Idle Alchemist

Solo Dev

4 Months

Unity

Idle Alchemist is a potion crafting game with idle game progression mechanics. An endless stream of potion-thirsty customers with various ailments enters your store. As you earn gold, you may purchase upgrades, pets, and craft 33 different potions. You create potions through randomly generated ingredient recipes and determine their possible stats through the game's simple crafting system. As you unlock more powerful recipes, crafted potions become ingredients, and their stats affect the outcome. The result is a crafting system with a healthy balance of randomness and determinism.

Play

Programmed all game features using C#
Designed and balanced progression, crafting, and economy systems
Conducted weekly playtests with a focus on new player experience
Maintained a consistent work schedule to meet strict personal deadline

Contributions

Create a game with interesting gameplay arcs lasting over 100 hours
Demonstrate skill in designing progression, and crafting systems within a narrative framework
Succeed in developing a game within a genre I have little experience in

Project Goals

Crafting should feel like Alchemy

To make potions, players can mix ingredients with ingredients, potions with ingredients, and potions with potions! In order to serve the player fantasy of a tinkering alchemist, I wanted the crafting system to leave players thirsty for discovery and always looking to optimize their brews. Potion recipes are obfuscated by symbols, players can "roll bad" on crafts, and potions effect other potions when mixed together.

Players control how idle the experience is

Players should always be looking for ways to tinker with their potions, and tune them to their needs. The "Volatility" mechanic can make potions inactive until the player interacts with it. Stronger potions have higher volatility.

The more powerful the potion, the less idle the potion.

Idle Alchemist

Contributions

Project Goals

Crafting should feel like Alchemy

Players control how idle the experience is

Players may choose to craft potions which require little attention...

Low Potion Value - Low Attention

...Or players may opt into a "Whack-A-Mole" playstyle

High Potion Value - High Attention

UNDER CONSTRUCTION