Potion Shop Simulator Review (PC)

I recently took a trip out to the Czech Republic capital of Prague, a hauntingly cultural city that’s famous for its rich ties to alchemical arts, ghostly catacombs, and witchcraft. It was sometime after I got back from that tour, in the aftermath of the countless underground expeditions into the mysterious side of the European city that I had an idea: if alchemists could brew elixirs and potions to advance pharmaceutical research, then what was preventing me from dipping my toes into the same cauldron? Alright, so that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but there is one truth to this, and that is the genuine curiosity I have for the world of alchemy and the art of potion crafting. I figured, if I could learn enough about the ominous trade, then I could make an absolute killing in the likes of Potion Shop Simulator.

Ah, Potion Shop Simulator — the trading-centric brewing simulator that pulls on all of the same tropes and witchy wicks as, well, the vast majority of other shopkeeping games in its spectrum. At its core, this is, in short, a single-player business simulation game that doesn’t go drastically beyond the basic premise of a familiar yet seemingly attractive scenario. Like its counterparts, the game consists of a familiar rags-to-riches tale—a formidable process that involves the fulfillment of a specific trade goal—and a series of stepping stone challenges, which essentially involve the creation of numerous powerful potions, appealing decorations, and a sustainable kingdom clientele. There’s a little more to it than that, for sure, but on paper, this is where Potion Shop Simulator builds its haven — in the familiar boroughs of a universally accepted fantasy blueprint. And guess what? It works.

Brewing for Change

Potion Shop Simulator slots you into the outer district of a monumental kingdom—a small place, perhaps, where villagers aren’t as commonplace as they once were, and trade networks are a rarity among local merchants. Alas, there’s something that the vibrant countryside offers that the city doesn’t: a selection of natural ingredients and herbal remedies that you can acquire, blend, and fashion into powerful elixirs for a profitable and economically sustainable business. And that’s where you begin this journey — on the outskirts of the kingdom, keys in hand, and a proud owner of a seemingly viable potion store. It isn’t much, but that’s where you come in; the more you pour your heart and soul into the conjugation of elixirs, the more you will find worthwhile opportunities to build, expand, and ultimately monetize your product.

The game begins in a simple setting. In a similar vein as a traditional business simulation game, you have to start from scratch, with little to your name and only a few basic ingredients to create your first batch of potions. From here, you have to source materials, set mark-up prices for your stock, and exploit business opportunities to earn a higher income, attract more customers, and gradually transform the humble roots of an old shack into a communal home for remedial enterprises. And if you think that sounds easy, well, that’s because it is — to an extent. See, Potion Shop Simulator isn’t a difficult game by design; in fact, it offers an easygoing experience that can be tackled either alone or with a friend in co-op. Regardless of the mode you choose to pursue, the game almost always plays out in a similar fashion. No issues there, though.

An Alchemist’s Dream

There are several quests to embark upon in Potion Shop Simulator, with the lion’s share of your journey consisting mostly of harvesting resources to craft one of four elemental mixes—Earth, Fire, Water, and Air. The goal of the game, in short, is to use these four groups to create an array of stat-boosting potions for fledgling customers. As you progress deeper into the art of alchemy, you begin to earn a passive income—a currency that allows you to expand your business with additional decor for your store, seasonal events for the local community, and fashionable set pieces that grant you the chance to capitalize on shifting trends among different types of clients. There are also several other jobs to consider, like preparing the store for seasonal inspections, onboarding side quests for local villagers, and finding holes in the market to boost your sales and presence.

I’d be lying if I said that there wasn’t a lot to learn in Potion Shop Simulator. Having said that, once the gears begin to turn and the portrait becomes more apparent, that initial daunting experience eventually transitions into an enjoyable journey that’s as equally satisfying as it is incredibly rewarding. There’s also a good amount to get your hands on, too, with plenty of upgrades to bolt onto your existing setup, elemental elixirs to sift through, and a surprising chunk of spare quests to unlock on top of the primary batch of tasks. As it turns out, if you’re not brewing potions, then you’re either forming relationships with the locals, tuning in to one of several stories, bathing in the lore, or gearing up to barter with the local salesman at an open-air market. Regardless, you often find yourself moving forward, even when you’re struggling to make ends meet.

Stirring the Pot

The visuals in Potion Shop Simulator aren’t anything to write home about; they’re certainly enchanting and fitting for the setting, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that they’re particularly impressive. And yet, in spite of the graphical shortcomings, the game does counter them with a good amount of technical polish and a certain sense of grace. For me, I can’t say that I had to rework any settings or bail out of the system to fix any underlying problems with the game, for it was smooth and simple. Was it perfect? Eh, I wouldn’t go that far. Still, the fact that the immersion wasn’t spoiled by a plague of mechanical mishaps certainly helped to coerce me into believing the world and its existence.

Verdict

Potion Shop Simulator doesn’t necessarily move beyond the basic formula of an existing business simulation model, but it does, on the other hand, make the effort to add a few extra lashings of flavor to an otherwise saturated recipe by incorporating a co-op mode and a generous amount of moldable elixirs and other components into the mix. It’s a good idea, and it doesn’t plagiarize its adversaries by resorting to textbook recipes or stolen assets — and that’s always a sight for sore eyes, given the sheer number of half-baked clones that often emerge from the woodwork of Steam’s carousel-operated catalog. Is it a new thing? Not at all, no. However, it is an enjoyable thing, and that counts for a lot in this day and age.

While it’s certainly no secret that there are more than enough business simulation games to get your prickly alchemy fingers on, it’s still worth giving Potion Shop Simulator the credit it deserves. It isn’t a perfect game by any stretch, nor is it the pristine candidate for a faultless product, but it does offer a lot of interesting options to configure, ingredients to experiment with, and a pleasantly vibrant world that’s surprisingly fun to romp around with a mixing spoon and cauldron. The point is, while it isn’t likely to score the hearts of the most judgmental critics, it is likely to resonate with those who share a natural passion for brewing simulators and the art of crafting, in general. If you find yourself siding with the latter half of the panel, then honestly, you will probably enjoy a lot of what Potion Shop Simulator has to offer its clientele.