Potion Craft
An atmospheric alchemy simulator set in a medieval fantasy world.
Potion Craft (also known as *Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator*) is a management simulation game from the Russian independent studio niceplay games, released in 2022 by publisher tinyBuild. Set in a medieval fantasy world, the game puts players in charge of a potion shop, where they must grind ingredients in a mortar and pestle and mix them in a cauldron to create brews. Critics praised the game for its original and easy-to-understand crafting system, and it earned several nominations at the 2023 Independent Games Festival. In the game, players run a daily potion business from the rooms of their home. Customers arrive each day with requests, such as a healing potion for a headache. Players can haggle over prices using a minigame, and the money earned buys ingredients from traveling sellers or unlocks new recipes. A reputation system tracks how well players treat customers—offering the wrong potion or turning someone away lowers it. Each day, players must fulfill customer needs or send them away before moving on. Crafting involves grinding ingredients and mixing them in a cauldron, which plots a path on a hidden map. The type of ingredient and how much it is ground or mixed determines the direction of this path. Potions gain specific effects when the path aligns with certain spots on the map, and closer alignment produces stronger potions, which customers may demand or which fetch higher prices. Players can also gather a few ingredients daily from a garden. The game progresses through ten chapters, each marked by milestones that require more complex tasks, like creating and selling harder potions. Niceplay games, founded by Mikhail Chuprakov, created *Potion Craft*. Chuprakov said the game was inspired by a mix of mechanics from earlier alchemy-themed titles by the developer and a potion-making minigame in the 2018 role-playing game *Kingdom Come: Deliverance*. The game entered early access on September 21, 2021, and sold over 100,000 units on Steam, topping the platform's Global Top Sellers chart for three days. Originally released for Windows and Xbox in December 2022, the developers announced the release of the game for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in Spring 2023. Critics responded positively, highlighting the intuitive and deep alchemy system.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Potion Craft
- Developer
- niceplay games
- Publisher
- tinyBuild
- Genre
- Simulation
- Platforms
- Windows / Xbox One, Xbox Series / Nintendo Switch / PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
- Released
- Windows · 13 December 2022 · Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S · 19 December 2022 · Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 · 12 December 2023
- Engine
- Unity
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Potion Craft was created by niceplay games, a Russian independent developer founded by Mikhail Chuprakov. Chuprakov stated that the game was inspired by a mix of mechanics adapted from a line of alchemy-themed titles previously published by the developer, and the inclusion of a potion-making minigame in the 2018 role-playing video game Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The game was released on early access on 21 September 2021, and the developers announced that it had met a successful release on Steam, reportedly selling over 100,000 units and topping the Global Top Sellers chart for the platform over three days. Originally released for Windows and Xbox in December 2022, the developers announced the release of the game for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in Spring 2023. In the game, players manage the day-to-day operations of a potion-selling business, with the user interface representing the rooms of the potion-seller's home. Players create potions by grinding ingredients in a mortar and pestle and mixing them together in a cauldron, which plots a course on a map; potions acquire certain properties when aligned with specific locations on the map. The choice of ingredient and the extent to which they are ground and mixed affects the direction of the course. The map is enshrouded, requiring players to use different ingredients to explore and identify new effects. Progression spans across ten chapters, each marked by milestones requiring more complex actions such as creating and selling more difficult potions.
Reader's Guide
Potion Craft is notable for its novel and intuitive alchemy crafting mechanics, which critics praised as capturing the magic of invention and creation. Reviewers highlighted the tactile nature of the crafting process, with the bubbling of brew, crunch of roots, and clanking of mortar and pestle contributing to a satisfying gameplay loop. The game's evocative presentation and relaxed tone were also widely commended, with critics noting its charming medieval artistry, cozy atmosphere, and wood-cut visuals that mimic the period while creating a fantasy aesthetic. The game's attention to detail in animations and sound design was praised for adding whimsy and making interaction with the shop more satisfying. Potion Craft received several honorable mention nominations at the 2023 Independent Games Festival, including for Excellence in Design and Excellence in Visual Arts, and was nominated for the Sit Back and Relax category at the 2021 and 2023 Steam Awards, as well as Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year during the 26th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
Did You Know?
- The game topped the Steam Global Top Sellers chart for three days after its early access release.
- Players can haggle on potion prices using a minigame, and the game features a reputation system affected by offering wrong potions or turning customers away.
- The game was nominated for awards at the 2023 Independent Games Festival, including Excellence in Design and Excellence in Visual Arts.
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