Hostile Cakeover: open cake shops, steal whole streets
Know the classic property-trading card game? This is that, in a bakery town. Open shops, charge rent, swipe your family's cakes, and be first to fill 3 streets. Your hand stays secret on your phone, and the whole town is on the TV.
How to play Hostile Cakeover
Open Hostile Cakeover on any TV or laptop with a web browser. Everyone joins at hangtime.games/play on their phone with the four-letter code, and the host deals the cards. Then, on your turn:
- Draw 2 cards. If your hand is empty, draw 5 instead.
- Play up to 3 cards. Put a cake on a street, bank money in your till, or play an action to stir up trouble. You can also play nothing.
- Keep 7 at most. If you end your turn with more than 7 cards, discard down to 7.
- Pay what you owe. When someone charges you, pay from your till or your cakes. You pick which cards to hand over, and there's no change.
- Finish 3 streets to win. A street is finished when every lot on it has a cake. First baker to finish 3 takes over the town.
The rules are also in the game: tap "How to play" on your phone at any time.
What the cards do
The streets
Rent goes up with every cake you have on a street. Pricier streets pay more, but they're also what everyone wants to steal.
| Street | Lots | Rent with 1, 2, 3… cakes |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinkle Lane | 2 | $1, $2 |
| Cocoa Court | 3 | $1, $2, $3 |
| Blueberry Bend | 3 | $1, $2, $4 |
| Lemon Drizzle Row | 3 | $2, $4, $6 |
| Caramel Crossing | 4 | $1, $2, $3, $4 |
| Matcha Mews | 3 | $2, $4, $7 |
| Red Velvet Road | 3 | $3, $5, $8 |
| Frosting Heights | 2 | $3, $8 |
Who it's for
Good for
Families and friends who like a card game with a bit of strategy and a lot of revenge. It's quick to learn if you've played a property-trading card game before, and Hangtime keeps track of rent and payments, so nobody has to do the math.
Playing apart
Hostile Cakeover plays remotely too. Start it from a phone and the whole town shows on everyone's screen, so you can play together over a video call. An optional turn timer keeps things moving.
Part of the Launch Pack: $5 once (founder price, $10 later), and it's yours forever. Only the host buys it and signs in. Players always join free.
Questions
How do you win Hostile Cakeover?
Be the first to finish 3 whole streets of cakes. A street is finished when every lot on it has a cake: 2 lots for Sprinkle Lane and Frosting Heights, 4 for Caramel Crossing, and 3 for the rest.
Is it like Monopoly Deal?
It plays the way property-set card games do: bank money, collect sets, charge rent and steal from each other. Hostile Cakeover is Hangtime's own bakery version, with its own cards, and it isn't affiliated with Monopoly or Hasbro.
How many players?
2 to 5 players.
Can we play it online, not in the same room?
Yes. Pick Hostile Cakeover under "Can't all be in one room?" at hangtime.games/play and share the code. The whole table shows on everyone's phone, so you can play over a video call.
How much does it cost?
Hostile Cakeover is part of the Launch Pack, a one-time $5 (founder price, $10 later) that also unlocks Who's Lying?, Best Answer Wins, Rummy and Bowl Game. Only the host buys it; players always join free.
What happens if I can't pay?
You pay what you can from your till and your cakes, and you choose which cards to hand over. There's no change, so overpaying is part of the game. If you have nothing at all, you're off the hook.
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New to Hangtime? See how it works, or how it compares in Looking for a Jackbox alternative?
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