Review: Alchemists

Introduction & Overview

Today I received my new cauldron. My laboratory is finally complete! I’ve spent days collecting and preparing the ingredients. What shall I mix first? I have a good feeling about the raven feather and the mandrake root. And everyone says nothing can go wrong with a toad… But what do they know? This is my laboratory! My research! When I publish my theories, surely many will join me. I am determined to prove to the world that mine is the greatest mind ever to study alchemy. I’m going to light the fire; it’s time to get to work. Knowledge, riches, and fame lie waiting in the murky depths of the cauldron…

This is how Alchemists is introduced to us, designed by Matúš Kotry (this being his debut design). Published by Czech Games Edition this 2014, it was one of the most eye-catching releases at the Essen Spiel fair, selling out within the first few days. The artwork is handled by David Cochard, whose illustrations we have already enjoyed in titles such as Dungeon Lords, Dungeon Petz, or Tash-Kalar.

The game accommodates 2 to 4 players, with a recommended minimum age of 12 and an approximate playing time of 120 minutes. The MSRP is €35.95. The English edition from CGE was used for this review.

Important: if you already know the game and/or are only interested in my opinion about it, you can go directly to the Opinion section. The Content and Mechanics sections are especially intended for those who do not know the game and prefer to get a general idea of how it works.

Go to Personal Opinion

Components

Inside a two-piece cardboard box (lid and bottom) measuring 29.7 × 29.7 × 7.1 cm (similar in dimensions to Ticket to Ride, though slightly less deep), we find the following components:

• Action Board (double-sided) (cardboard)
• Theory Board (cardboard)
• Exhibition Board (double-sided) (cardboard)
• 6 Adventurer Tiles (cardboard)
• Starting Player Marker (cardboard)
• 5 Grant Tiles (cardboard)
• 8 Chemical Composition Markers (cardboard)
• 6 Conflict Tokens (cardboard)
• 2 Conference Tiles (double-sided) (cardboard)
• 4 Player Results Boards (one per color) (double-sided) (cardboard)
• 44 Theory Seal Tokens (11 per color) (cardboard)
• 4 Laboratory Stands (cardboard)
• 4 Deduction Grids (cardboard)
• 4 Ingredient Holders (cardboard)
• Game Master Board (cardboard)
• 8 Ingredient Markers for the Game Master Board (cardboard)
• Pad of Deduction Sheets (paper)
• 24 Action Cubes (6 per color) (plastic)
• 8 Flasks (2 per color) (plastic)
• 104 Potion Tokens (double-sided) (cardboard)
• 36 Gold Coins (cardboard)
• Cards (44×68 mm):
  • 18 Artifact Cards
  • 16 Discount Cards (4 per color)
  • 30 Ingredient Cards
  • 22 Favor Cards
• Rulebook

How to Play

Alchemists is a deduction and worker-placement game in which players step into the shoes of arcane researchers striving to publish theories and earn reputation by brewing potions with the aid of a mobile companion app. The match unfolds over six rounds. At the beginning of each round, players choose their position on the turn order track in exchange for specific advantages or penalties involving cards and resources. Next, they simultaneously plan and commit their actions by placing cubes on various board spaces. These are then resolved in a strict sequence: foraging for ingredients in the forest, transmuting them into gold, purchasing magical artifacts, selling concoctions to visiting adventurers in town, testing potions on students or drinking them personally to deduce their alchemical makeup by eliminating combinations on a personal notepad, publishing or endorsing scientific theories on the academic board (risking prestige seals), and debunking rival hypotheses. In the final round, laboratory testing is replaced by a public exhibition where participants showcase their alchemical prowess before the townspeople. Once the game ends, the true nature of each ingredient is unveiled, applying rewards and penalties based on the accuracy of supported theories. Victory points are then tallied from reputation levels, artifacts, awarded grants, and leftover gold, crowning whoever amasses the highest score as the victor.

