Developer: RPGames
Publisher: Top Hat Studios
Platform: Switch, PC, PS4, PS5
Tested on: Switch
Potion Party – Switch
With Potion Party, RPGames and Top Hat Studios are teaming up to bring the world of alchemy to an unsuspecting audience, in the form of a cute and colorful party game. The game certainly has the necessary ingredients to become a staple for when you have friends over, but the proof of the pudding is still in the eating. Is it better to keep a safe distance from the game or should you be excited because there ain’t no party like a potion party?
Story
Although Potion Party’s solo mode is referred to as a “Solo Story”, the game doesn’t really follow a narrative outside of the fact that you are running an alchemy workshop. You start out as Abel, and other player characters are unlockable by clearing the game. These other characters also act as the customer sprites during gameplay.
Graphics
Although the 16-bit visuals work for the kind of game Potion Party attempts to be, they still feel generic and overdone. We should point out that some of the sprites look awfully familiar. We can’t be sure that these are ripoffs of existing characters or that they simply play into certain anime tropes but we couldn’t shake the feeling that we had seen these exact same designs before. That said, Potion Party’s visuals don’t look bad and their quality remains consistent throughout the game, including the game’s interface. We could’ve perhaps done with a little more interior variety, because, even though you can decorate your workshop somewhat, things still look very much the same as you move on to later levels.
Sound
Throughout your time with Potion Party, you’ll only hear two audio tracks: the menu music and the fast-paced tune playing during your time in the workshop. Although we would have preferred a bit more variety, what’s present here is quite catchy. The workshop theme fits the chaotic nature of the game and never starts to get repetitive or grating, which is a testament to how good it is.
Gameplay
The core idea behind Potion Party is relatively simple. You are the proprietor of an alchemy shop, and customers will come in and request a potion. Customers will wait a while, before leaving, and your aim is to concoct their order while they wait. Provide them with a potion in time, and they will pay you. In order to beat a level, you’ll have to earn a specific amount of money within a predetermined time frame. After you clear a level, you can spend your earnings to upgrade your workshop, allowing you to create potions more efficiently. Rise and repeat, with later levels demanding more intricate and difficult recipes. That sounds easy enough, but the game spices things up by gradually introducing not only more steps to creating potions, but also enemies that will invade your shop. Soon enough, you’ll be dodging ghosts, avoiding slimes and preventing thieves from stealing your potions.
The game eases you into its mechanics. The first level sees you making basic potions, which is as simple as grinding up berries, adding hot water and putting everything in a flask. Soon enough though, you’ll be mixing berry powders to create color combinations, adding charcoal -obtained by burning berries- and producing double doses of potion in large bottles. The basic and addictive formula remains the same, and this would be challenging enough by itself, as a simple mistake can ruin a potion, resulting in an unhappy customer. The game really becomes a challenge when dealing with enemies, however. Colored slimes will randomly spawn around the shop, and stepping into them will slow you down. Ghosts will glide across the screen, and getting hit results in your movement controls being mirrored. Meanwhile, thieves will outright steal your precious ingredients.
Each of these enemies has a way of being dealt with, such as pouring berry powder of the same color on the slimes. Unfortunately -and this is perhaps the game’s biggest issue- the pop-up with instructions is easy to accidentally click away when you’re busy creating potions, resulting in a restart simply because you don’t know how to deal with an enemy. Admittedly, in single player mode, you won’t really have the time to deal with these pests, rather than avoid them but in co-op mode, getting rid of them can make or break your game. You’re limited by your workshop in more ways than you realize in the beginning too. For example, it helps to constantly have all of your workstations active at all times, having berries in the grinders and making sure your burners are constantly stocked with bottles and water. However, you’re limited by table space, so you have to ensure you have enough tables to store your piles of berry powder.
This is a wall you hit early on in the game, and it can be overcome by buying the necessary equipment. You’ll find yourself having to replay earlier levels in order to grind the cash necessary to purchase the equipment you’ll need to successfully complete later levels. The core gameplay loop of Potion Party is addictive and never becomes tedious or repetitive, even if you’re essentially constantly doing the same thing. This is a great example of an old school style arcade game that is reminiscent of classics like Tapper, which Potion Party undoubtedly takes inspiration from.
We should also point out that Potion Party really shines in co-op mode, which sees you team up with another player to create recipes. Communication is key here, and given the fast-paced and chaotic gameplay, it’s important that you have a game plan, in order to prevent you and your friend from getting in each other’s way. The game bills itself as a co-op couch game first and foremost, and up to four players can join in on the chaos, including a mode where two teams compete against one another in order to make the potion the fastest. Getting enough people around your screen can be a challenge under the current global circumstances, though, so if Potion Party was released purely as a co-op title, we’d suggest waiting before you buy if you’re unable to get enough people together. Thankfully, we’re happy to say that there is plenty of fun to be had with the single-player mode as well, making the game a worthwhile purchase even if you’re going solo.
Conclusion
Although Potion Party is far from a revolutionary title, it has a clear idea of what it attempts to be, and it succeeds in its goal. The core gameplay loop is simple and gradually builds up to a more challenging experience that is addictive. What the game lacks in originality or fresh ideas, it more than makes up for in fun, especially in co-op mode. If you’re looking for a simple and enjoyable romp, this is one party you don’t want to miss.
Potion Party - Switch,
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