Alchemy Story
- April 15, 2020
- Cozy Bee Games
- 16h median play time
Get on Steam"Alchemy Story" is a magical game where you play as an apprentice alchemist, tasked with lifting a dark spell that has turned villagers into animals. Build up your farm, care for cute creatures, brew potions, and interact with the cozy village life. Grow a garden, delve into the mine, and fish along lakes and rivers to discover and collect rare ingredients. The ultimate goal is to learn and master alchemy to save the village.
Reviews
- The game is adorable, easy to play, and lots of fun, making it suitable for all ages.
- The graphics and character designs are charming, creating a cozy atmosphere that is enjoyable to explore.
- The gameplay loop is relaxing and engaging, with a variety of activities such as gardening, potion brewing, and interacting with cute animals.
- There are significant bugs and glitches that can make the game unplayable, particularly later in the story.
- The lack of controller support and a confusing map system can lead to frustration while navigating the game world.
- The game can feel repetitive and grind-heavy, with limited content and direction, leading to a sense of aimlessness.
- story93 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story of "Alchemy Story" is characterized as cute and engaging, revolving around the quest to turn animals back into humans and save the village, though it is often described as simplistic and linear. Players appreciate the charming world and characters, but many find the pacing slow and the quest mechanics grind-heavy, leading to feelings of tedium. While the narrative has potential, it lacks depth and can feel repetitive, making it more suitable for fans of casual farming sims rather than those seeking a complex storyline.
“Discover a world of magic, cute creatures, and adventure in Alchemy Story, a casual farming simulation game!”
“The main story is unique (not just a grandpa's old farm) and gives a clear goal to work towards.”
“There's a storyline about saving the village by turning the animals back into humans, and with every human you save, you unlock more areas and things to do.”
“Alchemy Story almost delivers; however, you have to wait days and days between each main story adventure, which feels very tedious and triggers my depression.”
“The story is extremely linear; this is not as open as a game like Stardew Valley.”
“The story and characters are a bit lacking in depth, but the designs and interactions are interesting.”
- grinding35 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews of "Alchemy Story" highlight a significant issue with grinding, as players find the game overly repetitive and slow-paced, particularly in terms of waiting for story progression and farming mechanics. While some appreciate the cute aesthetics and casual gameplay, many express frustration with the limited farming options and the extensive time required to gather resources and upgrade items, leading to a sense of tedium. Overall, the game is seen as lacking depth compared to more established farming sims, making it less satisfying for those seeking a robust farming experience.
“Alchemy Story almost delivers; however, you have to wait days and days between each main story adventure, which feels very tedious and triggers my depression.”
“I can't seem to get into this game... I find it so slow, very repetitive, way too grindy, and, at the end, very boring.”
“It feels like the game is overly grindy in some regards.”
- graphics30 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute, pastel aesthetic and bubbly design, reminiscent of titles like Ooblets and Stardew Valley. While many players appreciate the charming visuals and relaxing vibe, some critique the character designs as less appealing and overly simplistic, leading to navigation challenges in the game world. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, despite some mixed feelings about specific elements.
“It was perfectly adorable and one of my favorite game art styles ever.”
“The graphics are very round and bubbly and fit the game and the vibe very well!”
“The graphics are so cute and remind me a bit of a kind of pastel claymation.”
“The world and visuals are so overly cutesy that everything looks the exact same, which leads to fun issues like me getting lost on my own property trying to find my way to a mailbox, or getting so thoroughly turned around in town that I have to rely solely on the map and the 'guide me' feature to get anywhere.”
“For such a cute game, the art style is really ugly for the humans.”
“The graphics are cute, though your character needs a bit of work and looks a bit wooden with her arms sticking out.”
- gameplay29 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as simple and clean, effectively capturing key elements of the genre, such as gardening, fishing, and animal husbandry, which many players find enjoyable and cozy. However, some reviewers feel it lacks depth and variety, with certain mechanics feeling rudimentary and repetitive, leading to mixed opinions on its overall appeal. While it may not convert newcomers to the genre, fans of similar games like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley may appreciate its charm and relaxing gameplay loop.
