All Wrapped Up!!

Thu, 09/14/2023 - 11:00am by SaraP

We’ve got everyone’s favorite Summer Game feast-for-the-eyes right here and bready to go and GUESS WHAT?! It involves some BREAD! It also involves CRUNCHING! Because what we have here is our super famous, super-sized, and super flavorful SUMMER GAME WRAP!!! *cough cough* (it’s a wrap-up post with bread puns!) *cough* Let’s CRUNCH the NUMBERS!!!

A RECIPE for the PERFECT SUMMER GAME WRAP:

BADGES
You knead 266 badges to make this year’s perfect wrap. Then your community will gobble them up (um… earn them) 379,246 times! That’s an average of 1,426 earns/nom-noms per badge!!!
Note: for a truly classic twist on this year’s wrap, season to taste with one (or all) of our top 3 badges:
- Spot TheRide (earned 6224 times)
- Log Jammer (earned 5104 times)
- Super Summer Reader (earned 4585 times)

CODES (essential for a good summer wrap!)
Sprinkle a total of 2,877 codes ALL OVER TOWN and the internets!
Make sure at least 1,293 were lawn codes and then give your loyal fans a CHALLAH BACK for spreading all that SG LOVE!!
But how many BITES does it take to get to the center of a SUMMER GAME???
Exactly 2,009,716 bites!!! That’s how many times those codes will be chomped!
Average breademptions per code: 699!

POINTS
Last year's wrap called for 233,700,673 points squished in amongst all those player, badge, and code toppings.
THIS year’s WHOPPER of a WRAP requires a total of 289,233,436 mouth-watering points!!!
That’s like a 23.8% increase in secret sauce!! You'll really be raking in the DOUGH!!

We saved the best, most important ingredient for last: THE PLAYERS!!!

PLAYERS 
The secret ingredient that holds this whole enchilada together (is that a sandwich??) . . . The sesame seeds on the bun . . . The yeast that makes it all rise to the TOP . . . is YOU!!!
So be sure to whip up 25% MORE PLAYERS than last year (which was a record-breaking year!).
Your perfect SG Wrap will be chock-full of each and every one of this year’s NEW RECORD-BREAKING 12,660 players. (Last year we “only” had 10,114). Not too crumby at all, you guys!

Special thanks to all our little cinnamon buns who participated this year–you make Summer Game livin’ a whole lot SWEETER :D

Until next year, THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!

Badge Drop #12: The Last Inning

Fri, 08/25/2023 - 12:00pm by ohheyitselle

It’s the bottom of the 12th inning here at SG Field and the bases are LOADED!!! IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS!!!

On 1st base, we have all those CODE SPOTTERS who have spent all summer traipsing around town looking for LAWN & LIBRARY codes and are ready to RUN HOME to clean their Lawn Code signs with Goo Gone-like products then place them in storage! OR they may be running to return their sign to any AADL location for the lovely library employees to save and repurpose next summer! WHO CAN SAY WHERE THEY ARE RUNNING?! Running in either direction is acceptable because the same signs will be back next year (but with different codes, of course)!!!

On 2nd base, there’s the ever-diligent BADGER FINISHERS who have been waiting all summer for the coveted COMPLETIONIST BADGES dropping RIGHT NOW. Ooooh yes, their work earning ALL the badges in their favorite badge series pays off TODAY!

On 3rd base, we’ve got EVENT ATTENDEES who are ready to run pointedly NOT home, but to the GAME OVER GALA for some last minute Summer Game Points!!! It’s unclear whether that effects the ending of this metaphorical baseball game but that is for someone else to figure out!!!

At bat is… YOU, our ever-diligent LIBRARY LOVER!!!!! You have spent all summer long raking in the points and spreading the Summer Game love so it’s time to KNOCK IT OUTTA THE PARK because the Game ends on Sunday at 11:59pm!!!!

Post Summer Game, you can still SWING by the Summer Game Shop and spend those sweet, sweet SG points before the shop closes at the end of the day on Monday, September 4th!!

The pitch timer is running out on the Summer Game, so we’re gonna THROW you these COMPLETIONIST BADGES!!!

