been tough getting things to the table recently. My mind is back on work, as our lockdown is now lifted (in our region of Ontario, Canada) at least, so my wife and I are preparing to re-open our businesses next week. Lots of get organized as we move back into pre-lockdown 2.0 COVID protocols at work... "Yay!" *he shouts with extreme sarcasm*
So tonight as I wait for the hockey game to come on, I wanted to relax at the table with a game or two. Up first was PARKS . I asked my youngest daughter if she wanted to join me "on a hike" but she turned poor Dad down... :( So I set out on my own. I ended up visiting 5-national parks tonight and ended up with 23 points, which was much better than I anticipated based on my luck drawing parks and those pesky rangers' antics.
After the hike, I changed gears to build a stained glass window with Sagrada. I still play at the "easy" difficulty level (meaning I get 5-tools available to use). It's a pretty good challenge.
Here is my finished window. It was a close one tonight! The score to beat was 48 VPs tonight. I ended up with 49! Phew!! :)
**On a side note - I want to point out (again) how awesome board game companies can be. I purchased Sagrada from GeekMarket. Everything came in great shape, and I thought all there. However, rather than 90 little dice, I had 89. My sister, brother-in-law and I figured out I was missing 1-green die. Before Christmas I visited Floodgate Games website, and as I type this I have a single green die on it's way from the USA (no charge). Amazing!!!! I love how helpful these companies can be, and how willing they are to get you what's needed so you can enjoy their great games. :)
It's definitely a great family purchase (and I totally get where you're coming from JW. Even the games my family enjoy, I'm playing solo most of the time LOL)
It sure did feel good. I'm going to take some more time at the easy level with a few more wins under my belt before I bump to the next difficulty level. LOL
Sagrada for sure is a good looking game. I never bought it, as I already have Roll Player, but this may be a future "family purchase" (after which you'll see I play most sessions solo).
That 1 point victory must have felt good! I'd say you're a pro now. Time to try the next difficulty level.
I actually had a similar experience with Stonemaier as well. My copy of Wingspan had 2 purple cube packs in it, so I was missing red. No questions asked they shipped me a pack of red cubes. :)
Sagrada is dice drafting yes. It's a nice little puzzle game that gamers and non-gamers seem to get into I feel.
In regards to that picture - that's a classic. Seen it many times. :) Is that not a mock up of what Sawchuk's face would've looked like if he hadn't wore a mask?
As for lockdowns - we're sick of them too. However, we're those people who understand and follow the experts advice of our country as awful as it is. It's the people who don't follow the guidelines and that are dragging this on that really get me down.
I'm glad you and wifey are gonna be able to reopen your businesses, Derek. Sometimes I lose sight of the economic struggles of other countries. I can't speak for Canada, but here, everyone has "f**king had it" with lock-downs.
You mentioned Hockey. Those dudes are some bad-ass brawlers. Dukin'-it-out on ice skates (well, hockey skates) can't be easy. Here's Terry Sawchuk (on the cover of LIFE magazine), 4-time Stanley Cup goal-tending champion from Canada, before they wore masks. A 160 km/hr frozen puck in the face has gotta hurt.
But I digress...
PARKS is still near the top of my Wish List. A beautiful game, for sure, and by your assessment from an earlier Post, a worthy game for any collection, despite those Rangers. 🙂
Sagrada looks quite colorful. Is it a dice-drafting game? It's nice that Floodgate came through for ya with that missing die. I had a good experience with Stonemaier in that respect. Superior Customer Service is a factor for me in future purchases.