NESpresso: Game Reviews \ PC \ Alchemy Deluxe

Game Stats
System: PC
Genre: Puzzle
Players: 1
Memory used: about 8 MB's (w/ installer)
Playtime: 00:00 / 00:10
ESRB Rating: Everybody

Screenshots

Another Pop Cap unleashed on the public as try to convert as many pieces of lead into gold in this challenging puzzle game.

Back in the midevel times, people tried to find a way to turn common metals (like iron or lead) into the most valuable metal of the age, Gold. This method was known as the art of alchemy, which became a part of modern chemistry. Alchemy has produced other precious metals like Titanium, Graphite Steel, & even Transparent Alumnimum (I know that's more like Star Trek, but it has become reality after 18 years).

In the game Alchemy, you play as a magician where you place runes on playfield to turn them into gold.

As you can see in the screenshot, there graphics are pretty basic as you place runes (up to 21 different types) of various colors on the playfield. Even though they're functional, those who are colorblind may have difficulty in this game as you will need to distinguish the different colors.

The music of the game is simple, but it's the same tune that plays over & over... which can get pretty annoying. Thankfully, you do have the option of turning the volume of the music down in-game so you can play your own music. The sound effects are pretty basic, but functional as well. There's not much that I can say because it's simple.

The controls of the game is done completely with the mouse, you left-click on the playfield to place the rune-in-hand (on an eligable square) & right-click to discard the rune. You can also discard a rune by placing it in the forge on the left side of the screen. The object of the game is to transmute the entire lead playfield into gold by placing runes on them. However, you can only place runes next to each other that matches color, shape or both. You clear the runes from the playfield by completing the line (horizontally or vertically) to free up space on the playfield. If you cannot place a rune on the playfield, you'll see a flashing "no" symbol & you'll be forced to discard. With every discard, the forge raises one level & drops one level once you place a rune onto the playfield. If you clear an entire line on the playfield, the forge is cleared completely. The forge can only hold 3 discarded runes at any given time & the game ends once you discard another rune with a full forge. You will occasionally get a "magic stone", which you can use as a wild card & magic bombs to destroy a selected rune. If you're having problems finding a possible move, you can click on the hint ('?') button to find an eligable move @ the cost of 25 points per hint.

Alchemy include 2 modes (strategic & action) as well as 3 levels of difficulty. Strategic mode is the classic untimed mode where you play until you cannot make any more moves. Action mode is fast-based time version of the game where the forge slowly fills up over time. With both of these modes, you can play this game for a while. The hint button (the "?" button) being so small, it's hard to notice that it's there, but with the "no moves available" notice being an automatic hint... you'll probably won't need it.

Alchemy is a thinking man's game as you must figure out where the best place for the rune-on-hand to go in order to maximize your possibilites without overflowing the forge. It's not a game for everybody, but it's a challenge game to keep you on your toes. You will want to try the basic version online before you spend the $20-$25 (online / CD) for the deluxe version.