The Great British Baking Show Game review: "An authentic experience"

It is very important for me to assure fans of the series that, yes, The Great British Baking Show Game does include soggy bottoms. In fact, they're an integral part of the experience.

That's because this adaptation is loath to let any iconic staples go to waste; much like other board games from publisher Ravensburger, it wants to capture as much of its inspiration as possible. And in that regard, The Great British Baking Show Game succeeds - it's an authentic experience, right down to the flustered panic of a bake gone wrong. However, it doesn't have quite the same staying power as the series it emulates.

What is it, and how does it work?

Based on the wholesome UK competition where contestants compete to become star baker, The Great British Baking Show Game follows exactly the same recipe - players work through Signature, Technical, and Showstopper bakes. This version is a bit less messy, though. While you'll all be working from the same recipe for treats like Battenburg cake or jammy dodgers, your ingredients are cards drawn randomly one at a time. You've then got to place the right cards in a pattern shown on the recipe before everyone else can. The faster you finish, the more points you get.

Basically, it's like tabletop Tetris; you start from the bottom up, and all the ingredients must be touching (no floating cards, please).

Sounds straightforward enough, right? Well, it's harder than you might think. There are a wealth of different ingredient cards in each pile, and only certain ones are suitable for your bake. Put down the wrong one and you may end up ruining your chance at a high score. You see, you'll be judged at the end of the session based on certain criteria: only fruit fillings, two 'Good Crumb' cards, that sort of thing. The more requirements you meet, the higher your score will be.

Even though it's possible to undo mistakes (you can remove any number of cards from your bake using the 'bin' token, but this is a one-time thing and will put you far behind your rivals), you're better off not making them in the first place. That's where the game's discard mechanic comes in. If you draw an ingredient you don't want, you can put it aside for later use. Unfortunately, you're only allowed to retrieve the top cards from your discard pile. Discard too many and you'll bury something you might need further down the road.

This results in something that can be a little confusing at first but is worth persevering with.

Gameplay - is it any good?

The Great British Baking Show Game is one of the more frantic party board games we've played. Much like its inspiration, you'll be desperately rushing to get everything ready before your time is up. It's surprisingly stressful because of this, but it's moreishly fun as well. There's something tantalizing about getting your bake just so.

You'll need a bit of work to get to that point, though. It'll take a round or two to get the hang of how it all works, and because everyone is working on their bake at the same time (there's no taking turns here), it can be tough to identify if someone's accidentally gotten things wrong until it's too late. As an example, every group I played with couldn't grasp the discard system at first - they were either dumping cards into an enormous pile or taking them at random. 

In all fairness, this confusion wasn't entirely their fault. The Great British Baking Show Game is intense, and the rules will fall right out of your head the moment people start slapping cards onto the table.

Still, that's part of the fun. There's a manic energy here that drags you into the action by the scruff of your neck, and it's hard not to feel invested as a result. And while it's true that more dextrous players will have an easier time here, luck-of-the-draw keeps things well balanced.

The juggling act of when to discard is equally satisfying. It's tempting to keep discarding cards you don't need in an effort to find the ones you do, but you'll quickly run out or cover up essential ingredients if you do so. Managing this and your bin becomes the bulk of the game's strategy, especially when you move onto more complicated recipes.

Don't expect it to keep you entertained for too long, though. The Great British Baking Show Game doesn't have a tremendous amount of depth, and even though the recipes show plenty of variety, you'll probably lose interest if you over-play it.

More complexity would have helped with this. For instance, it seems odd that cards are allowed to float, crane-like, so long as they're touching another card (and so long as you've finished your base, of course). Similarly, it isn't tremendously tactical. While party alternatives like Sushi Go or One Night Ultimate Werewolf are equally straightforward, they find range through player agency. The former requires you to be flexible in the face of what opponents are doing, while the latter is all about bluffing. 

Nonetheless, I shouldn't dwell on the negatives for too long. This game is undeniably fun, and it's the perfect option for those who aren't really into board gaming anyway. Equally, the artwork here really captures the essence of the show. A lot of that is down to Ravensburger securing the involvement of series bake artist Tom Hovey (his art here is just as good as it is in each episode).

Should you buy The Great British Baking Show Game?

At its core, The Great British Baking Show Game is an authentic experience without much depth. It's also a good time if you want to forgo more complex strategy. That makes it one of the better gifts for gamers who love the show or want a good 'starter' game to introduce them to the tabletop world. But for players who want a bit more, they're probably better off looking elsewhere. 

How we tested The Great British Baking Show Game

This board game was tested thoroughly in multiple hands-on sessions with a variety of players from two to four over a number of weeks. I also used various recipe cards to get a feel for the game's longevity.

To find out more about how the site handles tabletop critique, check out our guide on how we test board games and tabletop RPGs at 12DOVE. 

Reviewed using a copy provided by Ravensburger.

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