Cake Duel

About this board game

Cake Duel is a fast-paced two-player card game that takes about 15 minutes to play. Each player takes the role of an opposing Sheepie general competing in a grand tournament of cakes.

Players begin each round with several cake tokens and take turns playing Sheepie cards to steal cakes from their opponent. The first player to take all the cakes wins the round, while the first player to win three rounds wins the duel.

The central twist is that every card is played face down. Any card can be bluffed as any other card, creating opportunities for daring attacks and deceptive defenses. Every play can also be challenged, and a challenge immediately ends the round, so judging when to trust—or doubt—your opponent is crucial.

• Hidden information: Face-down cards make every play uncertain.
• Bluffing and challenges: Pretend to hold the card you need, or call out a suspected bluff.
• Round-based victory: Win three rounds to claim the duel.
• Changing special cards: Two special cards are randomly added to the basic deck for each duel.

The basic deck contains 20 cards: 12 attackers, 7 blockers, and a Wolf that can only be played by bluffing. Ten possible special cards can alter the basic game or shift the balance of power, with two selected at random before the duel begins.

As the duel continues, players discover which special cards are in play and can use that knowledge to make more believable moves or deduce which opposing plays may be bluffs. Experienced players can also track played cards and bluff strategically, giving Cake Duel its mind-game intensity.