Potions: A Curious Tale

About

"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 Play through the game's story or campaign solo

+10

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 627 reviews

story100 positive mentions

grinding28 negative mentions

Charming visuals and a cozy atmosphere make for an enjoyable experience.
Engaging crafting system with over 100 unique potions encourages creativity and experimentation.
The game offers a relaxing adventure with light puzzles and exploration, making it suitable for all ages.

Gameplay can feel repetitive and slow, especially with the need to constantly gather ingredients and return to cauldrons.
The storyline is simplistic and lacks depth, which may not satisfy players looking for a more complex narrative.
Controls can be clunky, and the lack of a map or quest indicators can lead to confusion and backtracking.

story
278 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
59%
5%
The game's story is generally perceived as simplistic and straightforward, often relying on classic fairy tale tropes, which may appeal to younger audiences but can feel juvenile to others. While the main narrative is enjoyable and whimsical, it lacks depth and character development, leading to a sense of unfinished storytelling, particularly in side quests. Overall, players appreciate the charming aesthetic and lighthearted nature of the story, but many express a desire for more substantial content and character interactions.
- “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 is both rich and relaxing, and will have you meeting friends and completing quests to find rare ingredients and treasures.”
- “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.”
- “It does sort of feel like the game is unfinished story-wise; for instance, you can recruit all these villagers to the town, but you don't get to learn anything about them, and can only interact with half of them who occasionally give you random quests, and the main plot line feels like it is pretty arbitrary and lacking in a lot of parts.”
gameplay
166 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
39%
53%
8%
The gameplay is centered around potion crafting, exploration, and puzzle-solving, offering a creative and cozy experience that encourages experimentation. However, many players find the mechanics clunky and repetitive, with some aspects of level design and combat lacking depth, leading to a mixed reception overall. While the charming art and engaging story provide some enjoyment, the gameplay may not sustain long-term interest for all players.
- “This depth encourages creativity and experimentation, providing a rewarding experience for those who enjoy crafting mechanics.”
- “- non-combat focus: emphasizing wit and creativity over combat, the game encourages players to use their potions to overcome obstacles and interact with the environment, offering a refreshing alternative to traditional combat-centric gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is a lot of fun if you enjoy collecting random bits and bobs around the world to experiment with crafting recipes.”
- “Gameplay tends to get repetitive and the level design is sometimes lacking towards the end, but the story is enjoyable enough to justify reaching the end credits.”
- “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 so boring I was about to quit right there.”
graphics
134 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
48%
6%
The graphics of the game are characterized by charming, colorful 2D art that creates an enchanting atmosphere, appealing to a cozy gaming demographic. However, some reviews criticize the visuals for feeling simplistic and reminiscent of flash games, with inconsistent art styles and technical limitations affecting overall quality. Despite these drawbacks, many players appreciate the cute aesthetic and attention to detail, finding the graphics enjoyable within the context of the game's whimsical narrative.
- “Charming visuals and soundtrack: the bright, colorful fairy-tale world is brought to life with detailed 2D art and a soothing soundtrack, creating an immersive and enchanting atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
- “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.”
- “The graphics in Pact are not the best.”
- “Regardless, Pact does not have any graphical prowess or options to improve the game, only limit it.”
- “The budget shows: the art style seems very different between characters and background, a lot of assets feel like they're stretched to cover as much screen space as possible.”
music
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
42%
6%
The music in the game is generally described as soothing and immersive, enhancing the charming visuals and fairy-tale atmosphere. While many players appreciate the relaxing soundtrack, some find it forgettable, noting that not every biome has a unique score. Overall, the music contributes positively to the cozy gameplay experience, though there are calls for more variety and memorability.
- “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.”
- “There is so much to love about this game: nice dialogue, interesting narrative, cute/adorable art style, quite a few quality-of-life features, a consistently fantastic soundtrack, solid level design, solid progression and pacing.”
- “Music: most of the music is forgettable.”
- “My main issue with the world-building is that not every main biome has its own musical score.”
- “[h1] [b] audio (sound effects/music) – [2/10] [/b] [/h1]”
grinding
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and unengaging, often leading to frustration during material farming and potion-making processes. The lack of quest guidance, repetitive tasks, and slow mechanics contribute to a sense of monotony, detracting from the overall enjoyment of the game. While there is potential for improvement, many feel that the current grinding experience is a significant drawback.
- “Losing all my stuff on an already tedious farm session nearly made me rage quit because it was so needless; I was already not interested in the specific task I was doing, and was only doing it so I could get back to the part that interested me.”
- “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. The quests are the most basic of the basic: go to X, get X, and there are no quest helpers, which leads to a lot of walking and backtracking.”
humor
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a blend of grown-up jokes, tongue-in-cheek dialogue, and subtle pop culture references, creating a charming and cozy atmosphere. While some players found certain jokes cringeworthy, many appreciated the witty writing and humorous quests, with standout moments from the familiar's dialogue and various nerdy easter eggs. Overall, the game successfully balances lighthearted humor with its whimsical art and engaging 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.”
emotional
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by its whimsical and wholesome story, charming art style, and heartwarming 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 evokes a sense of magic and cuteness, contributing to a positive emotional experience for players.
- “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
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its charming and well-designed characters, which contribute to a fun story and engaging gameplay. However, while the character designs and animations are praised for their personality, some players feel that the potential of the characters is not fully realized in the current version. Overall, the character designs are a standout feature, though they may lack depth in development.
- “While some assets do seem out of place, the character designs and animation all have great personality to them.”
- “This game has a fun story and the character designs are great.”
- “Really cute character designs, and a solid on-paper concept that don'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.”
- “Really cute character designs, and a solid on-paper concept that doesn't seem to be realized in this version.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
33%
33%
The game's optimization is generally smooth, allowing for extended play without major issues, though it suffers from screen tearing that detracts from the overall experience. Despite this flaw, players report that the game remains engaging and performs well during gameplay.
- “The game itself runs smoothly and will keep you entertained for hours if you want to make every available potion and unlock all secrets.”
- “Performance: aside from screen tearing issues, I had no problems running this game.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by its charming visuals and soothing soundtrack, which together create a bright, colorful fairy-tale world. This immersive and enchanting environment enhances the overall experience, offering a magical and wholesome ambiance.
- “Charming visuals and soundtrack: the bright, colorful fairy-tale world is brought to life with detailed 2D art and a soothing soundtrack, creating an immersive and enchanting atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.”
- “Wholesome atmosphere combined with charming art style creates a magical experience.”
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 maintains an engaging experience upon multiple playthroughs.
- “It does have some replayability as well from the feel of it.”