Key Concepts

Let’s begin with the Ingredients, which form the core foundation of Alchemists. By mixing two of them, we can brew potions. There are 8 different ingredients in the game, and each corresponds to a single, unique chemical composition (alchemical):

• Toad (brown)
• Scorpion (red)
• Mandrake Root (gray)
• Bird Claw (yellow)
• Raven Feather (black)
• Mushroom (purple)
• Fern (green)
• Flower (blue)

These compounds are made up of three aspects (red, blue, and green). Each aspect possesses two distinct characteristics:

• Size: they can be either large or small (each compound will feature one large aspect and two small ones, or all three large).
• Sign: they can be positive (+) or negative (-).

This brings us to the potions, which carry a specific color and sign:

• Positive Red: Healing
• Negative Red: Poison
• Positive Blue: Wisdom
• Negative Blue: Insanity
• Positive Green: Speed
• Negative Green: Paralysis

Potions exert direct effects on those who ingest them (naturally beneficial if positive and harmful if negative). Caution is therefore advised whenever we decide to drink them ourselves.

Brewing a specific potion requires mixing two different ingredients that share, for a matching color aspect, different sizes but the exact same sign. For example, a Healing potion (Positive Red) requires two elements that both carry a positive red aspect, but with one being large and the other small.

A special type of potion also exists: the neutral potion (water), produced whenever two opposite elements are combined. Two elements are considered opposites when all their respective aspects display opposing signs. For instance, you would need to combine an ingredient whose composition is [Blue: Small Positive – Red: Large Positive – Green: Small Negative] with another showing [Blue: Small Negative – Red: Large Negative – Green: Small Positive]. The real twist is that, at the start of the match, we know absolutely nothing about the ingredients.

Moving on to the Action Board: as its name suggests, this is where we place our action points to carry out the tasks that will either propel us to academic fame or leave us forgotten. At the top right sits the turn order track, divided into several spaces that grant card or ingredient benefits, sometimes at a financial cost. To its left are special spaces reserved for Conferences and any cubes left unused or lost during a round. A concise summary of round-end steps is printed here as well. The remainder of the board holds the action spaces, some of which feature dedicated slots for components. Crucially, actions are organized into columns with individual spaces for placing cubes. When placing them, players do so in rows corresponding to their position in turn order (that is, the first player places in the top row, the second player in the second row, and so on). However, resolution proceeds column by column. Even if you hold first player position, all other players must have the opportunity to take that action before you can execute it a second time. Certain actions require two cubes rather than one to be performed a second time. Additionally, the Exhibition Board is introduced to replace two of the standard action spaces exclusively during the final round.

Placed alongside it is the Theory Board, where we publish our scientific findings regarding the various ingredients. Along its outer edge runs the reputation scoring track, divided into four clear zones:

• Red Zone (spaces 1–6)
• Neutral Zone (spaces 7–13)
• Green Zone (spaces 14–17)
• Blue Zone (space 18 and above)

The zone your marker currently occupies influences how severely you lose prestige points as well as your potion transaction terms.

Arranged in a circle are the eight ingredients available throughout the game, depicted on open book spaces accommodating up to three seals. When publishing a theory, we place an alchemical token beneath that ingredient showing the chemical makeup we believe it possesses.

At the center of this board, forming a cross, lie the grant tiles. These grant both victory points (at game end) and immediate gold coins, provided we publish theories on the specific ingredients shown on that grant (there are four grants requiring 3 ingredients and a fifth requiring 4).

Finally, the Player Boards serve to display each player’s public information:

• The types of potions they know how to brew
• Their current stash of gold coins
• The requirement needed to claim a grant

Behind our Laboratory screen—a substantial cardboard divider—we keep the components used to brew potions and record deductions hidden from rivals. Its centerpiece is the results grid, a triangular matrix crossing every ingredient against all others. On this grid, we slot plastic tokens to track the outcomes of our tested mixtures. The side panels provide convenient reference guides for the brewing rules and end-game scoring. On top of the screen sits the ingredient holder where cards are positioned during brewing attempts.

This is where the mobile companion app comes into play. Upon choosing the appropriate action, your phone’s camera activates; simply aligning the ingredient cards lets the app instantly scan their silhouettes and report the mixture’s outcome. If no compatible smart device is available at the table, a player must serve as Game Master. A dedicated GM board with eight slots is included for this purpose, allowing the master to manually check combinations and declare the resulting potion.

