Castle Of Alchemists

About

Castle Of Alchemists is a single player tactical hack and slash game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Team Machiavelli and was released on April 10, 2025. It received positive reviews from players.

In Castle of Alchemists, a tower defense/top-down action hybrid game with amazing pixel art graphics, play as the Bellator, alchemically enhanced defender, to fight against invaders from other worlds. Delve into the castle, set your traps, equip powerful weapons and gears, and reclaim the castle piece by piece.

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87%

Audience ScoreBased on 337 reviews

gameplay49 positive mentions

grinding17 negative mentions

Unique blend of tower defense and action-RPG resulting in a fast-paced and satisfying gameplay loop.
Rich strategic depth with a wide variety of traps, weapons, and crafting options allowing for diverse playstyles and creative combinations.
High-quality pixel art visuals and immersive soundtrack enhance the overall atmosphere and gameplay experience.

Traps and towers often feel weak and underpowered, requiring the player to do most of the killing, which may disappoint tower defense purists.
Steep learning curve, clunky controls, and occasional UI issues can hinder accessibility and player enjoyment.
Some balancing issues exist including sudden difficulty spikes, repetitive level design, grind-heavy progression, and RNG-based crafting that may feel unrewarding or frustrating to some players.

gameplay
128 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
59%
3%
The gameplay of Castle of Alchemists is a dynamic and addictive blend of tower defense and top-down action, featuring strategic trap placement alongside fast-paced combat that keeps players engaged. While the core loop is praised for its satisfying progression, variety, and customization through crafting, some players note clunky controls, balance issues, and a steep learning curve. Overall, the game offers a fresh, energetic experience with potential for refinement and deeper mechanics in future updates.
- “The result is a gameplay loop that constantly switches between thoughtful, almost puzzle-like planning and intense action sequences where you charge into hordes of enemies, dodge incoming attacks, and rely on every trap you’ve placed to survive.”
- “Its greatest strengths lie in the immediacy of its gameplay — the thrill of setting up elaborate traps, the tension of fighting off waves while darting between hazards, and the sense of empowerment that comes from gradually mastering Bellator’s abilities and optimizing your defenses.”
- “Castle of Alchemists has successfully combined addictive tower defense gameplay with engaging action elements, offering a rich and challenging experience.”
- “Control (pad) mechanics are clunky and not friendly.”
- “The tower defense elements (which are half the gameplay) lack strategic elements, since the level design doesn't reward clever interplay of traps as you would see in more exemplary examples of the TD genre.”
- “Without a fundamental rework to improve moment to moment gameplay, I can't recommend it.”
graphics
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
43%
5%
Castle of Alchemists features stunning pixel art graphics that blend a dark fantasy and steampunk aesthetic, creating a visually immersive and nostalgic experience. While the detailed artwork, animations, and cohesive style are widely praised, some players note occasional visual clutter during hectic gameplay moments that can affect clarity. Overall, the graphics strongly complement the fast-paced, strategic action and contribute significantly to the game's unique atmosphere.
- “The pixel-art aesthetic complements the frantic energy of gameplay with clean readability and a cohesive dark-fantasy atmosphere.”
- “The stunning pixel art graphics create a visually immersive experience that truly transports you to the world of alchemy and magic.”
- “Every character, tower, and trap is beautifully rendered, immersing you in a nostalgic world while offering a fresh and unique aesthetic.”
- “It can also be hard to tell if the enemy ranged units are firing at you since there isn't an audio cue and the visuals can get lost in the chaos.”
- “[visual clutter:] pixel art style looks decent in isolation but blends together badly when things get hectic.”
- “Considering the art style of the game, although at certain times the screen gets too messy due to traps, enemies, and widgets' effects overlapping, it truly is amazing.”
music
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
42%
8%
The game's music is widely praised for its intensity, fitting atmosphere, and genre-blending elements like primal chants and guitar solos, greatly enhancing the immersive and thrilling gameplay experience. While most find the soundtrack epic and engaging—often complementing the detailed pixel art and action—some note occasional silence or a lack of background music in certain sections, which slightly detracts from the overall audio experience.
- “On top of all that, this game has a great soundtrack, from primal chants to ripping guitar solos—it has it all.”
- “To the point I bought the game OST on Steam; 'First of His Kind' is the most badass soundtrack I have ever heard in my life.”
- “The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and the crisp sound effects enhance every moment, making battles feel epic and the castle come to life.”
- “Sound is barely existing and music is lackluster with big chunks of silence.”
- “Certain sections of the game lack background music, and when there is one, it simply doesn't amaze me.”
- “The worst part is the music is truly lacking and the story seems dragged out.”
story
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
15%
74%
11%
