Tabletop Game Review: Frenemy Pastry Party

Frenemy Pastry Party

Solis Game Studio

Playtime: 15-30 Minutes

3-6 Players

It’s time to bake some cakes! Of course, baking is always better with friends, but what happens when you need to bake against your competition? Frenemy Pastry Party is an adorable little game where players need to work together to beat each other. The name suits the game pretty well.

How To Play

Frenemy Pastry Party is a short game for three to six players that uses simple drafting and set collection mechanisms. The game starts with a quick setup that involves every player getting two ingredient cards added to their hands. They also each get a random animal friend card. Three cake cards are placed face-up on the table next to the cake deck. Five ingredient cards are also placed face-up on the table next to the ingredient deck. Players will take note of their animal friend and keep it a secret from other players.

The player who most recently ate cake gets to go first. On a player’s turn, they can either collect ingredients or bake a cake. Taking ingredients involves selecting a face-up ingredient on the table and adding it to the player’s hand. If there are four or more of the same ingredient face up, the player can take two of the same ingredient. After ingredients are collected, the ingredients on the table are refreshed and the next player gets to take their turn.

If a player decides to bake a cake, they will choose one of the face-up cakes on the table and indicate it to the rest of the players. The player can then ask up to two players for help by asking them if they have a specific ingredient. If the player answers yes, they can contribute any number of that ingredient needed for the cake. The player can be asked again as long as they keep answering yes to each ingredient. If they say no, the next player is asked, or the turn player will attempt to bake the cake with the ingredients they have left in their hand. If the combined ingredients among the involved players are enough, the cake gets baked. The turn player gets the cake, which goes face down under their animal friend card. The players that contributed ingredients get to place their ingredient cards face down under their animal friends. These cards are all used for scoring at the end of the game.

The game ends when there are either no ingredients or just two face-up cakes left. Scoring is simple. For each cake under the animal friend, the player gets 5 points. Each ingredient yields 1 point. Each animal friend also has a hidden objective (Like score the most strawberries or the least cakes). If the animal’s objective is completed, the player will get an extra 3 points. Whoever has the most points wins.

Pacing and Interactivity

Frenemy Pastry Party is an easy game to pick up on, which goes well with its short playtime. A game can easily be played in less than 30 minutes, making it an ideal game for multiple plays in one session. It’s also good as an appetizer for a night of gaming (Though it might be more appropriate as a dessert). Not only is the game short, but it moves along at just the right pace too. Turns are quick, leading to little to no downtime.

The constant racing towards cakes is thrilling. Knowing that your opponent can take away the points that you’ve spent multiple turns building up for. The possibility of losing a targeted cake encourages players to use the help of their friends. The “frenemy” mechanisms allow for tons of interaction. Even when it isn’t a player’s turn, they can still be involved and get points. The scoring system allows players to think strategically and decide when to give points to a specific player.

Theme and Components

The cards in Frenemy Pastry Party are of fine quality. Nothing in the game feels cheap, they all have a good amount of weight and feel sturdy. Of course, players likely won’t be critiquing the quality of the cards since they are all so dang cute. Seriously, the animals are adorable. The cake ingredients are full of charm and detailed. The cakes themselves look absolutely delicious. This is an adorable little game that will appeal to anyone who has a soft heart for cute things.

There aren’t any components besides the cards, but that’s perfectly okay. All of the cute cards come in a nice little box that completes the aesthetic. Lazy Cat Amix, Sherry Huang, and Emily Hancock’s art absolutely elevate the theme of this game.  It’s just a gorgeous, airy package. Those who love the aesthetic will want to check out the playmat that is available separately.

Frenemy Pastry Party Is Great For Fans Of…

Those who like drafting and set collection games will enjoy Frenemy Pastry Party. It sometimes feels like cute, fun games like Sushi Go, Century, or Arcane Alley. It’s not the deepest game, but it is highly interactive.