“The gameplay is simplified but clean and clever, and I found that it really did pick out the elements of the genre that are the most key to making the games fun.”
“Overall the gameplay was similar to a fusion between Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, so it scratched my comfy cozy game itch quite well.”
“A simple, relaxing game with a rather satisfying gameplay loop.”
“The farming, which was what I was looking forward to the most, seems to be a mechanic bypassed entirely as a mole does all the work for you.”
“There are a lot of missed opportunities, such as fleshing out the NPCs a bit more and adding more mechanics to the game.”
“I'm a little disappointed in the gameplay altogether and have decided the game is not for me.”
- music23 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its soothing and cute qualities, creating a relaxing atmosphere that enhances the overall experience. However, some players find the constant looping of tracks can become repetitive and overwhelming over time. Overall, while the soundtrack is appreciated for its charm and calming nature, it may not appeal to everyone due to its potential monotony.
“The music is soft (and easy to turn off and replace with your own lo-fi playlist on YouTube), the sounds are cute and very gentle on the ears.”
“Love, love, love this game and will recommend it to anyone who wants a laid back, super cute experience with peaceful music to unwind with at the end of the day.”
“The music is calming and reminds me of old Harvest Moon games, and the sound effect noises are not annoying or over the top.”
“The soundtrack is very meh.”
“The music can get mixed up when going through town and can stop altogether at times, not too major an issue, but I did find it broke my immersion.”
“The only positives of this game, the cute soundtrack and the graphics, are overshadowed immediately by me playing Lemon Cake which has perfected both of them.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for being buggy, with users reporting frequent glitches and random freezes that can disrupt gameplay. While some players remain engaged despite these issues, the overall sentiment suggests that the game may feel abandoned and in need of significant stability improvements.
“Very buggy and the game appears to be abandoned.”
“The game pauses and freezes randomly for a second, causing that heart-dropping moment of thinking it is going to crash.”
“Small glitches here and there.”
- emotional6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional appeal, characterized by a heartwarming story and cute characters that create a wholesome and relaxing experience. Players appreciate the absence of violence, highlighting the game's ability to evoke positive feelings and provide a pleasant gameplay experience.
“I recommend the game if you need something wholesome to relax with.”
“There's no violence in it whatsoever, so it just leaves you with a heartwarming story and gameplay.”
“I love this game, it's so wholesome and cute and a lot of fun.”
- character development4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development is highlighted positively, with players appreciating the depth and growth of relationships as they progress, particularly with characters like Jasmine and William. However, there are mixed feelings about character designs, especially for human characters, which some players find unappealing. Overall, the interactions and evolving dynamics contribute to a more engaging experience.
“I had no problem making my choice of wifey, but there were a few solid contenders to start, and some genuine character development as you get closer to some of them.”
“Jasmine is sweet; I like the idea of my character and Edward being alchemy partners, and although William's character design makes me wince, his line about disliking magic but liking my character was really nice.”
“The character design is great, too.”
“I hate the character designs for the humans, and the run animation.”
“Although William's character design makes me wince, his line about disliking magic but liking my character was really nice.”
- atmosphere3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a positive and relaxing vibe, enhanced by charming characters and a sense of community among the villagers. Players appreciate the cuteness of the environment but suggest that incorporating seasonal changes could further enrich the overall ambiance.
“Villagers are generally happy and nice, creating a very positive atmosphere.”
“Love the characters, love the cuteness, love the relaxing atmosphere.”
“Perhaps adding some seasonal changes to the environment could enhance the atmosphere a little bit!”
“Perhaps maybe add some seasonal changes to the environment as well to change up the atmosphere a little bit!”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is considered low, indicating that players may not find sufficient motivation or variety to engage with it multiple times.
“Replayability is low.”
“The game lacks incentives to play through again.”
“Once you've completed it, there's little reason to return.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game does not meet expectations for optimization or extensive production mechanics similar to those found in Stardew Valley, suggesting a lack of depth in resource management and efficiency.
“The optimization in this game is impressive, allowing for efficient resource management and production.”
“I love how the game encourages players to optimize their strategies for maximum efficiency.”
“The balance between resource gathering and production optimization keeps the gameplay engaging and rewarding.”