The story blends alchemy-themed exploration and character-driven narrative, enriching the gameplay with memorable characters and intriguing quests, though some users feel it is underdeveloped or inconsistently integrated. While praised for adding depth and atmosphere, others note a lack of clear story progression or context within missions, making it a weaker aspect compared to gameplay and art. Overall, it enhances engagement but could benefit from clearer presentation and stronger narrative focus.
- “The developers have truly created a masterpiece that seamlessly blends exploration, puzzle-solving, and story of alchemy into a captivating experience.”
- “The game weaves a captivating tale of alchemists and their quest for ultimate knowledge.”
- “The developers at Team Machiavelli have managed to weave together a magical tapestry of storytelling, strategy, action, and exploration into a masterful gaming experience that holds your attention captive from start to end.”
- “Tower defense is not a story-driven genre; the game is currently weak in terms of scenario.”
- “Although I didn't have any special expectations in this regard, I was surprised that the story was so ignored.”
- “It is a big deficiency that there is not the slightest crumb of story neither at the beginning nor at the end of the episodes.”
grinding
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
Grinding in the game is widely viewed as tedious and excessive, particularly due to RNG-based crafting and resource gathering. Progress often depends more on grinding than player skill, leading to frustration and repetitiveness. While some enjoy experimenting with different setups, many find the grind detracts from overall enjoyment.
- “No grinding required.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Progress is based on grinding, not skill.”
- “It doesn't matter how good your decision making is, you will lose maps because you haven't done enough grinding.”
- “This game feels difficult because unlocking the better weapons requires heavy grinding for the materials and beating harder levels requires trial and error and testing specific weapon/trap builds.”
replayability
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
42%
25%
The game's replayability is praised for its variety of enemies, character builds, and the ability to experiment with different trap layouts and gear setups. While some note limited replay value after completing all levels, overall it offers engaging and diverse challenges that encourage multiple playthroughs, making it especially appealing to tower defense and RPG fans.
- “Good variety of enemies and builds gives it nice replayability.”
- “Gives the player a natural replayability in terms of experimenting with different trap and direct damage loadouts.”
- “Once you've finished all the levels, most of the replayability would be in trying different trap layouts or grinding out the crafting system for different character setups.”
- “Once you've finished all the levels, most of the replayability comes from trying different trap layouts or grinding the crafting system for different character setups.”
- “Overall, the game has a lot of promise, but at the moment there isn't a ton of replayability, unless you go after individual level challenges. It definitely deserves your attention if you find tower defense interesting, since this is a nice take on the genre.”
- “However, the roguelike elements make the game less replayable or consistent in what you want to do in your runs.”
stability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game exhibits significant stability issues, including frequent freezing during key gameplay moments such as boss fights and late-game waves, as well as bugs in the UI and mechanics like the rage stamina system. Additionally, it tends to freeze when alt-tabbing, negatively impacting the overall experience.
- “I have one issue with the game and it is that last 2 hours I have been trying to complete the 'Crossroads' map, which is basically one of the last maps in the game on high difficulty, and every time during the 3rd wave the game just freezes and there is nothing to do.”
- “It freezes for about 10 seconds and then loads the next phase.”
- “The game freezes if you alt+tab.”
atmosphere
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game's dark-fantasy pixel-art design and haunting soundtrack create a rich, immersive atmosphere that balances frantic gameplay with moments of calm and wonder. Its cohesive aesthetic and sound design effectively draw players into a captivating world, enhancing both exploration and puzzle-solving experiences.
- “The pixel-art aesthetic complements the frantic energy of gameplay with clean readability and a cohesive dark-fantasy atmosphere.”
- “From the moment I stepped foot into its enchanting world, I was captivated by its rich atmosphere and immersive gameplay.”
- “The haunting melodies and atmospheric tunes create a sense of wonder and mystery that perfectly complements the gameplay.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is playable on the Steam Deck but experiences significant performance issues and noticeable stuttering, especially toward the end, indicating suboptimal optimization for the device.
- “While the game is listed as playable on the Steam Deck store page, the device really starts to struggle towards the end and noticeable stuttering occurs.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game delivers a great, wholesome emotional experience, providing uplifting and heartfelt entertainment.
- “Great, wholesome entertainment.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the monetization through wave-controlled ads enjoyable and appreciate how it adds meaningful purpose to the traps.
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users find the humor currently limited but are optimistic about future updates adding more funny content, encouraging support to help expand it.