The Cooking Game

In this set collection game, players make circuits of the kitchen on the playing board, picking up ingredients (cards) from the various collection points (Larder, Garden, Kitchen Cupboard, Cellar and Back Door) in an attempt to be the first to make a finished meal (a main course and either a starter or pudding).

Each main course has 12 items to collect, each starter and pudding has 6, and the various collection points supply different types of items (e.g. bacon and butter from the fridge in the Larder, herbs and vegetables from the Garden, alcohol from the Cellar).

In addition to these, the board has several "lose a turn" spaces (some of which can be avoided by assistance found through answering the Front Door, e.g. a visiting niece who will help with the dishes), as well as two Telephone squares. Using these, players can challenge each other to hand over required items for the meal they are trying to compose.

At the end, points are scored for complete courses, any bonus items collected to go with the meal (e.g. flowers, or After Eight mints), and players may even try to convince the others that combinations of currently unused cards from their hands produce viable (but lower scoring) meals - the other players vote on whether such suggestions are acceptable. Any completely unused cards negatively affect the final scorings.