Potion Tycoon 『First Look』 Managerial Sim Indie Goodness
Potion Tycoon launched (as an Early Access Title) on the 13th of March, 2023 for PC (on Steam) and I’ve received a free key to give the game a try. I didn’t realize it was for coverage on my website and thought it was for a stream/video at the time I received it, so this post will be a bit different and shorter than my usual “What the STRUCK is?” type of review/impression posts. I feel like it will be much more impactful to watch the embedded video/recording of my First Look Stream (2 hours long) to show you exactly how I felt as I discovered the game’s various systems and mechanics. I’ve still included a short text summary of my impression for those of you who’d rather read than watch.
Video Version:
Overal Impressions (a summary)
Potion Tycoon, as the name suggests is a “tycoon” type simulator where the player manages a business that involves various types of customers being direct visitors. The game’s got the basics of a tycoon game covered but also coveres the whole potion making/crafting experience in a very deep way.
Creating potions is probably the best feature of the game and it stands out compared to the other cool mechanics players will interact with. Players not only decide what ingredients to pick but also what is done with those ingredients before being used to make a potion: fermenting them, blanching them or dropping them raw into the cauldron. Based on various factors the potions will have different effects and yield lower or higher appeal (the pricing per bottle also affects the appeal) and how likely it will be a sellout hit and fly off your cozy shop’s shelves.
A cute and cozy potion making shop can not function with a ragtag crew of workers, each with their own traits and a leveling up system that lets you focus them into being a master of a specific role (that suits their class) or make them more of a jack of all trades & be mediocre in any task at hand.
The research system is also done in a decent way so you’ll keep unlocking and discovering new ways to improve your shop and grow your potion making empire.
Overall, for an early access title the game delivers a decent amount of fun for a price tag of 19.99 EURO in my region with an ongoing -50% off promotion that end on the 27th of September. Considering the sale price it’s a no brainer for lovers of the tycoon genre, whilst the full (non-discounted) price may be a bit high for some people out there considering it’s a small indie game but it’s not too far off of where I personally think it should have landed (between 11.99 and 14.99). Depending on how the game gets expanded during Early Access, the game may grow big enough to warrant the full 19.99 price tag.
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This concludes my Potion Tycoon 『First Look』impressions/review. If you’re interested in the game below are links to the platform where one can buy it as well as the official developer studio’s website (you can just click the links to open a new tab):
PC (Steam)
