In Alchemists, two to four budding alchemists compete to discover the secrets of their mystical art. Points can be earned in various ways, but most points are earned by publishing theories – correct theories, that is — and therein lies the problem.
The game is played in six rounds. At the beginning of the round, players choose their play order. Those who choose to play later get more rewards.
Players declare all their actions by placing cubes on the various action spaces, then each action space is evaluated in order. Players gain knowledge by mixing ingredients and testing the results using a smartphone app (iOS, Android, and also Windows) that randomizes the rules of alchemy for each new game. And if the alchemists are longing for something even more special, they can always buy magical artifacts to get an extra push. There are 9 of them (different for each game) and they are not only very powerful, but also very expensive. But money means nothing, when there’s academic pride at stake! And the possession of these artifacts will definitely earn you some reputation too. Players can also earn money by selling potions of questionable quality to adventurers, but money is just a means to an end. The alchemists don’t want riches, after all. They want respect, and respect usually comes from publishing theories.
During play, players’ reputations will go up and down. After six rounds and a final exhibition, reputation will be converted into points. Points will also be scored for artifacts and grants. Then the secrets of alchemy are revealed and players score points or lose points based on whether their theories were correct. Whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins.
Flavor text:
Mandrake root and scorpion tail; spongy mushroom and warty toad — these are the foundations of the alchemist’s livelihood, science, and art.
But what arcane secrets do these strange ingredients hide? Now it is time to find out. 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.
Награди и признанија:
- 2016 Nederlandse Spellenprijs Best Expert Game Nominee
- 2015 Scelto dai Goblin Winner
- 2015 Goblin Magnifico Nominee
- 2015 Essener Feder Best Written Rules Winner
- 2014 Meeples’ Choice Nominee
- 2014 Golden Geek Most Innovative Board Game Nominee
- 2014 Golden Geek Board Game of the Year Nominee
- 2014 Golden Geek Best Strategy Board Game Nominee
- 2014 Golden Geek Best Board Game Artwork & Presentation Nominee
Alchemists: The King’s Golem, an expansion to Alchemists, brings you a new logic puzzle with new rewards and consequences. Can you figure out how to animate a golem? And equally important, can you convince the king you are making progress?
The King’s Golem actually contains four expansions:
- In Startup Funding, players get a chance to customize the initial resources in their laboratories.
- The Busy Days expansion makes each round different by offering new rewards (and new costs!) on the order spaces.
- The Royal Encyclopedia is an entirely new venue for publishing your research.
- And in The Golem Project, players have the challenge of animating a creature made from magic and clay.
The expansions are presented in order of complexity. Startup Funding and Busy Days will be just fine for beginners. The Royal Encyclopedia is for players accustomed to the logic puzzle of the base game. The Golem Project is for advanced players who want a new deduction challenge.
- 2016 Golden Geek Best Board Game Expansion Nominee
