Alchemia
- September 28, 2018
- Matthew Brown
Get on Steam"Alchemia" is a 17th-century themed puzzle game that revolves around solving riddles and ciphers to uncover the secret of the Philosopher's Stone. Players must conduct research outside of the game to decipher the cryptic clues within an alchemy book. Success requires historical knowledge, critical thinking, and the ability to solve complex puzzles.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The puzzles are well-crafted and provide a significant challenge, appealing to fans of cryptography and complex riddles.
- The game offers a unique experience that encourages independent research and critical thinking, making it engaging for those who enjoy deep problem-solving.
- Players can find satisfaction in the challenge, with many expressing enjoyment despite the difficulty, especially when collaborating with others.
- The game lacks traditional gameplay mechanics, offering little interactivity beyond flipping pages, which may disappoint those expecting a more conventional gaming experience.
- Many players found the puzzles to be excessively difficult and obtuse, often requiring extensive outside research without clear guidance or feedback.
- The game is criticized for feeling more like a digital book than a game, leading to frustration among players who expected a more interactive and rewarding experience.
- gameplay3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on solving puzzles without any significant gameplay loops or narrative, making it less engaging for players seeking in-game mechanics or a structured experience. Many users noted that the reliance on external resources, like Google, diminishes the challenge and immersion typically expected from a puzzle game.
“For starters, this has no gameplay loops and no real plot or anything; you just solve the puzzles and then you get an achievement (and you can just Google it if you want the achievement).”
“Almost all of the 'gameplay' took place inside of my Google Doc of notes.”
“This isn't a puzzle game for the easily stumped or for those looking for in-game mechanics.”
- story2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's story is criticized for lacking a coherent plot or engaging gameplay loops, reducing the experience to merely solving puzzles for achievements, which many players found unappealing. Overall, it fails to capture gamers' interest.
“For starters, this has no gameplay loops and no real plot or anything; you just solve the puzzles and then you get an achievement (and you can just Google it if you want the achievement).”
“Hardly a success story; gamers just weren't all that interested in the game.”
- graphics1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the software are designed to resemble a book, allowing users to flip through pages filled with intricate cryptographic puzzles. The visual presentation effectively enhances the immersive experience of solving these challenges.
- music1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received criticism for its lack of customization options, as players are unable to turn it off due to the absence of an options menu.
“There isn't even an options menu to turn off the music.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy is criticized for lacking value, as it feels more like a marketing tool rather than a standalone product, leaving users to seek additional information elsewhere instead of providing meaningful content.
“This could have been a clever marketing tool for another game if it was given away for free and led you to information about the game it was advertising. Too bad it's just a list of things for you to Google after reading a few pages.”
“The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it constantly pushes you to spend money to enjoy basic features that should be included in the game.”
“I find the in-game purchases to be overpriced and unnecessary, making it hard to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend more.”