Directly below the results grid sits the deduction sheet, where we mark off possibilities regarding each ingredient’s composition. With every experiment conducted, we can systematically eliminate invalid options based on the results. The deduction sheet is structured to facilitate logical deduction: each row corresponds to a specific alchemical, while within each column, pairs of adjacent rows represent polar opposites (combinations that would yield a neutral potion).

The remaining elements kept behind your screen are the theory seals, representing the claims you publish about ingredients. These come in two types: numbered seals and question-mark (hedged) seals. Numbered seals award victory points at the end of the match if placed on a correct theory. Conversely, hedged seals award no endgame points, though they can protect you from penalties. Each hedged seal features a specific aspect color. If the final reveal shows that the theory was flawed in only a single aspect and that aspect matches the seal’s color, no points are lost; under any other circumstance, points will be deducted.

As detailed later, one action allows us to sell potions to adventurers who visit the city in search of a specific brew to aid their dangerous quests. Each adventurer demands three acceptable potions (matching both color and sign). Unlike other actions, execution order here is determined by the quality guarantee and discount offered to the customer. For this purpose, each player holds discount cards showing a price reduction and a number of smiling faces (emoticons). Turn order among sellers is resolved by the highest total of smiling faces presented, combining discount cards with any relevant bonuses from prestige, favor cards, or artifacts.

Two scientific conferences will also take place during the game, which refresh the artifact market. These conferences reward players who actively publish theories while penalizing those who fail to do so.

Preparación de la Partida

1. Place the Action Board (showing the side appropriate for the player count) and the Theory Board in the center of the table. Keep the Exhibition Board nearby, along with the plastic token containers and gold coins.
2. Shuffle the card decks as follows:
   • Shuffle the ingredient deck and place it on its designated board space.
   • Do the same with the favor deck.
   • Sort the artifact cards into three separate decks by their roman numeral Period (I, II, and III). Shuffle each deck separately and draw 9 cards in total (3 from each period). Place the 3 Period I artifacts face-up on the board, leaving the other six (3 from Period II and 3 from Period III) face-up beside it.
3. Each player receives components in their chosen color: a laboratory screen, theory seals, discount cards, action cubes, and two flasks (one for the turn order track and one for reputation), plus a deduction sheet positioned beneath their results grid. Action cube counts vary by player count (6 cubes in a 2-player game, 5 with 3 players, and 4 with 4 players), although only 3 cubes are used during the first round regardless of count.
4. Each player also receives 2 gold coins, 3 ingredient cards, and two favor cards. Of those two favor cards, one must be kept and the other discarded.
5. Place the grant tiles in their designated spaces on the Theory Board, and set the alchemical composition tokens nearby for future publications. Place each player’s reputation flask on space 10 of the reputation track.
6. Finally, shuffle the adventurer tiles and remove one from the game without looking (leaving 5). Build the adventurer stack so that it contains 2 Adventurers, the first Conference Tile, 2 Adventurers, the second Conference Tile, and the final Adventurer. Reveal the top adventurer tile and keep it face up on top of the draw stack (it is not yet moved onto the main board space).

We are ready to begin!

Game Flow

The game is played across 6 rounds, each consisting of five distinct phases.

Phase I: Turn Order

Starting with the player holding the starting player marker and proceeding clockwise, each player places their flask onto an empty space on the turn order track. Only one flask is allowed per space. Placing on the green space is prohibited.

If the selected space displays numbers for ingredient or favor cards, draw them immediately from the decks (not from face-up displays). The player claiming the topmost position must pay 1 gold coin (you cannot select this slot without having the coin).

From this moment forward, the turn order follows the track’s ranking. The starting player marker remains with its owner for the round, serving no further function.

Phase II: Declare Actions

Starting from the lowest position on the turn order track and working upwards, each player places all their available action cubes onto the actions they intend to take. Cubes must be placed strictly within the row matching your turn order position, leaving other rows vacant. If you sit last in turn order, for example, your cubes occupy the bottom row of each chosen action space.

