Game Review: Alchemist Shop Simulator
Image Credit: Kool2Play, Alchemist Shop Simulator
If you've ever wanted to run a medieval pharmacy where customers overpay by absurd amounts only to demand most of it back, Alchemist Shop Simulator delivers that experience and more. On the surface, it’s a cozy mix of shopkeeping, potion crafting, and garden management, but dig a little deeper, and you’ll find an experience that’s both weirdly satisfying and slightly frustrating.
A Day in the Life of an Alchemist
Your job is simple: brew potions, sell goods, and expand your shop. The loop is classic—buy ingredients, mix them up, set prices, and deal with customers who have no concept of reasonable spending habits. There’s also a special orders board, which keeps things structured by giving you potion requests with deadlines.
The best part of the game is, without a doubt, the brewing system. Unlike other shop sims where you just hit a button, here you actually follow steps—grinding ingredients, boiling them, pouring mixtures—all with a satisfyingly tactile system. It’s easy to learn but engaging enough that you don’t feel like an assembly-line worker.
Your shop itself starts small, but expanding feels rewarding. More shelves mean more products, and with a large enough operation, you start feeling like a true medieval business mogul. The garden system also plays a big role, letting you grow ingredients instead of buying everything from merchants.
Customers: The Good, the Bad, and the Bizarre
This is where things get a little strange. The AI behind your customers is unpredictable at best. Sometimes they drop ten times the asking price and then politely request you give back most of it. Other times, they ignore half your stock while beelining straight for the cheapest item in the store.
Pricing in the game has no real consequences. Want to charge way more than an item is worth? Go for it. Customers will still buy it. Want to keep someone waiting forever? They’ll just stand there, no complaints. There’s no pressure to manage time effectively, which makes the experience relaxing but a bit shallow.
The Good Stuff
Potion brewing is genuinely fun – Following the steps makes it feel interactive rather than automated.
Expanding your shop feels satisfying – There’s a nice sense of progression as you unlock more space and features.
Special orders give structure – They keep things from feeling too directionless.
The game remembers your prices – A small but great feature that saves you from re-entering numbers every time you restock.
The Not-So-Good Stuff
Animations and voices are rough – The visuals and audio are functional at best.
No real challenge – No penalties for high prices or slow service, which makes everything a little too easy.
Customer AI is all over the place – Watching someone wildly overpay, then request a refund in exact increments, is just bizarre.
The game world feels empty – There’s very little sound design, and after a while, the shop can feel lifeless.
Final Blurb
Alchemist Shop Simulator isn’t the most polished game, but it’s hard to put down. There’s something undeniably fun about brewing potions and managing a shop, even if the game lacks challenge and depth. If you like casual business sims and don’t mind a bit of weirdness, it’s worth checking out. Just be prepared to question the financial decisions of every customer who walks through your door.
GamerBlurb Rating: 8.5/10
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