Potions: A Curious Tale

About

Potions: A Curious Tale is a single player role playing game with fantasy and kids themes. It was developed by StumblingCat and was released on March 7, 2024. It received positive reviews from players.

"Potions: A Curious Tale" is an adventure game where you play as Luna, a young alchemist in training. Use strategy and puzzle-solving to resolve conflicts and gather rare ingredients for potion-making. Explore seven unique biomes, discover over 100 potion combinations, and experiment with deep crafting systems. Manage resources carefully and use your environment to defeat enemies.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

90%

Audience ScoreBased on 549 reviews

story91 positive mentions

grinding24 negative mentions

Good travel options that enhance exploration.
Cozy vibe that makes for a relaxing gaming experience.
Charming art style and engaging potion crafting mechanics.

Artwork and animations feel reminiscent of a flash game, lacking polish.
Rough UI and controls that can hinder gameplay.
Limited combat mechanics and repetitive backtracking without a quest log.

story
254 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
5%
The story in the game is a whimsical blend of classic fairy tale tropes and folklore, offering a lighthearted and straightforward narrative that some players find charming, while others consider it simplistic and juvenile. Many reviews highlight the engaging dialogue and playful character interactions, though the overall plot is often described as basic and reliant on fetch quests, leading to a sense of repetitiveness. While the aesthetic and creativity in weaving various tales into the gameplay are praised, there is a consensus that the story could benefit from deeper character development and more substantial side quests.
- “The way characters and creatures from classic tales around the world have been woven into the story is really well done and every new quest delights me with its creativity.”
- “I'm really enjoying the whimsical and magical story, and the art and overall vibe is quite wholesome.”
- “The story line so far is very cute but has the potential to tug on heart strings alongside with little bits of fairy tales thrown in the mix for nostalgia but there is something new for everyone who plays this game.”
- “I felt the story was just too boring and juvenile for my tastes.”
- “The story is basically non-existent, which is a bit of a miss for a cozy game, especially with the user-defined tags boasting 'story rich.' I didn't have a sense of where I was progressing to, besides the consistent fetch quests I was receiving with only the barest attempt at justification.”
- “The story and the characters are very shallow.”
gameplay
144 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
53%
7%
The gameplay of the game is characterized by potion crafting and ingredient gathering, which some players find engaging and cozy, while others criticize it for being repetitive and clunky. Combat mechanics are straightforward but can feel unintuitive, and the overall experience is described as reminiscent of older flash games, lacking polish and depth. Despite its charming art and potential for creativity, many reviewers feel the gameplay loop becomes tedious and fails to fully utilize its mechanics.
- “The gameplay is enticing enough that I took off work early to get more time in on it.”
- “The gameplay loop revolves around three things: exploring the world, obtaining ingredients, and making potions.”
- “With puzzles and potion crafting mechanics, it adds a layer of dynamism and strategy to combat.”
- “I don’t like how due to some annoyances with ingredients and enemy respawns that it's better to avoid mechanics in the game.”
- “Despite all that time, the gameplay is as dull as dishwater, the 2D graphics feel like relics from my childhood web browser games, and the bugs start crawling out within 30 minutes of play.”
- “This is why new devs shouldn't take so long on their first game; the gameplay is boring, clunky, and tedious. It takes forever to pick up things from the ground and it locks you in animation. The story feels like it was written for children, and the very first boss fight was already so boring I was about to quit right there.”
graphics
114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
48%
5%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many users noting a simplistic, flash game-like quality that may not appeal to all players. While some appreciate the charming and cute art style, others criticize the inconsistency in character and background designs, as well as technical issues like poor animations and lack of graphical options. Overall, the visuals are described as functional and nostalgic, fitting the game's cozy and accessible theme, but lacking in depth and innovation.
- “This game is so much fun to play, the graphics are well done and a lot of attention has been put into little details.”
- “The graphics are absolutely beautiful, sound effects and background music are on point and the writing is humorous with some laugh-out-loud moments.”
- “I would totally recommend this game to everyone who loves a nostalgic adventure game with beautiful colors and graphics!”
- “The graphics in Pact are not the best.”
- “I wonder if the game has engine limitations due to things like graphical issues (lack of v-sync), bad animations, and bad backgrounds.”
- “Despite all that time, the gameplay is as dull as dishwater, the 2D graphics feel like relics from my childhood web browser games, and the bugs start crawling out within 30 minutes of play.”
music
43 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
35%
