Potionomics is a single-player simulation video game that debuted on PC two years ago. Developed by Voracious Games and published by XSEED Games, this business and life simulation title flourished with its turn-based deckbuilding gameplay mechanics.
Fast-forward to this week and the release of Potionomics: Masterwork Edition, an updated console and PC version with new features. Here are more details on these updates and what you can expect if you check it out.
Learning The Basics
Potionomics tells the story of Sylvia, a witch who just graduated college and inherited her uncle’s debt-ridden potion shop. She spends her days running the potion shop and training for competitions offering big cash payouts. Her wise owl friend who was around her uncle before he passed away teaches her about the potion-making business and how to interact with customers to get the most money out of every sale.
With each passing day, Sylvia also meets other key characters who play a role in helping her business succeed through interactions and granting new cards for her deck. She also has an option to build romantic relationships with some of these characters. Below is a list of each character and what they can offer if you decide to interact with them daily:
- Quinn – A potion ingredient vendor who can multiply and sell you ingredients for your potions
- Mint – A budding hero who can acquire new ingredients by going on adventures
- Baptise – A Guildmaster who allows you to invest in expeditions to earn more ingredients
- Muktuk – A Blacksmith who can build cauldrons that will enable you to add more ingredients to your brew
- Saffron – A Carpenter who sells fuel upgrades for your brewing sessions
- Roxanne – An enchantress who can supply you with buffs to override potion traits
- Xidriel – Another hero who can go on adventures and collect ingredients
- Salt & Pepper – Cat pirates who offer treasure chests with random ingredients
- Corsac – A Survivalist hero who can go on adventures and collect ingredients
- Luna – A Marketer who can help with campaigns to boost potions
While everyone on this list can aid you, there also are a handful of competitors that you’ll face in these potion competitions throughout the entire playthrough. Roxanne and Corsac start as competitors and only become available as aids after you defeat them. Each competition can be challenging as you have a set number of days to create the recommended potions with a satisfactory star rating. This cycle continues until you finally have paid off all the debts owed by Sylvia’s uncle.
Managing time and relationships is at the forefront of the overall gameplay experience. You have to devote time to brewing potions, visiting your friends/business partners, and customizing the look and feel of your shop. In addition, you have to strategize and interact with various types of customers by taking turns with your cards. This intricate style of gameplay mechanics makes the game even more fun and worth picking up any time of the day.
New Features
Potionomics: Masterwork Edition has a few new features that make it a must-buy for fans. For starters, voice acting has been added to the game to give every character more personality. Being able to determine other characters’ tone and demeanor based on how they sound adds another layer to every conversation. New text languages like German, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese have also been added to the game.
Another change is the addition of more game modes in the form of Endless, Capitalism, and Cozy. Capitalism is the most challenging way to play while Cozy is for those who prefer a casual experience. Endless mode allows you to continue selling potions even after you’ve finished the story mode. There is also an option for Sylvia to have romantic relationships with every character at the same time.
Final Verdict
Potionomics: Masterwork Edition is a great simulation game that thrives off its clever turn-based deckbuilding gameplay mechanics. If you’re remotely interested in trying something different then you can’t go wrong with a game like this one.
This review was written based on a digital review copy of Potionomics: Masterwork Edition for PlayStation 5 provided by XSEED Games.
