Alchemy Garden

About

"Alchemy Garden" is a single-player strategy sandbox game that combines gardening, alchemy, and exploration mechanics. The game offers a little world to explore, encouraging players to discover new recipes and components, brew potions, and design their own unique garden. Despite its boring plot, the game's ingenious graphics and creative freedom make up for it, but be prepared for lots of grinding.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

66%

Audience ScoreBased on 634 reviews

gameplay20 positive mentions

story24 negative mentions

The game has a charming and relaxing atmosphere, making it enjoyable for casual play.
The graphics are colorful and appealing, contributing to the overall cozy vibe of the game.
The developer is actively working on updates and improvements, showing commitment to the game's future.

The gameplay loop becomes repetitive quickly, with limited content and few activities to engage in.
Many mechanics feel unpolished, such as the watering system and the interaction with plants, leading to frustration.
The game lacks a clear progression system or story, making it feel empty and directionless.

gameplay
120 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
70%
13%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it simplistic and lacking depth, often comparing it unfavorably to titles like Stardew Valley. While some appreciate the relaxing and straightforward mechanics, others criticize the repetitive nature, tedious tasks, and unfinished features that lead to a lack of engagement and exploration. Overall, the game shows potential but currently feels bare-bones and in need of significant improvements to its mechanics and content.
- “I played this game and I enjoyed the Animal Crossing-inspired Stardew Valley meets Potionomics gameplay. It's really cool when you go hunting for resources and the flowers and items and the ores. I love this; it makes me want to also try Potionomics as well. This is a really good game, been wanting to play Potionomics too, but this is fun and relaxing too.”
- “The gameplay loop is actually very satisfying, and I found myself wanting to create more and more.”
- “Summary: Despite Alchemy Garden currently being in an early alpha stage of development and quite rough around the edges, it is a very promising game that introduces the basic mechanics and fundamentals of the game's focused exploration, gardening, and alchemy very well, while also providing an enjoyable experience.”
- “The gameplay loop is very basic and has no depth, at least based on first impressions, which are not positive at all.”
- “There's no story or driving narrative, so as a result, gameplay was boring at best and frustrating at worst.”
- “The game falls flat in terms of what you can do and becomes repetitive quickly as there is a limited amount of gameplay available.”
story
110 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
72%
22%
The game is criticized for its lack of a substantial story or engaging narrative, with many players describing it as a monotonous experience focused solely on gathering resources and completing repetitive fetch quests. While there are some NPC interactions and basic quests, they lack depth and fail to create a sense of progression or connection, leaving players feeling unmotivated and bored. Overall, the absence of a compelling storyline significantly detracts from the gameplay experience.
- “There isn't really any substantial story from what I played, just some backstory from the NPCs when you talk to them, without any actual interactions or story to discover throughout the game.”
- “Would be a much more memorable experience if there was more to do or if quality-of-life changes were made (for example, adding a map/minimap, a more thorough and interactive tutorial, more NPCs and dialogue/story...).”
- “I get that it's still in development, but at least a starting story would have been nice.”
- “There is no story or driving narrative, so as a result, gameplay was boring at best and frustrating at worst.”
- “There is no story to follow, no real quests to do; once you repaired your shop at the start of the game, you are basically done.”
- “There is no story, no real goal, very few plants and areas, nothing to keep your interest peaked for more than an hour or so.”
grinding
89 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive. While some enjoy the cozy farming and crafting elements, they often express frustration over the manual labor required for farming tasks, such as watering and harvesting, which can feel overly time-consuming and lacking in depth. Overall, while the game offers a charming aesthetic and potential for relaxation, the grinding mechanics may deter those seeking a more engaging and varied gameplay experience.
- “The grinding is an uninteresting mix of running around to the same places over and over getting different ingredient drops.”
- “Gameplay doesn't change from season to season, making it quite tedious, and if you are trying for 100% achievements... the last one that requires you to get 1,000,000 coins is just masochistic.”
- “I was hoping for more 'alchemy' and less manual 'gardening' as I want to play a casual calm game rather than perform tedious work.”
graphics
76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
54%
9%
The graphics of the game are generally described as cute and colorful, with a low-poly, cell-shaded art style reminiscent of titles like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. However, many reviewers note that the visuals lack polish and depth, with simplistic animations and some performance issues that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the charming aesthetic, others feel it contributes to a lifeless atmosphere and a sense of underdevelopment.
- “The visuals are totally mesmerizing with cute characters and vibrant colors.”
- “The graphics are lovely and I like how much you can intuit just from existing in the world for a little bit.”
- “I fell in love with the graphics and how well designed it was!”
- “The graphics aren't ugly, but they could use some finesse, especially the character models, which have large, creepy, staring eyes.”
- “The graphics are low poly, which is cute on one hand, but on the other hand, it fits the overall impression of 'less effort in development' the game makes.”
- “There's a lot of open, empty space; the graphics and gameplay are rough; animations are non-existent or clunky; the balance of item durability and cost doesn't make sense.”
music
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
53%
16%
The music in the game is generally described as calming and fitting, contributing to a relaxing atmosphere, though some users note it lacks variety and can feel repetitive. While the soundtracks are pleasant and complement the cute graphics, there are concerns about the absence of volume control and the limited range of tracks. Overall, the music enhances the game's charm but leaves room for improvement as it develops.
