Alchemy Story

About

Alchemy Story is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Cozy Bee Games and was released on April 15, 2020. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"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.

Genres & Tags

Simulation

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 298 reviews

story28 positive mentions

grinding70 negative mentions

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 relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere.
The gameplay loop is satisfying, with a variety of activities like gardening, potion-making, and interacting with cute animals.

There are significant bugs and glitches that can make the game unplayable, particularly later on.
The game lacks depth and variety, leading to repetitive gameplay and a feeling of aimlessness.
There is no controller support, and the map is poorly designed, making navigation frustrating.

story
186 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
82%
3%
The story of "Alchemy Story" revolves around a whimsical quest to save villagers by turning animals back into humans, providing a unique narrative compared to typical farming sims. While the plot is generally considered cute and engaging, many players find it linear and slow-paced, with some technical issues affecting gameplay progression. Overall, the game offers a charming, albeit simplistic, storyline that appeals to fans of the genre, though it may not fully satisfy those seeking depth or complexity.
- “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 lack of story introduction other than the beginning short scene leaves you wondering what the game is supposed to be about.”
grinding
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of "Alchemy Story" has received mixed feedback, with many players finding it excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly due to long waits between story adventures and the need to grind for resources and upgrades. While some enjoy the relaxed pace and don't mind the grind, others feel it detracts from the overall experience, making the game feel incomplete compared to more robust farming sims like "Stardew Valley." Overall, the game offers a cute aesthetic and unique elements, but the grinding can be a significant drawback for those seeking a more engaging farming simulation.
- “Alchemy Story almost delivers; however, you have to wait days and 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.”
graphics
60 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
70%
7%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their cute, pastel aesthetic and bubbly design, reminiscent of titles like Ooblets and Animal Crossing. While many players find the visuals charming and relaxing, some critique the character designs as less appealing and overly simplistic, leading to occasional confusion in navigation. Overall, the art style is considered a significant draw, contributing to the game's overall appeal despite some inconsistencies.
- “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.”
- “I doubt the weird graphics thing will ever change.”
gameplay
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
5%
The gameplay is characterized as simplified yet engaging, featuring familiar elements like gardening, fishing, and animal care, which create a cozy and relaxing experience reminiscent of titles like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley. However, some players find it lacking depth, with rudimentary mechanics and missed opportunities for expansion, leading to mixed feelings about its overall execution. While it appeals to fans of the genre, others feel it may not convert newcomers or satisfy those seeking more complex gameplay.
- “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.”
- “Really calming, enjoyable gameplay loop -- I love how cozy this game feels!”
- “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.”
music
46 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
54%
7%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising its soothing and cute qualities that enhance the overall experience, reminiscent of classic titles like Harvest Moon and RuneScape. However, some players find the constant looping of tracks can become overwhelming over time, detracting from immersion. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally appreciated for its calming effect, it may not be to everyone's taste, especially after extended play sessions.
- “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 soothing and pretty.”
- “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.”
stability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with users reporting frequent glitches, bugs, and random freezes that can create a sense of impending crashes. While some players express affection for the game despite these problems, the overall sentiment indicates a need for improvements in stability.
- “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.”
- “Couple of glitches/bugs that are annoying.”
emotional
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its emotional appeal, characterized by a heartwarming and wholesome story that offers a relaxing experience. Players appreciate the absence of violence, highlighting the cuteness of the characters and the overall pleasant gameplay, making it a perfect choice for those seeking a feel-good gaming experience.
- “There's no violence in it whatsoever, so it just leaves you with a heartwarming story and gameplay.”
- “I love well-made wholesome games and this one was very pleasant to play.”
- “I love this game, it's so wholesome and cute and a lot of fun.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
37%
13%
Character development is highlighted positively, with players appreciating the depth and growth of relationships as they interact with various characters, particularly in romantic contexts. While some character designs received criticism, the emotional connections and unique traits of characters like Jasmine and William were noted as strong points, enhancing the overall 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.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
50%
17%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by a positive and relaxing vibe, largely attributed to the happy and friendly villagers, as well as the charming character designs. Players appreciate the cuteness and overall ambiance, though some suggest incorporating seasonal changes to enhance the experience further.
- “Love the characters, love the cuteness, love the relaxing atmosphere.”
- “Villagers are generally happy and nice, and it gives off a very positive atmosphere.”
- “Perhaps maybe add some seasonal changes to the environment as well to change up the atmosphere a little bit!”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's replayability is generally considered low, with multiple users expressing that there is little incentive to play it again after the initial experience.
- “Replayability is low.”
- “Replayability is low.”
- “Replayability is low.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game does not meet expectations for optimization or efficient production systems, particularly for players looking for a gameplay experience similar to Stardew Valley.