Learning Game Design with Arcade Berg

The Cake Game

I thought I'd give you one of my very best game designs ever! And it's not even a computer game, it's REAL LIFE!

First though, I have to thank everyone who was accidental parts of helping create this game, especially Mathias Wahlin, as it's based on a true story.

For this game to work you need:

• a cake
• a cake slice (or other tool for cutting the cake)
• a game host
• a bunch of people wanting cake!

The premiss for this game is that everyone wants cake NOW and as big a piece as possible!

What you, as the game host do is to have everyone gather around the cake, while you create one cut in the cake, defining the starting line.

Create one cut.

Once this is made, what you do is that you align the cake slicer with the cut and then slowly start rotating the slicer along with the cake, creating a "piece" between the original cut and the current position of the slicer.

Rotate and move the slicer

This is where the players come in, wanting as big a piece as possible. As long as no player says anything, the host slowly keeps making the piece bigger and bigger untill a player suddently says "Stop!". When a player stops the game, the player gets that piece!

After saying "Stop", the player gets the piece

Now, that player isn't part of the game anymore. He or she already got a piece. It's not up for the remaining players to get their share.

What happens is that people wants a really big piece, but at the same time if all they do is wait for a huge piece, someone else will always say stop before him! So you have to really consider the risk vs. reward-scenario and find that delicate balance.

It might sound stupid, but I was the host and played this with 10 cake-hungry people at my work and it was hilarious! Poor Cozy-Dave, he had to wait a long time for his piece...

So there you have it, a super duper game design for friends and families!

What'd you think?