Cakes!

About this board game

Cakes! is a fast-paced balancing and card-stacking game for 2–4 players, with games lasting around 20 minutes. At Chef Sweeter’s bakery, players compete to build impressive cakes while fulfilling orders and keeping every layer steady.

Each player places a Plate on their hand and builds a cake on top of it. Order cards determine how many layers to make, while players draw two Sponge Cake cards and position them so a Frosting card can be placed above them. In later turns, new layers are stacked on the cake already resting on the plate.

Balance is crucial throughout the game. Players can work quickly and take greater risks, hoping to complete orders before their cake collapses, or build more carefully while aiming for the full ten layers. The choice between speed and stability is at the heart of every turn.

• Build: Stack sponge and frosting cards into a cake on your hand.
• Follow orders: Complete the layer requirements shown on Order cards.
• Choose your approach: Move fast for a risky advantage or build steadily toward ten layers.

The game ends when a player successfully completes a ten-layer cake without it falling and rings the bell, or when the Order deck runs out. If the deck is exhausted first, players total the points from their completed orders; more difficult orders are worth more points.

The player with the highest score wins, while tied players share the victory. With physical dexterity, push-your-luck decisions, and a clear race to the top, Cakes! turns cake decorating into a tense bakery challenge.