Czech Games Edition CGE00027 Alchemists Board Game

Product Information

It’s worth mentioning that the laboratory boards need to be assembled each time you play and if not done correctly and carefully they will suffer some minor wear and tear. For all you get within the game the box isn’t ludicrously over-sized (although it is rather heavy). Each player then must choose which of the three patients they want to treat and place that essence card on their alchemist’s flask board. Multiple players can select the same patient. After each player has chosen, return all other essence cards to the box.

Players can also earn money by selling potions off to adventurers, and buy artefacts and favours to help them along the way. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner. Components & ArtworkAlchemists is a worker placement & deduction game, published by Czech Games Edition, with a super fun theme wrapped around it. But beware, it's not for the easily puzzled. Let me tell you a little more… Set-Up and Gameplay In Alchemists, players take on the role of rival potion makers trying to become the most prestigious (and rich). The game is played out over 6 rounds in which players will be mixing ingredients, selling potions, buying artifacts and publishing theories.

In The Alchemist, you are presented with an extra choice at the beginning of the game. Three from eight patients are chosen at random at the start of the game. And then each player needs to choose with a patient they will try and cure. This is done by placing the relevant essence card into their flask. Each aliment will bring the player a different potential extra power if they can cook the right potion. Sell a potion to an adventurer: This is the only space that not everyone can do. Players will bid to sell a potion to the current adventurer. You gain gold depending on how close you get to the potion the adventurer was wanting. Mix them into potions and drink them to determine their effects or play it safe and test the concoction on a helpful assistant! Gain riches selling potions to wandering adventurers and invest these riches in powerful artifacts. As your knowledge grows, so will your reputation, as you publish your theories for all to see. Knowledge, wealth, and fame can all be found in the murky depths of the alchemist’s cauldron. Isle of Man, Isle of Wight, Northern Ireland and the Scottish Highlands) may take longer to reach you. This side of the board is for a four-player game. The setup for two or three players is the same, except you use the other side of the board.

End of the Round

Buy an Artifact: Artifacts are powerful items that help you break the rules and earn you reputation points. Alchemists is published by veteran game publisher CGE and they are no strangers to putting out games with high quality components ( T’zoklin, Dungeon Lords). Inside this rather heavy box is a mountain of cardboard. From the expansive game board (with some really stellar artwork) to the 4 different player screens (some assembly required), everything that comes in the box is both high quality and thematic. Victory points are scored at the end of the game. Reputation bonuses and penalties do not apply to them. Most victory points are positive, although you can lose points when the true identities of the ingredients are revealed. Place your action cubes on the actions you want to take this round. Different spaces have different requirements as illustrated below. Ah, but the craft of alchemy is about more than mixing potions. Alchemists seek knowledge, of course, but what they truly value is prestige. Making your mark on the world will not be easy.

Speaking of actions, I will say that they game is much tighter at the higher player counts. With only 2 players, you get 6 actions cubes to use, however you only get 4 cubes at the top of the range. While that might not seem like much, those two actions can make a big difference. Competition will be a lot more fierce with 4 players to be the first to publish.

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Alchemists is a worker placement & deduction game, published by Czech Games Edition, with a super fun theme wrapped around it. But beware, it’s not for the easily puzzled. Let me tell you a little more… Set-Up and Gameplay I love logic puzzles, especially ones that use a deduction grid (matrix?). In fact, almost a decade ago I bought a logic puzzle book on my honeymoon in the Caribbean. I’ve brought that little book to every beach vacation since then and it’s definitely showing some wear. But there is nothing like sitting on the beach in the sun and working on those little puzzles (SAT questions as my friend calls them). For me, I love the sense of discovery when I figure one out. You start your day with a leisurely walk through the forest, looking for interesting things to grind up in your laboratory. Or perhaps you spend some time doing favors for people around town ... in exchange for favors later, of course. Prepare two ingredients in your laboratory as you do for experiments, tap on the card reader, and scan the ingredients. Discard the ingredients afterwards, as usual. With The Alchemist, they have created opportunities to have some of your chips pulled from the bag before the round starts. When it comes to pulling out a new chip, you can either pull as usual or place one of the chips you have out already. Giving you some choice. Some control. Some sense that you can manipulate your destiny. Even if only a little bit.