7%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it soothing and immersive, enhancing the overall relaxing gameplay experience. However, others describe much of the soundtrack as forgettable, noting that while certain tracks are pleasant, not all biomes have distinct musical scores. Overall, the music is appreciated for its variety and ability to complement the game's aesthetic, though some players wished for more memorable compositions.
- “The music is nice and varied enough to not get tiresome.”
- “The music is lovely, and I wish I could have heard more.”
- “The music is relaxing and immersive, the gameplay is very smooth and balanced.”
- “Most of the music is forgettable.”
- “My main issue with the world-building is that not every main biome has its own musical score.”
- “The town song did stick in my head a bit, but that might be because you’re there so often for zone swapping.”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game features a blend of humor that includes cheeky pop culture references, tongue-in-cheek dialogue, and a mix of grown-up jokes, all while maintaining a cozy and charming atmosphere. While some players found certain jokes cringeworthy, many appreciated the humorous writing and funny interactions, particularly with the familiar's dialogue and various quests. Overall, the humor adds a delightful layer to the game's whimsical narrative.
- “There's also a healthy dose of various cryptids and mythological creatures, and some cheeky-but-subtle pop culture humor that doesn't ruin the vibe but will give a chuckle.”
- “The writing is funny.”
- “An absolutely charming and funny game.”
grinding
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with players expressing frustration over the slow collection of ingredients, lack of quest guidance, and clunky mechanics. Many reviewers noted that the potion-making process and basic quests contribute to a monotonous experience, detracting from the overall enjoyment. While the game has potential, improvements in gameplay flow and variety are necessary to alleviate the grind.
- “The issue is that the trap kiting and not having even basic tools to defend yourself with feels incredibly tedious.”
- “Walking around collecting ingredients and making potions is tedious and really slow.”
- “This is why new devs shouldn't take so long on their first game; the gameplay is boring, clunky, and tedious. It takes forever to pick up things from the ground and it locks you in animation. There is no minimap, the story feels like it was written for children, and the very first boss fight was already so boring I was about to quit right there. Potion mixing, which is the whole point of the game, is a very tedious and boring process, and quests are the most basic of the basic: go to X, get X. There are no quest helpers, so you just have to figure out where everything is, which leads to a lot of walking and backtracking.”
emotional
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its whimsical and wholesome story, charming art style, and magical atmosphere, which many players find delightful. However, some users express concerns about perceived emotional manipulation in the game's marketing strategies on social media. Overall, the game is praised for its cute aesthetic and enchanting vibe, despite the mixed feelings regarding its promotional tactics.
- “I'm really enjoying the whimsical and magical story, and the art and overall vibe is quite wholesome.”
- “Wholesome atmosphere combined with charming art style creates a magical experience.”
- “Adorable aesthetic with a wholesome beginning to its story.”
character development
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Character development in the game is noted for its appealing designs and fun story, but many players feel that the potential for deeper character exploration is not fully realized. While the character designs are consistently praised as cute and engaging, the overall execution leaves some players wanting more depth in the narrative and character arcs.
- “This game has a fun story and the character designs are great.”
- “Quick gameplay and cute little character designs :)”
- “Really cute character designs, and a solid on-paper concept that doesn't seem to be realized in this version.”
- “Really cute character designs, and a solid on-paper concept that doesn't seem to be realized in this version.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback, with users reporting significant screen tearing issues, yet overall performance remains stable without major problems. The graphics quality and performance have been rated poorly, indicating room for improvement.
- “Performance: aside from screen tearing issues, I had no problems running this game.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its stability, with users reporting various bugs and glitches that suggest a lack of polish and experience from the developers.
- “Since some bugs, glitches, and other behaviors are noticeable that expose the developer as a beginner.”
- “There are noticeable bugs, glitches, and other behaviors that reveal the developer's lack of experience.”
- “The game suffers from various bugs and glitches that make it feel unstable and unpolished.”
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game offers a moderate level of replayability, with players noting that it feels engaging enough to warrant multiple playthroughs.
- “It does have some replayability as well from the feel of it.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere is characterized by a wholesome vibe and a charming art style, which together create a magical and immersive experience for players.
- “Wholesome atmosphere combined with charming art style creates a magical experience.”