Alchemia

About

Alchemia is a single player puzzle game with a mystery theme. It was developed by Matthew Brown and was released on September 28, 2018. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

76%

Audience ScoreBased on 38 reviews

story2 negative mentions

The game features well-made puzzles that encourage deep exploration of cryptography and cipher techniques.
Players who enjoy challenging puzzles and independent research may find the experience rewarding and engaging.
The game offers a unique premise that combines puzzle-solving with real-world research, appealing to fans of ARGs and cryptography.

The game lacks traditional gameplay mechanics, offering minimal interactivity beyond flipping pages and requiring extensive external research to solve puzzles.
Many players found the puzzles to be excessively difficult, often leading to frustration and a lack of satisfaction from the experience.
The game is criticized for being more of a digital book than a game, with no clear feedback or input mechanisms for players to engage with the puzzles.

gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
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.
- “The gameplay is engaging and challenges players to think critically and creatively.”
- “The mechanics are intuitive, allowing for a smooth learning curve while still providing depth.”
- “Each level offers unique challenges that keep the experience fresh and exciting.”
- “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.”
story
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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.”
graphics
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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.
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
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.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
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 independently 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 was really disappointed by the paywall that blocks access to essential content. It feels like the developers are more interested in making money than providing a good gaming experience.”