Sagrada
DICE-DRAFTING PATTERN-BUILDING GAME (2017) by ADRIAN ADAMESCU + DARYL ANDREWS, published by FLOODGATE GAMES. 1-4 players draft translucent COLORED DICE from a shared pool + place them on a personal STAINED-GLASS WINDOW PATTERN CARD following COLOR + VALUE PLACEMENT RULES (no matching colors/values adjacent; must match reserved template cells). 10 ROUNDS + PUBLIC OBJECTIVES + PRIVATE OBJECTIVES + TOOL CARDS. Beautiful production. 30-45 min. BGG Top 200. Multiple expansions: PASSION, LIFE, ARTISANS.
What is Sagrada?
SAGRADA is a DICE-DRAFTING PATTERN-BUILDING GAME (2017) designed by ADRIAN ADAMESCU + DARYL ANDREWS, published by FLOODGATE GAMES (Canada). Themed around building STAINED-GLASS WINDOWS in Barcelona's SAGRADA FAMÍLIA basilica (Antoni Gaudí's famous unfinished cathedral), the game is renowned for its BEAUTIFUL TRANSLUCENT COLORED DICE + elegant puzzle-like gameplay. GAMEPLAY: 1-4 players (best at 2-3; solo variant excellent). Each player receives a personal STAINED-GLASS WINDOW PATTERN CARD showing a 4x5 grid — some cells display COLOR RESTRICTIONS (e.g., red, blue, yellow, green, purple) + others show VALUE RESTRICTIONS (dice showing that specific number 1-6). The DICE POOL consists of ~90 TRANSLUCENT DICE in 5 COLORS (red, yellow, blue, green, purple). GAMEPLAY: 10 ROUNDS. Each round: 2 dice drawn per player from a bag, rolled + placed in a central DRAFT POOL. Turn order: 1-2-3-4-4-3-2-1 (snake draft). Each player picks 1 die from the pool + PLACES it on their window per the following RULES: (1) Match the cell's COLOR OR VALUE restriction (if any); (2) NO 2 ADJACENT dice (orthogonally) may share COLOR or VALUE; (3) The FIRST DIE placed must be on an EDGE (row 1, row 4, column 1, or column 5) — not interior. TOOL CARDS: 3 tool cards shared by all players; each provides a special ability (e.g., re-roll a die, swap dice, place die anywhere ignoring rules). Cost: 1 FAVOR TOKEN first use; 2 tokens each subsequent use. OBJECTIVES: 3 PUBLIC OBJECTIVES shared (visible; score at game end based on pattern rules like 'sum of green dice', 'diagonal color patterns', 'rows without repeated colors'); 1 PRIVATE OBJECTIVE per player (secret; scores sum of specific-color dice). SCORING: PUBLIC OBJECTIVES (sum) + PRIVATE OBJECTIVE (sum) + REMAINING FAVOR TOKENS (1 pt each) - EMPTY CELLS (-1 each). HIGHEST WINS. GAME LENGTH: 30-45 min. WEIGHT: BGG ~2.5/5 — light-medium. RECEPTION: Widely acclaimed for BEAUTIFUL COMPONENT DESIGN + accessible puzzle gameplay. BGG top-200 consistently. Nominated for multiple GAME OF THE YEAR awards (Dice Tower, others). EXPANSIONS: SAGRADA: 5-6 PLAYER EXPANSION (2018 — enables 5-6 player games); SAGRADA: PASSION (2019 — new pattern cards + tools); SAGRADA: LIFE (2019 — new patterns); SAGRADA: ARTISANS (2020 — solo + team variants). All expansions praised. NOTABLE: The DICE COMPONENTS are among the MOST BEAUTIFUL in modern board gaming — translucent colored resin with soft edges + a satisfying tactile feel.
Quick facts
Category
Dice Games
Type
Individual
Players
1–4
Duration
~37 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
Personal 4x5 window pattern cards + central draft pool
Country of origin
🇨🇦 Canada
Estimated origin
2017 (Floodgate Games)
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Score most points by filling stained-glass window following pattern + adjacency rules + achieving objectives.
Rules
Basic rules
10 rounds of dice drafting; 2 dice per player per round
Snake draft order.