BADGE DROP #12

In our very biased opinion, you hit a GRAND SLAM, dear player.  There’s nothing left for us here at SG Field to do but give one big THANK YOU FOR PLAYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Badge Drop #11: Room for More

Fri, 08/18/2023 - 12:00pm by SaraP

Don’t tell us. We already know. You can see the end of summer approaching quicker than a SCHOOL bus (or a regular bus) when you’ve made one too many GOOFS and you’re late to the stop. Been there, done that. Well, buses aside, you better FLY like the wind if you want to make a FINAL trip to your local Summer Game Stop, CROSS off all those WORDS, or go on one last code-hunting BONANZA. That’s because SG Headquarters will go POOF and turn back into a regular old set of cubicles when the clock strikes 11:59pm on the last day of the Game in 9 days!!! For real though, the last day to play the 2023 Game is Sunday, August 27, but (just between SG friends) SG Headquarters will remain as magical as ever, because we’re always prepping for the next one!! And you know EATS ALL GOOD, when we go out with a SUPER SONIC bang at the GAME OVER GALA on that last day, so don't miss it! Plus, you’ll still be able to spend points on those not-at-all-secret TREASURES in the Summer Game Shop through Monday, September 4th!

The POWER of the badge drop is calling and we hear the masses screaming into their devices: “DON’T LEAVE ME HANGING—not yet!!!”. Fear NOT, dear players, the NIGHT is still young. In fact it’s so young that it’s still only noon on a badge-drop Friday!!! And until the school bus gets here, THERE’S ALWAYS ROOM FOR . . . more badges (and JELL-O). So here you go (at least about the badges)!!!

BADGE DROP #11

As always, THANKS for PLAYING!!!

Badge Drop #10: The Big TEN

Fri, 08/11/2023 - 12:00pm by ohheyitselle

THE BIG TEN IS HERE!!!! Noooo, not football. The TENTH BADGE DROP, of course!!!! 

Summer Game season is truly an A-MAIZE-ING time of the year. Heck, dare we say it’s the BEST season of the year?????? At least IN THIS CORNER of SG Headquarters, we DO dare to say it!!!!!! Seeing PURE GRINS plastered on the faces of those on points PARADE????? PENSIVEly playing through badges week after week?? Can you even beat that?!?! Ah, such a sweet time. 

But there’s no need to be L00KING BACK yet, because we still have plenty of summer left!!!

Oh, and speaking of TIME LEFT…Don’t catch yourself in a STICKY SITUATION by forgetting to create a LAWN or LIBRARY code!!!! The deadline for Lawn and Library Code creating is end of day on AUGUST 13th so act now!!! After that, ALL PRETZ ARE OFF and the final FEROCIOUS code searching MAYHEM begins!!!!

Keep all that in mind, but for now…

BADGE DROP #10

Enjoy these fresh badges and THANKS FOR PLAYING!!!

Badge Drop #9: Embrace the LEGO!

Fri, 08/04/2023 - 12:00pm by SaraP

Hello players! It’s August 4th and you know what that means, right?! We still have a whole TWENTY-FOUR DAYS of Summer Game to play!!! So SHUFFLE those calendars, round up those KIDS, and get ready to SAMPLE seventeen all new badges!! But please don’t actually rearrange your calendars. Unless of course it’s for the RETURN of one of our favorite events of the year: the 18th Annual LEGO Contest!!! It seems KIMPOSSIBLE to imagine a world in which our SUPER fans need extra motivation to EMBRACE a Sunday of brick-based competition, but we made a badge for that (just in case). So, RACE on over to the Sheraton Hotel on Sunday 8/6 to enter your creations and nab some codes!

Another GOOEY little fact for you: players have until August 13th to create LAWN CODES. So if you want to give back to your community by giving away points, it’s time to get your ACT together, friends!! On the other hand, we totally understand if you’d rather CAMP out on your lawn with a chilled can of sparkling water and an equally chill mixTAPE to enjoy the DOG RAYS of SUMMER *without* 10,000 people slowly cruising by your residence writing down that code. OH WAIT! That’s one of the many reasons we have LIBRARY CODES!!!! You’ve got until August 13th to make LIBRARY CODES, too.

But, wait! What’s that?! We hear a buzzing—a promising HUM! It must be the engines at SG Headquarters gearing up for . . . THE BADGE DROP . . .

BADGE DROP #9

Say hi to CHICKEN for us! And THANKS for PLAYING!!!

Badge Drop #8: EIGHT Days a Week (but one is SPECTACULAR)

Fri, 07/28/2023 - 12:00pm by ohheyitselle

ATTENTION ALL SUMMER GAME PLAYERS!!!! 

Tomorrow– YES, TOMORROW is the one, the only… SUMMER GAME SPECTACULAR!!  