Exception: in round one, players are limited to 3 action cubes. From round two onward, your full supply of cubes is available according to player count.

Phase III: Resolve Actions

Actions are resolved column by column and row by row. That is, the first column is resolved completely—starting with the topmost cube and working downwards—before proceeding to the next column in sequence.

You may choose to forfeit an action where you placed a cube. In that event, move the cube to the unused cubes space. At the end of the round, every pair of unused cubes earns you one bonus favor card.

The available actions are:

1. Forage for an Ingredient. Take one ingredient card, either from the face-up display on the board or blindly from the deck.
2. Transmute an Ingredient. Discard one ingredient card to gain 1 gold coin.
3. Sell a Potion to an Adventurer. Up to (player count minus one) potions may be sold to the visiting adventurer. If every player assigned cubes here, the lowest bidder will walk away empty-handed. First, players secretly reveal a discount card to establish sales order, which is won by whoever provides the most smiling faces (card value plus bonuses from favors, reputation, or artifacts). In that order, each player commits to an offered potion and quality level. The potion is mixed and tested; if it meets or exceeds the guaranteed quality, the player earns the coins associated with that tier (minus their promised discount). If the quality falls short, no money is earned. Regardless of quality, producing a neutral or completely wrong potion causes the player to lose 1 reputation point.
4. Buy an Artifact. Purchase an available artifact card by paying its gold cost. The card is placed face-up in front of you, and its effect applies immediately.
5. Debunk a Theory. Choose a published theory on the board and attempt to prove it false. Select one ingredient with a published theory and declare one of its three aspects. The app will reveal the true sign of that aspect. If it matches the published theory, the theory stands. Otherwise, the theory is debunked. The consequences of a successful debunk are:
   • If the debunking succeeds:
     • The debunker gains 2 reputation points.
     • The alchemical token is removed from the Theory Board.
     • All seals on that theory are flipped face up. Players who used a hedged seal matching the debunked aspect lose no reputation; everyone else loses 5 reputation points.
     • All seals involved are removed from the game permanently.
     • If the debunker has a cube committed to the Publish a Theory action, they may execute it immediately, provided it fulfills one of two conditions:
       • It must be published on the ingredient that was just debunked.
       • Or it must be published on an ingredient using the alchemical that was just cleared.
   • If the debunking fails, the debunker loses 1 reputation point.
6. Publish a Theory. Two alternatives exist:
   • Publishing a fresh theory on an unassigned ingredient: pay 1 coin to the bank, place one of your seals face down, and position the alchemical token you believe matches that ingredient. Doing so immediately awards 1 reputation point.
   • Endorsing an existing theory: pay 1 coin to the bank and 1 coin to each player who already holds a seal on that ingredient. No reputation points are awarded directly for endorsing. Important: publishing or endorsing can grant immediate access to a grant tile. If you hold no grants, placing seals on two ingredients belonging to an available grant lets you claim it. If you already hold a grant, claiming another requires seals on three matching ingredients. Each grant awards 2 gold coins immediately and 1 to 2 victory points at game end.
7. Test a Potion on a Student. Brew a potion and serve it to a student. As soon as the student drinks a negative potion, every subsequent test in that round will cost 1 gold coin (a fresh student arrives every round).
8. Drink a Potion. Test a brew on yourself. If the potion turns out negative, you must suffer its ill effects immediately (though you cannot suffer the same negative effect twice within the same round):
   • Insanity (Blue): lose 1 reputation point.
   • Paralysis (Green): become paralyzed, forcing you into the last turn order slot for the following round.
   • Poison (Red): lose one action cube for the following round; move the cube used for this action to the hospital space.

Final Round: In round six, an Exhibition Board replaces both the Student and Self-drinking action spaces. When resolving this action, place your cube on the exhibition space and attempt to brew the designated potion. Failing the attempt costs 1 reputation point. Being the first player to successfully demonstrate that potion awards 1 reputation point. Subsequent successes award no immediate points, but players may continue showcasing brews. Demonstrating two potions of identical color with opposite signs scores 2 reputation points.

