Cake Bash review | Xbox One

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With The Great British Bake Off back on our screens, what better time for a sweet treat-themed party game? High Tea Frog and Coatsink present a slice of confection perfection in this bake-em-up; a serving of satisfying sponge smashing great for both distracting from the doom and gloom and venting some pent-up frustration.

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by James Michael Parry

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@james_parry

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Developer: High Tea Frog
Publisher: Coatsink
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Steam, Stadia, PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch
Players: 1-4

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While a first impression of the premise - fight it out to be the bakery’s tastiest cake - might lead you to Super Smash Bros. comparisons, in fact the experience is more like an expanded Mario Party minigame, with its own minigames sprinkled in for good measure.

The titular bash is an up to 4-player stand-off  in an appropriately-themed battle arena with one of five slightly different objectives. This might be trying to stay underneath a shower of sprinkles, fill a pie with fruit or smashing up fortune cookies, but each twist on the formula becomes a balance between trying to complete the objective and sabotage your opponents.

You may be taking on other players, either via online coop or locally (but not a mixture of both, sadly), or a collection of bots, which are particularly well balanced for this title. Not pushovers nor over-zealous killers, the computer players put up a decent fight (and often know what they are doing more than you) without grinding you to dust and putting you off playing.

Between the fights themselves are affectionately-named “treats” which are non combative minigames like icing scones and smores, swatting away wasps or serving up a constantly moving caterpillar cake. These eight flights of fancy are a neat way to break up the main game, which sees you run through a mixture on the way to the final judging, but like the bash types themselves, could do with even more variety to keep things fresh.

There are five levels to choose from, which, like the other options, unlock pretty quickly through standard play and can be mix and matched along with game types in the more arcadey Recipe mode.

Unfortunately there’s no way to set up custom matches with friends for now, as you’re limited to the more structured, standard experience online, but you’ll want to do this anyway to keep unlocking more skins for your various cakes and pastries.

The soundtrack has a similar vibe to Two Point Hospital or even Animal Crossing, which the artstyle also shares some cues, while the visual presentation overall, as well as its theme, conjures memories of frantic Overcooked sessions, but the game still stands on its own.

Cake Bash might not be absolute perfection, but it is a fun time with minimal calories.

​Gameplay is solid, though extended play sessions will lead to things starting to feel repetitive, as the, at times, imprecise controls catch you out. Still, the whole experience is greatly enhanced by the joy of taking on other players and perfect for a warm up before a more longform gaming evening.

In all there is a certain charm in a game which feels distinct in the execution of its premise as well as the quality of its production for a small scale title. While we played on Xbox One, we can see greater potential in its Switch version (due out soon) in particular, due to the platform’s flexibility.

There are no soggy bottoms on show here, and with how quickly it is to tuck into, you’ll likely surprise yourself, coming out with phrases like “As an éclair, I’ve never looked better” and “Oh no, I’ve been impaled by a fork.”

Certainly more than worth checking out if you’re in need of a tasty distraction, Cake Bash might not be absolute perfection, but it is a fun time with minimal calories.

Pros

• High production values
• A simple idea executed well
• Satisfying sponge smashing

Cons

• Could do with a few more options, stages in particular
• Controls feel unintentionally spongey at times
• Doesn’t take much for you to feel full up

9/10​