Are you looking to have an absolute HOOT of a time with plenty of SWEET code FINDINGS in fields of FLUFFY, plush GRASS?? Or maybe you want to try out some of the brand new stuff this year like a bubble station, putt-putt golf, and a stomp rocket station?!! 

Well then, you’d better RUN FAST (or bike... or bus... or drive... or pogo stick) to the SUMMER GAME SPECTACULAR and VICTORY will be yours!!  The SUMMER GAME SPECTACULAR is basically perfect with little-to-no TOMB FOR IMPROVEMENT!! Why, it’s so out of this world, some may even call it COSMIC!!!!! 

The SUMMER GAME SPECTACULAR is clearly the MAIN ATTRACTION this week!!! Yep. Nothing else to see here so THANKS FOR PLAYING!!

…Oh wait. There’s a badge drop too, I GUESS. ;)

BADGE DROP #8

THAT’S A WRAP for this badge drop and we hope to see you tomorrow!!! And once again, THANK YOU FOR PLAYING!!!!

Badge Drop #7: We're in SEVEN

Fri, 07/21/2023 - 12:00pm by SaraP

It’s true! Mid-July is when we’re really in SEVEN here at SG Headquarters. WHY??? Because EVERYTHING is up and running and open for business. Also, we’re literally embarking on week 7 of the game. Anyway, the Lawn & Library Code FAIRLY (you!) has been sprinkling shiny new codes all over town quicker than street PARKing disappears during art fair and it’s FESTIVE as heck!!! WHAT’S MORE, the shop has been open for two weeks and players have WASTED ZERO time in ordering library POSSESSIONS that are bound to be ALL THE RAVE!!! It’s the ULTIMATE mid-summer season when we’ve hit our groove and aren’t yet worried about SCHOOL, or how much time is left until the END of this thing, and we still have NO EGRETS (I mean, do we ever?). So, how can we celebrate the perfection that is Week 7??? With a CUTE little badge drop full of ADVENTURE and HUGS and all KINDS of TINY delights (and codes)!!!!

It’s time to don your summer UNIFURM (an AADL t-shirt, no doubt) and prepare for a LAP around town and/or the internet to SEARCH for this week’s codes!

BADGE DROP #7

Feel free to CHEWS whichever badges you want. And, as always, THANKS for PLAYING!!!

Badge Drop #6: HALFWAY THERE!

Fri, 07/14/2023 - 12:00pm by ohheyitselle

It’s your SG SPOKESWOMAN here with a very important announcement… 

While it may feel like the Summer Game is IMMORTAL, the Summer Game is actually HALFWAY over!!! But do not fret, dear player, we still have well over a month of Summer Game left which is over an ENTIRE LIFETIME of a house fly!!! 

So you can SNUGGLE up with your CAT at NIGHT and sleep well knowing that you still have plenty of time to earn badges, collect Lawn & Library Codes, attend Library events, and spend your sweet points in the SUMMER GAME SHOP! 

ALSO as an additional little treat for you, the Summer Game Map has received a SUPER new feature that will allow you to KEEPER tabs on new Lawn Codes as they are created!!! Because we don’t want you SNUGGLING too hard to find codes out in the wild. And the MORE YOU SNOW, the easier it is!!!

But for now, we’re letting GOOSE some badges for you and we BET you’re gonna love ‘em!!!

BADGE DROP #6

Be sure to give us a CHALLAH if you need anything at all and, as per usual, THANK YOU FOR PLAYING!! 

Badge Drop #5: SEW PUMPED

Fri, 07/07/2023 - 12:00pm by SaraP

Here we are after a solid four weeks of Summer Game and we’ve GOT to hand it to you—you’re a bunch of LOCAL LEGENDS!! We’re starting to SENSE your idea of HEAVEN is an endless pile of CROSSWORDS, CHICKENS, TOYS and maybe . . . just maybe . . . POINTS!!! You even love POINTS-O-MATIC despite us having to give it a few swift KICKS lately. And give it a few good kicks we did, because we’ve added some badges to reward all you POM Players with good HABITS!!! Let’s face it, though, we haven’t exactly taken a MUTED approach this year, despite the fact that this is NOT a HIGH SKATES game. SEW it should come as no surprise that we’re SUPER PUMPED to PAWS here and announce an IDYLL mid-game update: you may now participate (or not, if you don’t want to!) in the following MAYHEM:

Shop THE SUMMER GAME SHOP!
- The shop is NOW OPEN and taking orders!
- FUN FACT: Nothing will run out of stock, so order any time all summer long.
- Choose up to 4 items and spend any year’s points!
- These prizes are ALL the prizes available this year.

