Alchemy!

Alchemy! is a card game that turns 2-5 players into competing apprentice alchemists trying to impress their master by being the first to complete a set of potions in a laboratory space they all share. Every turn, players can rush to finish their work or sabotage those who are pursuing the same potions they are, and once you’ve completed a potion, you can keep it for victory points or drink it to try to get even further ahead.

Every turn, players draw cards and ‘transmute’ a component from a pool they share with all of the other players at the table in order to produce ‘elements’ (earth, air, fire, water) that can then be combined to try to match the formulas at the bottom of the potion cards that act as victory points.

Potions are randomized each game, so each match has its own feel – some are very directly competitive, producing potions that allow players to directly attack one another, and others require more indirection and planning. Analyzing the available potions and trying to predict the interplay between them and the value of victory points vs. the effects of the potions is a key element of play.