Quick Look: Cake-N-Bake Challenge Game
Publisher: Hey Buddy Hey Pal (HBHP)
Year Published: 2022
Foreword:
I accepted this title to share my love of the gaming hobby with my two girls. I had not heard of it before but after checking out the site and watching the product video, I decided to give it a shot. As it turns out, this is a great game for families and young children. I have a 4- and 6-year-old and both were able to easily grasp the game and get in on the action!
From the Publisher:
Complete with colorful, textured foam cake slices, icing cards with toppings ranging from multi-colored candies and gummy pandas to strawberries and the classic rainbow sprinkles, the pressure is on to stack your cake correctly! Watch out for those Special Action Cards because they can be a recipe for disaster, like the One-Hand Card where you can only use one hand to bake, or the Burnt Cake Card where you miss a turn! Look for the Mystery Cake Card because you can build almost any cake you want and speed to the buzzer.
Review:
When I opened the box, I was surprised by the variety of components, their quality, and vibrant colors. Most interesting to me were the foam cake pieces – a great touch. I think this product was well thought out and executed with their target audience in mind. I knew almost immediately that this game was going to be a hit with my girls.
Favorite:
I think the best feature is the multiple ways to play the game. This way, you can choose the skill level and desires of your group. I made an in-house variant on the game as well to flip over a card for all players to try and build the same cake rather than have their own individual goal.
Least Favorite:
As an experienced gamer, I see some poor wording in the rulebook but it’s not an issue that will prevent you from playing the game or figuring anything out.
Overall:
This game is a nice introduction into the board game world, designed for kids. I can see a lot of benefits from cognitive thinking all the way to sensory development. A light-hearted hit to bring your family to the table and keep them engaged. Feel free to make your own adjustments.
Areas they did well:
– Simple concept and rules
– Multiple ways to play
– Bright colors and attractive components
– Quality cards and game pieces
– Safe for kids (no sharp/hard edges)
– Textured foam segments for sensory play
Areas they could have improved:
– Easier for kids to put away themselves. Card box is very tight and cake segments can’t just be thrown in the box.
– Fine-tuned rule wording
– Not a huge fan of the box style as I prefer the telescopic box style.
Final Thoughts:
This award-winning game would make a fantastic gift for young children. I had a lot of fun trying it out and look forward to future bake offs with my kids. My oldest is (more than) a little competitive and will be challenging me to a one-on-one sooner than later. I would happily recommend this title and feel it would be a clear favorite for a lot of young families. Really well done.
I‘ll see you next time, back here at The Game Table,
Zerility
Here’s a link to their website
https://heybuddyheypal.com/
Find out more HERE.
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Brad Hiscock, aka “Zerility”, is a construction project manager and electrician by trade who was the owner of a 6-time award winning electrical company. His passion for board games has led him from playing hundreds of original titles to creating a design and publishing company of his own, Convivial Games. As an up and coming collaborator on many projects, he is always eager to try new games and meet new people.
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All of Brad Hiscock, aka “Zerility”‘s reviews can be found HERE.
