I have been loosely following the development of witch shop sim Potionomics (not to be confused with Potion Craft) for a long time—over four years, apparently. It has been “coming soon-ish” long enough to stretch that definition, but now it is finally coming soon-ish in earnest. With a new trailer showing us a cross-section of brewing, haggling and management involved in running a successful potion shop, Potionomics has also conjured up a release window in the fall of 2022.
I have long hoped that store management sims would have their own great heyday, and Potionomics certainly looks like it can meet my demand. The casual life smoldering (and deeply cut Recettear fans) will recognize the set-up: The witch Sylvia inherits an elixir shop from a deceased family member, and she is stuck reviving the place to pull out of debt.
To cope with this, Sylvia spends time using various ingredients to brew new types of elixirs, decorating her shop, supplying local adventurers in return for swapping and farting with customers.
This is where things seem to get strategic. It’s handled as a turn-based card game between Sylvia and her customers, where her card game consists of sales tactics like “Reel ‘Em In” and “Elevator Pitch” or “Shock Factor”. They are all skills (maps) that she has gathered from the other shop owners and adventurers around town as she becomes better friends with them.
What initially caught my eye at Potionomics was all the care put into so many animations for its 3D characters. I’m happy to see that it still looks super colorful, bouncy and filled with lovable locals. I like a good sim in both ways, but a charming cast gets far in my recipe book.
Potionomics has not set a specific opening date yet, but plans to launch in the fall. You can find and wish list it on Steam until then.