Each die placed must respect cell color/value AND adjacency rules
No matching color/value orthogonally adjacent.
First die must be on an edge cell
Structural constraint.
Tool cards spent via favor tokens for special abilities
Strategic assists.
3 public + 1 private objective drive scoring
Multiple scoring paths.
Score = public + private + remaining favors - empty cells
Final calculation.
Scoring
Public + private objectives + remaining favors - empty cell penalties.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Each public objective (3 shared) | Variable per objective card |
| Private objective (secret per-player) | Sum of specific-color dice values |
| Remaining favor tokens | 1 point each |
| Empty cells | -1 point each |
Win condition · Highest total score at game end.
Playing area
Called
Personal 4x5 window pattern cards + central draft pool
Dimensions
Individual 4x5 grid cards + central dice pool + tool card display
Personal stained-glass pattern grid + central shared dice pool + tool cards.
Equipment
Sagrada base box ($40)
~90 translucent dice + patterns + objectives + tools + tokens
~90 translucent colored dice (red/yellow/blue/green/purple)
Beautiful signature dice
24 stained-glass window pattern cards
Personal grids
12 tool cards, 10 public + 12 private objective cards
Scoring + abilities
Favor tokens (currency for tools)
Tool activation
Expansions: 5-6 Player, Passion, Life, Artisans
Alternate patterns + variants
Strategies
Draft dice matching your private objective color first
Private objective scoring.
Watch for adjacent color/value conflicts
Every placement affects future options.
Save favor tokens for critical tool uses
Tools + endgame tokens both score.
Balance public objectives with private
Public visible to all.
Terminology
- Sagrada Família
- Antoni Gaudí's Barcelona basilica; game theme.
- Pattern card
- Personal 4x5 window grid with color/value restrictions.
- Public objective
- Shared scoring objective for all players.
- Private objective
- Secret color-based scoring goal per player.
- Tool card
- Special ability card usable with favor tokens.
- Favor token
- Currency for tools + endgame VP.
Major competitions
Board game convention play (Gen Con, Spiel Essen)
annual · Global · since 2017
Dice Tower Awards (nominations)
annual · USA · since 2013
Online Board Game Arena (Sagrada available)
ongoing · Online · since 2018
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Floodgate Games (publisher)
Founded 2011 · USA/Canada
BoardGameGeek community
Founded 2000 · Online
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Adrian Adamescu (Canadian co-designer)
- Daryl Andrews (Canadian co-designer)
- Floodgate Games team
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Play solo first to learn placement rules
Solo mode teaches puzzle.
- 2
Focus on 1 public objective + private
Simplify scoring.
intermediate
- 1
Explore tool cards + expansion patterns
Full depth.
Frequently asked
What is Sagrada?+
DICE-DRAFTING PATTERN-BUILDING GAME (2017) by ADRIAN ADAMESCU + DARYL ANDREWS, published by FLOODGATE GAMES. 1-4 players draft translucent COLORED DICE from a shared pool + place them on a personal STAINED-GLASS WINDOW PATTERN CARD following COLOR + VALUE PLACEMENT RULES (no matching colors/values adjacent; must match reserved template cells). 10 ROUNDS + PUBLIC OBJECTIVES + PRIVATE OBJECTIVES + TOOL CARDS. Beautiful production. 30-45 min. BGG Top 200. Multiple expansions: PASSION, LIFE, ARTISANS.
Sagrada vs Azul — which drafting game is better?+
Both are award-winning drafting games with beautiful components + puzzle-like gameplay. AZUL (2017): TILE DRAFTING with pattern-building on 5x5 grid; simpler pattern rules; 30 min; SPIEL DES JAHRES 2018 WINNER; slightly more strategic. SAGRADA (2017): DICE DRAFTING with color+value adjacency rules; slightly more complex puzzle; more replayable via random dice + objective variety; 30-45 min. Both are excellent 2-4 player games. AZUL has cleaner rules + is EASIER to teach; SAGRADA has DEEPER puzzle + more variety per game via random dice. Azul is more mainstream; Sagrada is more hobbyist. Many people own both. Beginners → AZUL; puzzle-lovers → SAGRADA.
Sources & provenance
- Floodgate Games — Sagrada— Floodgate
- BoardGameGeek — Sagrada— BGG