Keep track of reputation levels at all times, as they modify transaction parameters during potion sales:

• Players in the green zone add one bonus smiling face when offering discounts. However, whenever they lose reputation, they forfeit an extra point.
• Players in the blue zone add one bonus smiling face and gain an extra gold coin per successful sale. However, any reputation loss deducts two extra points instead.
• Players in the red zone receive one less gold coin on successful sales. However, any reputation loss is reduced by one point.

Favor Cards represent valuable assistance offered by town residents. There are 8 distinct favor types:

• Shopkeeper (played when buying an artifact): reduces the artifact cost by 1 coin.
• Assistant (played during action declaration): provides one bonus action cube.
• Merchant (played when selling a potion): if selling first, gain an extra coin; otherwise, resolve your sale as though you were first in line.
• Scholar (played when transmuting): grants one extra coin from the transmutation.
• Barmaid (played when selling a potion): if you deliver the exact potion requested, gain 1 reputation point; otherwise, treat your potion as one tier of quality higher.
• Custodian (played during action declaration): place one of your available cubes on this card; during the round, treat this as a Drink Potion action executed prior to the Sell a Potion phase.
• Herbalist (played immediately): draw three ingredients, choose one to keep, and discard the other two.
• Associate (played during action declaration): choose one action space where you will resolve first (occupying the top row), regardless of regular turn order.

Artifacts are powerful gadgets acquired throughout the game. These items become available across designated periods (Period I: rounds 1–3; Period II: rounds 4–5; Period III: round 6). The transition between periods is triggered by scientific conferences. The artifacts featured in the game include:

• Period I:
  • Magic Mortar (3 coins, 1 VP): when mixing a potion, discard only 1 ingredient card (chosen by another player).
  • Boots of Speed (4 coins, 2 VP): in an action space where you have at least one cube, you may perform the action one additional time after all other players have finished (cannot be used for Selling Potions).
  • Periscope (3 coins, 1 VP): whenever an opponent sells or tests a potion, you may look at one of their two used ingredients chosen at random (usable once per round).
  • Printing Press (4 coins, 2 VP): you do not need to pay the 1 coin fee to the bank when publishing or endorsing a theory.
  • Discount Voucher (3 coins, 1 VP): your next artifact purchase costs 2 coins less, and any subsequent purchases cost 1 coin less.
  • Robe of Respect (4 coins, 0 VP): whenever you gain reputation, gain 1 additional reputation point (does not apply during the final round).
• Period II:
  • Witch’s Trunk (3 coins, 2 VP): upon purchase, draw 7 ingredient cards immediately, but forfeit drawing ingredients during turn order selection for the rest of the game.
  • Seal of Authority (4 coins, 0 VP): gain 2 additional reputation points whenever you publish or endorse a theory.
  • Silver Chalice (4 coins, 6 VP): grants no special ability; strictly provides victory points.
  • Hypnotic Amulet (3 coins, 1 VP): draw 4 favor cards immediately upon purchase.
  • Thinking Cap (4 coins, 1 VP): test two pairs of ingredients from your hand immediately without discarding them.
  • Amulet of Rhetoric (4 coins, 0 VP): gain 5 reputation points immediately upon purchase.
• Period III:
  • Glass Cabinet (5 coins, Variable VP): scores 2 victory points per artifact you own (including the Glass Cabinet itself).
  • Bronze Cup (4 coins, 4 VP): grants no special ability; strictly provides victory points.
  • Idol of Memory (4 coins, Variable VP): scores 1 victory point at game end for each seal of your color sitting on a correct theory.
  • Feathered Cap (3 coins, Variable VP): during the final exhibition, set aside ingredients used in successful potions; at game end, score 1 victory point per card set aside.
  • Magic Mirror (4 coins, Variable VP): during artifact scoring, earn 1 victory point for every 5 reputation points you hold.
  • Golden Altar (1 coin, 0 VP): immediately pay between 1 and 8 coins to gain an identical amount in reputation points.