Create LAWN & LIBRARY CODES!
Aha! The moment you’ve all been waiting for…the return of LAWN & LIBRARY CODES! 

What they are
Starting NOW, you can create your very own code to display either on a Lawn Code Sign OR on a Library Code Card. Lawn Code Signs are special lawn signs (which we provide) that you place next to your sidewalk, street, or parking lot. We have new, truly reusable lawn signs this year, so if you have one from last year, you can drop it off at any AADL location for recycling and PICK UP A BRAND NEW SIGN for your 2023 CODE! 

Library Code Cards are special mini code signs (which we also provide) that get zip-tied to one of our five adorable Summer Game Stops. What is a Summer Game Stop, you ask? It's an SG sign on a perforated pole outside each branch - kind of like a bus stop sign, or a train stop sign, or just a stop sign, BUT FOR FINDING CODES :D

How they work
1. FIRST pick up a Lawn Code Sign OR Library Code Card from any AADL location BEFORE you register your code online…
2. THEN create the code by going to play.aadl.org, selecting the My Players quick link, and scrolling to “Player Details”. Click the link to "Create a Lawn or Library Code" and follow the directions.
3. Write the code legibly in ALLCAPS on your sign/card.
4. Put it up in your lawn or on one of our Summer Game Stops! 
5. You have until August 13th to create a code, to give players a chance to happen upon them before the game ends.
6. Use the Summer Game Map to get started with Summer Game Stop locations and, back by popular demand, Lawn Code pins (with updates coming soon)!
7. BIG NOTE: It’s not like Pokemon - even with map pins, you will still NOT BE ABLE TO CATCH ‘EM ALL!!! And we promise that it’s gonna be okay if you miss a few, or a BUNDLE, or decide you’ll be too STINKY if you traipse around the whole town SCOUTing every last Lawn Code in this heat (which is true) and so you don’t even want to bother—there will be far too many to COUNTY either way!!! So relax and have fun as you vaguely plot out, or simply stumble upon, these CHARMing little surprises throughout the community!!! :D

BADGE DROP #5

The Summer Game DEPOT . . . er Headquarters . . . is fully stocked and ready for you!! As always, THANKS for PLAYING!!!

Badge Drop #4: STAR SAFARI REVIEWER

Thu, 06/29/2023 - 6:53pm by SaraP

PECK your bags, we’re going on a STAR SAFARI. While we’re there, we’re gonna REEL in some REVIEWS. Why??? Because we’re drawn like a MOTH TO THE GAME and no pun is too CHEESY, no SUPER SEARCH is too NETORIOUS, and no EXPEDITION is too MISLEADING for our players!!!!

Speaking of expeditions, if you like a good expedition ‘round town, you’ll be glad to know that LAWN & LIBRARY CODES are returning in ONE WEEK on July 7th. That’s right, we’re bringing better lawns and libraries to a neighborhood near you!

We know some of you are wondering, “What are LAWN & LIBRARY CODES???” Great question! They are codes you get to CREATE YOURSELF and affix to your lawn or a Summer Game Stop outside your favorite AADL location!!! More deets coming next week. For now, just know that there will be lawn signs. There will be library signs. And there will be OPTIONS about which one you choose to use, if you want to use one at all! Bottom line: You’ll get a chance to create a BRAND SPANKIN' NEW CODE for fellow players to HAPPEN UPON!

And for those of you with lawn signs from last year, we know you can’t wait. TRY THOUGH!! Because only a MONSTER would put an old or unactivated code out there before the thing starts!!!! (FULL DISCLOSURE: In the EVENT that you did this, we understand your enthusiasm and think of you more as an eager little Grover-type monster—we don’t want to crush your SG MOREL.) Hang tight, maybe grab an ERASER, and stay tuned for details on Friday July 7th—we're almost there!

LAST THING!!! The thing you’ve all been MOBILIZING towards this whole time: The SUMMER GAME SHOP also opens on Friday, July 7th!!! It will stay open throughout the summer and there will be plenty of prizes at plenty of pRICE points! And when we say price points, we mean prices INVOLVING points!!

BADGE DROP #4

Okay, all you cool CATS and fluffy CHICKENS, it’s time to get going!!! THANKS for PLAYING!