Potionomics

Very intricate time management game, with great love interests! The game in of itself is a fun tediousness. The voice acting is also good, and the characters are a goofy sweet bunch. I additionally ADORE all the little art of the icons, ingredients, and potions. Also it feels like a number puzzle game that's keeps my brain working. Even in normal mode there's never a leisurely moment. So be prepared for a lot of grinding, and staying on top of things. It's a game I need to take frequent breaks from, since there's just so much to keep track of. A 7/10, but with a few good QoL improvements, and maybe an activity or something other than text that would give us a break, it'd be a 10/10.

If you like card games (like magic the gathering, or maybe yu-gi-oh, or pokemon) and dating sims, I think you'll like this game. If you're like me, you feel compelled to use a guide when playing a dating sim, in order to not say the "wrong" thing and make the characters hate you - that isn't an issue with potionomics though. In it, whenever you get a "wrong" answer during a romantic route, you just get slightly less affection from that character from your build up. So you can play it totally blind, with the concept that your route is still secure - it's very straightforward! Also, how many dating sims do you know have difficulty levels? Potionomics has a hardcore setting (named capitalism... so funny) and some of the characters are honestly so relatable that I teared up when doing some of the routes. Muktuk and Roxanne really stood out to me, as well as Corsac - he gives autistic king energy. The characters are all a joy to get to know and the game, at it's very essence, feels like it's "easy on the soul" to me. It's like a warm cup of tea on a rainy night. If the character development wasn't enough for you though, the gameplay in itself is major fun - I reset multiple times just trying to figure out the best configuration of cards in order to get the most cash so often. AND ! As a perk, if you are polyamorous the game features a "multiple loves" option where you can date multiple people at once. It's hard to find a game this inclusive - I love the usage of all the different body types, skin colors, and sexualities. Very rarely do you find a game that is willing to represent black people in a shade as deeply as they do in potionomics and it was a visual treat to see. I can't say enough good things about this game - it was an absolute joy to play, even though my first play through was difficult and I totally sucked at it. If you're a first time player, I'll encourage you by saying - as you learn the market, you'll get better at the game. Don't give up!