Phase IV: Conference

At the end of rounds 3 and 5, an alchemical conference takes place immediately following the Drink Potion action. Players meeting the required threshold of published and endorsed theories gain 1 reputation point. Those failing to qualify lose reputation as indicated on the conference tile (based on your total seals on the board, excluding those currently locked in conflict).

Concluding the conference also updates the artifact market. Clear all remaining cards from the board display and replace them with the three artifacts from the upcoming period.

Phase V: End of the Round

Perform the following cleanup steps:

1. Top Alchemist Award: the player with the most seals on the Theory Board earns 1 reputation point (in case of a tie, all tied players receive the point, ignoring conflicted seals).
2. Unused Action Cubes: draw one favor card for every two unused cubes placed here (odd cubes grant nothing). Afterwards, return all cubes from this space to their owners.
3. Hospital: shift all cubes currently in the hospital space over to the unused cubes space.
4. New Adventurer: discard the current adventurer, place the upcoming one onto the board, and flip the next tile in the stack face up (the adventurer arriving next round must always be visible). If the revealed tile is a conference, place it on its designated track space.
5. Round Preparation:
   • Discard any remaining face-up ingredients on the board and deal 5 fresh cards.
   • Retrieve turn order flasks, leaving behind any stuck in paralysis.
   • Pass the starting player marker clockwise. If the designated recipient is paralyzed, pass it along to the next eligible player to their left until it reaches someone who is not paralyzed.

Game End

Following the final Exhibition in round six, final scoring takes place. Players tally victory points from:

• Reputation score at the conclusion of the game.
• Points granted by owned artifacts.
• Points from claimed grant tiles.
• Any leftover favor cards in hand, exchanged at a rate of 2 gold coins each.
• 1 victory point for every 3 gold coins remaining.

The final truth behind each ingredient is then revealed via the app or GM. Depending on published theories:

• If the theory is correct:
  • Numbered seals score their printed value (3 or 5 VP).
  • Hedged (starred) seals score no victory points.
• If the theory is incorrect:
  • Numbered seals deduct 4 victory points.
  • Hedged seals deduct no points if the theory failed by only one aspect and that aspect matches the seal’s color. Otherwise (multiple incorrect aspects or a mismatched color), players deduct 4 victory points.

The player with the most victory points wins the game. Ties are broken in favor of the player with the most leftover gold coins; if still tied, shared victory is declared.

Variants

Master Variant. Applies the following rules adjustments:

• Players start the game with only 2 ingredient cards instead of 3.
• The reverse sides of the Conference tiles are used.
• Debunking operates differently: instead of naming an ingredient and an aspect, you demonstrate a contradiction by brewing two ingredients (without discarding cards) to show that a stated aspect cannot be true, producing a potion opposite in sign to the published claim. A single action can thus debunk up to two theories simultaneously if the resulting potion invalidates both, though the reward remains 2 reputation points. Two theories may also fall into conflict: if an experimental brew matches the expected result but leaves multiple contradictory interpretations based on current theories, a conflict marker is placed on both. Conflicted theories cannot be endorsed and do not count toward conferences or end-of-round prestige bonuses. Exposing a conflict is treated as a successful debunk, awarding 2 reputation points. Attempting to demonstrate an already identified conflict counts as a failed debunk, losing 1 reputation point.

Personal Opinion

I won’t lie: considering how lackluster the wave of releases felt over recent months around Gen Con and the Essen Spiel, this title stood out as one of the few truly catching my eye. I don’t usually chase bleeding-edge releases, preferring to wait until trusted fellow gamers separate the wheat from the chaff.

Still, the core premise of Alchemists was undeniably compelling. Indeed, it flew off the shelves at Essen. Thanks to a local shop securing a few imported copies, I managed to snag mine. The moment that newsletter hit my inbox, I didn’t hesitate; the buzz was deafening, and I had to find out firsthand whether it was runaway hype or a genuine masterpiece. Let’s dig in.

