About the Game

Where can I buy the game?

The game is currently available at The Game Crafter. However, I regularly place orders with them so if you live in Sweden and are interested in a copy, please feel free to contact me.

How does this game differ from the rest of the Nova Suecia series?

The two main differences is that Bake the Cake! is designed for a younger audience and and has another theme than the Swedish 17th century. Besides that, however, many of the characteristics from the Nova Suecia series appear here as well, such as the absence of randomness and the balance between cooperation and competition as each move has a predictable result and is all about choosing whose interests to further. That is also one of the objectives of the game: to serve as a gateway to "heavier" games.

What makes Bake the Cake! different from other games?

There are many games about resource competition out there and several of them have elements of cooperation as well. However, in Bake the Cake! the cooperation is one-sided as the players choose themselves whether to use other players' resources (and earn them points). At the same time, players must do so and create a balanced output to win. This competition-cooperation balancing act is the key to victory.

About the Rules

How is the game best taught to others?

Explain how a cake is baked of 3 parts with 3 ingredients each. Proceed to explain how the 3 basic player actions move ingredients from store to kitchen, from kitchen to recipe and from recipe to cake. Emphasize that players may use any colors, not only their own, but that they score for their colors afterwards. Point out that each action on a recipe also requires that the tool is replaced and the limited number of tools may be used for blocking each other. Go on to explain that ingredients may be eaten (unless on a cake already) and how points are counted for ingredients (1), bakers (3), cakes (5) and eaten ingredients (tie-breaker if 2 cakes are completed, negative score if cakes are not completed). Consider skipping the cake contest in the end and count points for both cakes instead.

May I play other players' colors even if I can play my own?

Yes, you can choose any color you want as long as it fits your strategy. Although you only score for your own color, you will need other colors on your cake as well to have it win the cake contest and be used for the final scoring.