Taking a short break…
…and a few from-the-heart words about ‘Articulate!’
(This post was updated on 9th April 2020 - see the news about virtual Articulate cards, below)
Like so many companies, we’ll be scaling things back for the next few weeks.
We’ve shut the office; our staff will be working at home, whilst also supporting their families and the communities around them.
We’ve heard a lot on social media that many people are looking to board games to bring their family together as they self-isolate. More on that below, but if you’re one of these people then be assured that we’ve lots left in the warehouse. We’re hoping that you can get what you need.
That said, we’re going to make changes to our social media activity for a bit. We’ve always tried to post silly and inconsequential stuff rather than anything overly salesy, but it sits ill with us as individuals to be putting out any form of commercial marketing message at a time like this.
(Also, we’ve always been the first to advocate taking time away from screens – and we want that to apply to our own staff. It’s important.)
Our Customer Services team are still working! It’s very rare, but it does happen – a missing piece or faulty unit is horribly annoying. Use the contact form at www.drumondpark.com/customer_service and THEY WILL SORT IT OUT.
A quick word to ‘Articulate!’ players
We’ve seen that some people are playing the game via FaceTime (or other video messaging thingies) with friends and family who can’t go out.
We ought to say that, for those of us closely involved with the game, this has been genuinely affecting in what has been a pretty dismal week.
Please take note: you do not need to purchase a second ‘Articulate!’ set in order to do this! We’ve seen people suggest this, but please save your money – your existing set will suffice.
You can either:
Point your friends towards the virtual cards at www.playarticulate.com. We've put these up on the web, so that everybody can have the Articulate cards available via their phone, tablet or PC. No charge, no registration required - please just have fun and enjoy the game. There are also a handful of 'Phrases' cards at www.playarticulatephrases.com if you need a tiebreaker...
or
Split the cards, and put half of them in the post. But really we'd prefer you to take the first option - it doesn't entail a trip to a pillar box, and the nation's hard-working posties are stretched to the max at the moment.
You don’t need a board and timer at each end.
For those with ‘Articulate for Kids,’ and whose grandma or granddad (etc.) has FaceTime, we reckon it’s even easier. In general, kids seem to prefer the ‘describing’ part of the game – it makes them feel important! So keep all the cards with you, make the older generation the permanent guessers, and adapt the game accordingly – perhaps by getting the kids to keep a score sheet rather than using the board. But if the kids themselves are the remote ones, then you'll want to visit www.playarticulateforkids.com where you'll find all the cards in a virtual format!
Whatever adjustments you make - always agree the house rules in advance!
That’s it for now – we’ll update when there’s more to say.
Play safe, and follow the government advice,
Everybody at Drumond Park.