What immediately grabs attention is the near-mandatory use of a companion app to randomize ingredient compositions, ensuring every single match plays out differently. This approach is inherently a double-edged sword, given that board gaming’s enduring charm lies in its tactile, analog nature. Technology at the table often raises eyebrows, usually because it feels intrusive; stepping away from the board to fiddle with an electronic gadget can easily kill the mood. Fortunately, CGE did a spectacular job here. One must keep in mind that the application is essentially stepping into the shoes of a Game Master.

This is a deduction game at heart, and preventing it from becoming a one-and-done puzzle requires randomized mixtures. The game includes components for a human GM to manually track compositions and announce results to players. But doing so means condemning someone to spend an hour and a half watching others have fun while merely reciting colors and signs on demand—hardly an appealing role. Had the digital companion been clumsily implemented, relying on a human GM would be a painful fallback that severely dragged down the game’s appeal.

Instead, the companion app proves to be an absolute marvel. You select your action, the camera boots up, and simply aligning the cards lets it scan silhouettes almost instantaneously. Confirm the prompt, and the potion’s outcome appears. I would venture to say it runs just as fast as a human referee, who would need to cross-reference charts carefully without making catastrophic errors.

Those harboring reservations about the digital component can put their worries to rest. It is handled brilliantly, resulting in a thoroughly innovative gaming experience. If I were to nitpick, low-light conditions can occasionally make card recognition finicky. You can always switch to manual input under those circumstances, though that opens the door to potential dishonesty; holding up the phone to scan cards makes sneakily testing illicit combos behind your screen far harder to pull off.

That sense of novelty stems from weaving pure deduction into a standard Eurogame framework complete with action points, tight resource management, and victory point racing. Everything revolves around deducing each ingredient’s precise chemical structure. Most of your points will flow from academic publications, but publishing with reasonable odds of success requires conducting multiple experimental brews first.

You can forage for ingredients on the board, but only five lie face up and rivals will constantly snap up what you need. Publishing also demands coins, obtainable solely through transmutation (costing valuable ingredients) or by hawking potions to visiting adventurers. Selling potions profitably demands knowing what you are mixing in the first place, dragging you straight back to the testing table.

Everything is tightly interconnected. In fact, I would argue it is magnificently interwoven. Every single action feels worthwhile, and no single path to victory feels automatic. That said, there is one cardinal sin you must avoid at all costs: making mistakes. Errors here come in two flavors.

On one hand, there is the standard worker-placement stumble: missing out on an ingredient or having a rival jump ahead of you on an action. Mitigating this requires planning an entire round in advance (which is why upcoming adventurers and future artifact sets are revealed early). Resources are perpetually scarce, and you will constantly feel pinched for both gold and cards, making strict prioritization essential.

That strategic slip is far from the worst mistake you can make, however, because you can recover from poor board play. The error that proves practically fatal and will torpedo your chances is a deduction blunder. Marking an incorrect deduction on your sheet is catastrophic, as untangling that logical knot mid-game takes monumental effort. Thankfully, matches rarely run longer than ninety minutes, ensuring any self-inflicted misery remains relatively brief.

This dual margin for error demands relentless focus throughout the entire session, often leaving players feeling intellectually drained by the end. That has certainly been my experience across every play so far. To be fair, I spent most of those sessions teaching a heavy ruleset packed with distinct concepts, yet even with the rules internalized, I crossed the finish line running on mental fumes—especially when plans fell apart and panic set in.

A key lifeline when staring down a blank deduction grid is the artifact display. Most artifacts offer substantial advantages that can anchor your strategy for the rest of the game. Scoring avenues vary, but publishing remains the real jackpot: correctly placing all your seals onto the board yields 19 victory points at game end, quite apart from intermediate gains. Favor cards also shouldn’t be overlooked, as timely plays can salvage otherwise ruined turns.

At first glance, one might worry that this formula breeds repetitive sessions as everyone chases the same goals. Once the pressure of scientific conferences mounts, however, cautious deduction gives way to bold gambles. Players begin taking flyers on incomplete data, sparking a frenzy of debunking and mind games over shared public knowledge. Remember that publishing a theory feeds valuable clues to your opponents, whether that information is solid truth or a cheeky bluff.