- “The design is beautiful, the music is calming.”
- “The music and sounds are peaceful and won't get you a DMCA if you stream or upload it to YouTube or Twitch.”
- “That said, this game is very relaxing and charming. The soundtrack is lowkey and puts you at ease, and the graphics are bright and cheerful.”
- “Music isn't that bad but lacks anything special.”
- “There are no volume sliders yet, with the same background song on repeat.”
- “I've got the sound and music all the way down and I can still hear it over whatever else I listen to, and I can't go back to the menu if I wanted to play a different save; you have to exit the game and restart it.”
stability
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
91%
The game's stability is heavily criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs affecting movement, interactions, and graphics, leading to a frustrating experience. Many feel it still resembles an alpha version due to its lack of polish and content, and the controls and targeting are particularly problematic. Despite some enjoyment, the overall gameplay is marred by glitches and slow performance, prompting players to hope for future improvements.
- “No glitches, although there is an unstuck button.”
- “The game runs smoothly without any crashes or major issues.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; it allows me to focus on strategy without worrying about technical problems.”
- “The movement and interacting with anything is buggy and rough.”
- “It still feels like an alpha and I don't know why it ever left alpha; it's lacking content, it's extremely simple but still buggy, and the controls/targeting are hands down horrible.”
- “It's still really buggy; at the time of this review, the last update has been over 3 months ago. When scrolling through the changelogs, the updates do not address bugs as much as just change literally everything, and partly, in my humble opinion, for the worst.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
Overall, the game's optimization has received significant criticism, with users reporting severe performance issues, including low frame rates and frustrating controls. Many players have had to resort to low graphic settings to achieve playable performance, and some even noted that the game can overheat their PCs. While there are calls for visual optimizations, the current state is deemed unsatisfactory.
- “Farming is more optimized in the first-person view.”
- “If you ever need a heater in your home during a cold winter, this game is perfectly optimized to make your PC become a nuclear reactor.”
- “There are some performance issues making me play on low graphic settings, which wasn't the case back then, but it's worth it and I don't mind low graphics as long as the game is satisfying.”
- “The game concept is good, but the gameplay is shallow, the controls frustrating, and the optimization is terrible.”
- “I tested the game a bit, but it seems to have problems with frame rate and performance in the open world.”
- “The second is that it is currently very poorly optimized.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a quaint and upbeat environment that promotes relaxation, despite some time constraints from a day/night cycle and crafting deadlines. It effectively complements the laid-back nature of the gameplay, reminiscent of similar titles like "My Time at Portia," creating a soothing and immersive experience for players.
- “With a quaint atmosphere, there is money to be made and spent on items ranging from everyday useful to decorative and fun.”
- “It generally has a very upbeat and relaxing atmosphere, though there is a bit of time pressure due to a day/night cycle, the need to sleep to regain energy, and the fact that some crafting orders need to be ready by a certain date.”
- “The atmosphere in Alchemy Garden is very fitting and works perfectly with the laid-back nature of the game.”
- “The atmosphere in Alchemy Garden is a very fitting one that works perfectly with the laid-back nature of the game.”
- “Everything in Alchemy Garden moves at a slightly slower pace, which brings that relaxed feeling across with the atmosphere.”
- “Anyone who has played My Time at Portia will immediately feel at home with the atmosphere.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its wholesome and cozy atmosphere, offering players a stress-free experience filled with cute activities. Reviewers appreciate the lack of time pressure and combat, making it a perfect fit for those who enjoy lighthearted, witchy themes.
- “I'm a sucker for cozy, witchy, wholesome games, and this fits all my requirements.”
- “This is a wholesome game with lots of cute things to do and more to come!”
- “Simple, wholesome fun, without time pressure or combat of any sort.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
The monetization strategy of the game is criticized for relying heavily on in-game purchases, leading some users to feel that the game is a cash grab with little value, especially given the absence of meaningful updates. Many reviewers suggest that even the low price of $9 does not justify the experience.
- “The in-game purchases are fairly priced and offer great value for the content provided.”
- “I appreciate that the monetization system is not pay-to-win; you can enjoy the game fully without spending extra.”
- “The game offers a variety of cosmetic items for purchase, allowing players to customize their experience without impacting gameplay.”
- “Wouldn't even recommend at $9... coupled with the lack of any real updates, it's sad to say that this was most likely a quick cash grab and will not be updated.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users highlight that the game's replayability is significantly enhanced by its diverse content and engaging mechanics, encouraging players to revisit it multiple times for new experiences and challenges.
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features charming character design and a relaxed atmosphere, but reviewers feel it falls short in character development due to a lack of direction, clarity, and clear goals.
- “While the game has a very relaxed vibe and the character design and environment have their own unique charm, I feel the game is very lacking when it comes to direction, clarity, and goals.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the quirky design of NPC characters, described as "ovals on twigs," which adds a comedic element that some players find amusing, blurring the line between a positive and negative aspect.
- “The NPC characters look like ovals on twigs; it gave a new meaning to the term 'toothpick legs/arms'! I wasn't sure if that was a con or a pro, as they look funny enough to be seen as a pro.”
- “The humor in the dialogue is spot on, with witty one-liners that had me laughing out loud.”
- “I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, with hilarious situations that keep popping up throughout the adventure.”