Plenty of potion games have dropped onto consoles and PCs in the past year. Something about creating potions can be quite addictive, and for the most part, most potion games are easy enough to learn. They're also a great time-killer with plenty of puzzles to solve, resulting in a satisfying product. Whether you're a potion-making rookie or a master alchemist, here are some potion games I've played that I think are worthy of checking out:
Potion Craft
Potion Craft from developer niceplay games has a unique aesthetic that makes the game look like it was drawn on ye olde paper. Players are tasked with brewing potions, running a shop, and selling their wares to the locals. Players may also gain fame or infamy by selling potions based on what customers plan to use their potions for, which will determine the demand for certain potion types. Potion recipes are discovered by throwing ingredients into the cauldron and winding a way around the potion map until a new recipe is found. It gets very addictive quickly, and plenty of players find it difficult to put the game down until it is complete. Potion Craft is available on PC and consoles for those alchemists looking for an immediate time killer.
Potionomics
This potion game from Voracious Games has it all: Shop management, potion-brewing, deck-building, min-maxing, and even visual novel story-telling. Players take up the role of Sylvie, who has inherited her uncle's old shop. Sylvie has to build her reputation as a potion brewer while also making enough money to keep the shop open. Potionomics requires intense attention to all aspects of the potion brewing economy and is perhaps one of, if not the most challenging game centered around potions on this list. Potionomics is available only on PC
Potion Permit
If you like an RPG element alongside your potion brewing, Potion Permit from developer MassHive Media has players take on the role of a chemist who has to convince the citizens of Moonbury to trust them and their potions. The potion-brewing element of this game requires gathering local ingredients and then fitting those ingredients into puzzles to brew each potion. If you ever liked Hexa Puzzle or other shape-fitting games, you'll like Potion Permit. Potion Permit is available on consoles and PC and makes a pretty great game for any portable system you may have.
Alchemist Simulator
Alchemist Simulator is an interesting addition to this list of potion games. It's more of a walk-around and point-and-click-around-the-shop deal from developer Art Games Studio SA. While Alchemist Simulator is a fairly short game once you've gotten the hang of it, it does introduce an interesting concept to potion brewing: Cutting, cleaning, grinding, drying, and transforming ingredients change the way those ingredients behave. The real puzzle comes down to which order to do those things in to get the right traits from an ingredient for a potion. For a master alchemist, it's a fast and easy game, but it's still worth checking out for its unique take on potion-brewing.
Noteworthy Potion Mini-Games
Some games have alchemy in which players can make potions to sell or help defeat monsters. A notable mention is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, in which potion-brewing is essential to preparing for battle against the various monsters Geralt faces. While other games take alchemy to another level despite them being mini-games that are nonessential to the plot.
Skyrim
There are plenty of plants, animal bits, and other ingredients to be found across the land of Skyrim. All are plenty useful for the game's alchemy skill. While being able to create potions isn't necessary to the gameplay, it is a useful skill as potions are useful for anything from healing to stealth, carrying more stuff, and increasing other stats. It's also a great way to make gold fast.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance
KCD, like Skyrim, has plenty of alchemy ingredients scattered across bohemia and is also a great way to make groschen at a faster pace. However, while in Skyrim, players choose ingredients with matching effects to create a particular potion, KCD has recipes that the player needs to gather ingredients for and build skill to make. Interestingly enough, to read some recipes, players must also ensure that protagonist Henry learns to read.
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