Only you will know the truth behind your claims (or perhaps even you won’t!). Appreciating this psychological dynamic is where the game’s true brilliance shines through. That is the ideal moment to transition to the Master Variant, where debunking shifts from a straightforward data comparison into an active logical trial. The game culminates in a dramatic finale where final scores are tallied, the companion app reveals every secret recipe, and everyone discovers just how brazenly their rivals were bluffing.

Many have drawn gameplay comparisons to Fresco (read the tocho-review here). While I haven’t played Queen Games’ title personally, reading through its flow suggests the core resource management beats may indeed feel familiar, setting aside deduction entirely. Yet solving the alchemical puzzle is the undisputed heartbeat of this box.

Worker placement here serves as an obstacle course to facilitate logical breakthroughs rather than standing as the ultimate focal point. If I had to compare it to another title, deduction aside, I would look to Dungeon Petz (and not just because of the shared illustrator). That taut structure—few rounds, unforgiving margins, and constant pressure—creates a thrilling sense of anxiety that I adore.

While random alchemical assignments, variable artifacts, and randomized adventurer arrivals ensure good mechanical replayability, how fresh each play feels depends on rules familiarity, which builds quickly. Players will grasp all foundational concepts within two or three plays, leaving subsequent matches shaped primarily by player mistakes and risk tolerance.

In that regard, the game may not offer the boundless strategic variety of some peers, as your operational routines remain largely consistent across sessions. By contrast, Russian Railroads allowed you to explore vastly different pathways to victory before falling into familiar patterns. This is simply a design that pays for itself quickly rather than revealing endless hidden depth.

Regarding player count, the design functions cleanly at 2 and 3 players, but it truly shines at 4. That brilliance is felt right from the opening round where options are constrained. Scrambling to sell potions, fighting over essential artifacts, and feeding dubious concoctions to the hapless student make turn order selection paramount, whereas 2-player contests feel comparatively forgiving. Heightened competition also induces more mistakes, which provide the best drama at the table. To be clear: the game functions well enough at 2 (and 3 feels solid), but 4 players is where it peaks.

The thematic integration also deserves praise. It stands among those rare Eurogames where every available action feels narratively grounded and mirrors what an eccentric fantasy academic would actually do. As I always maintain, strong theme is never strictly required in a Euro, but when executed this well, it is a tremendous bonus.

Production values are top-notch. Czech Games Edition’s reputation for quality components is well established, and cracking open this box prompts immediate admiration. It is packed to the brim with cardboard. Few modern titles deliver this sheer volume of quality material at such an attractive price point. Sturdy punchboards, premium card stock, iconic plastic cubes, and custom flask markers make for an eye-catching table presence once set up. The rulebook is logically organized and leaves no ambiguities.

The English manual reads smoothly and teaches the rules clearly with the engaging humor characteristic of CGE publications. I would have tweaked the sequencing slightly in a couple of spots—specifically regarding how discounts determine sales priority, as explaining the selling process before the turn order bidding can cause momentary confusion. Minor layout gripes aside, it is an exemplary manual.

Finally, David Cochard’s artwork deserves special mention. This is where artistic parallels to Dungeon Petz (read the tocho-review here) and Dungeon Lords (read the tocho-review here) are most apparent: colorful, whimsical, and overflowing with charming visual gags across the main board that will keep you entertained between turns. That charm carries right through the cards, adventurers, laboratory screens, and striking box cover, providing the perfect artistic flourish.

And let’s wrap this up. Alchemists is a fascinating design that brilliantly pairs classic worker placement and resource management with pure deduction through a seamless digital companion. The game loop creates an engrossing race where every experimental brew, potion sale, and published theory contributes to a high-stakes academic battle rich with bluffing, suspicion, and dramatic debunks. The play experience delivers sustained tension, balancing acute resource scarcity with the unforgiving mental demand of avoiding logical slips behind your screen. On the flip side, that deduction puzzle can brutally punish a misplaced notation, resulting in a frustrating bottleneck and palpable mental fatigue by game end. Nevertheless, its mechanical harmony, rich thematic flavor, and thrilling endgame reveal establish this as an exceptional title brimming with personality. For all these reasons, I award it a…