Cake Mania

A brightly coloured 2D strategy game.

Calling Cake Mania a strategy game is a little like calling a light switch an entertainment system, but this game is closer to a strategy game than it is a bakery simulator. That is not necessarily a bad thing, or even a criticism, it is just a definition of what is supposedly a kid’s game.

Can Adults Play It?

People think that Harry Potter is a kid’s book, and yet adults read it, so even though this game was built for kids, you can play it as an adult if you wish. This is the first of three games, and actually runs better than the other two. The second cake mania takes longer to load, and the third takes a silly amount of time to load.

Repetitive Fun That Some People Enjoy

It is going to hurt your wrist, but there is some repetitive fun to be had as you make your cakes. It is brightly coloured and has a nice soundtrack to it. You have to make cakes for your customers, and keep them happy. The game is two-dimensional and the screen looks a little packed at times, but it is not a deal-breaking flaw.

There Is Not Much To Do

Cake Mania is not a game for hardcore gamers that want new ideas, in-depth gameplay and new features as you progress. It is a simple and easy to play game, and for some people it is going to mean the game gets old very fast. The later versions tried to fix this with more advanced features, but they still didn’t manage to tackle the whole idea that your creativity or innovative gaming technique is not really rewarded in any significant way. A bit more variety would do wonders for this game.

Make More Cakes A Lot Faster

The gameplay is repetitive, which is going to put a lot of people off. As you progress (if you carry on playing), then you can make your own custom cakes and such, without running out of time. For example, you can use faster ovens or work it so you can make extra cup cakes. This means that the gameplay does become more in-depth and more interesting as time goes on, which may be why so many people bought the second and third versions when they came out.

Pros

• Repetitive but fun
• Ideal for kids and tweens
• Colourful and bright
• A nice soundtrack

Cons

• The 2D graphics are a little primitive
• It offers the more advanced features too late in the game