Potionomics

Potionomics is one of the best new games I’ve played this year, and I highly recommend that anyone and everyone who looks at this and says “that looks interesting” give it a shot. This is a game that deserves to go on to big things, and it has thoroughly won me over. Or, to bring over a catchphrase from the game that clearly informed at least some of this game’s substance? Capitalism, ho!

Potionomics combines genres to produce a deck-building game that never get old. It sometimes feels overwhelming, but the end product is satisfying enough to keep you hooked.

Potionomics will blow you away with its intertwined mechanics, wonderfully made features, thoughtful gameplay and charming characters. There are certain weaknesses and a regretful lack of freeplay mode, but the time spent in the game is well worth it.

Underneath the cosy exterior lies a complex, rewarding shopkeeping sim.

This game is fun. Honestly? I think I had too much fun and that meant I wasn't paying attention to all the little things that built up and kept drowning me. But if you're careful, pay attention, and keep up with the game's demands, it's well worth it. The characters are amazing, the plot is fun, and the gameplay is addictive. It's a little tough if you're not good at multitasking, but if you're a fan of the shopkeeper genre, this is one you can't miss.

Potionomics’ different ingredients blend together well, mixing everything from deck building, resource management, and even options for romance into its shopkeeping simulation. Hopefully, the developers can temper the bitterness associated with the in-game competitions.

Despite the unwanted pressure of its competition structure and potion-making getting a little bogged down toward the middle, I still kept finding myself playing at 3 a.m. after sitting down for “a quick session,” and I already want to do it again...I spent the first few hours of Potionomics falling more and more in love with the experience. Even once the new-game shine wore off, I never stopped being charmed by the meticulous care Voracious Games clearly put into every detail of Potionomics. That elevates an already great experience into one of the best games of the year, and one of my favorite management sims ever.

At the outset, I was raving about Potionomics. I had modest expectations going into this title, given its cartoony aesthetic and cliché plot, but I love fantasy-based shopkeep games like Recettear, so I gave it a go. Again, I could not believe just how complex and deep the varied systems flowed together. Building a deck based on relationships I made was always exciting, just as seeing the interest increase with each sale was. Unfortunately, the bag of tricks emptied halfway through this fifty-hour investment, leaving me eager to exit the whole affair.

Potionomics is bubbling over with personality — in fact, this may just be the most charming game I’ve played all year. It has so many elements blended beautifully together that would make many different types of gamers happy. With some UI tweaks to highlight critical information to players when its desperately needed, Potionomics will undoubtedly receive even more positive attention than it’s already getting (which is saying something). If you think you have what it takes to be the very best potioneer that ever was, Potionomics is ready to soul-bound itself to you.