Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea

Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is a Japanese role-playing game from 2014, developed by Gust for the PlayStation 3. It marks the 16th main installment in the Atelier series and serves as the concluding chapter of the Dusk trilogy. The game launched in North America and Europe during March 2015. A PlayStation Vita version, Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea, came out in Japan on March 3, 2016, followed by North American and European releases in January 2017. A DX port for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 debuted in Japan on December 25, 2019, with a Western release on January 14, 2020, alongside a worldwide Microsoft Windows version.

Gameplay lets players choose between two protagonists, each with their own storyline, though the overall game flow stays consistent. Fields are larger than in earlier Atelier titles, offering more items and raw materials for mixing. Field actions vary by character: Shallotte can scrub floors with her broom or clean and catch fish using bait, while Shallistera uncovers hidden items through dowsing; both can mine at various locations. A "life task system" replaces the time limit from previous games, displaying tasks tailored to the player's play style and progression—for instance, a battle-focused player receives combat-related tasks. The field changes dynamically based on player actions, with monsters and items shifting after life tasks are completed. Neglecting enough tasks harms exploration and gathering performance.

The battle system supports parties of up to six characters. Consecutive attacks fill a Burst gauge, triggering a Burst state that boosts effects from the chain and enables special skills. Players can experience character events separate from the main story, revealing new sides of the cast. Item synthesis requires blueprints and ingredients, accessed via a cauldron in the atelier. Players choose ingredients and their order, and later unlock skills to fine-tune items. At a high enough level, "Chain" becomes available, building up when skills of the same element are used, affecting skill effects. Additional effects can be selected in the final creation step. Weapons and armor are crafted by the character Miruca at her atelier, as the protagonists cannot make them. Miruca shares her level and learns skills, though her skills differ from Shallotte's and Shallistera's.