Objective of the Game
In Alchemists, players strive to become the best alchemists by brewing potions and developing theories to discover the secret ingredients of the alchemical world. The player with the most reputation points at the end of the game wins.
Game Components
- Game board
- Alchemist screens for each player
- Ingredient cards
- Artifact cards
- Theory sheets
- Companion cards
- Gold coins
- Reputation point markers
- Deduction chart
- Smartphone app or deduction skills (for mixing ingredients)
Setup
- Set Up the Board: Place the game board in the center of the table.
- Assign Ingredients: Shuffle the ingredient cards and distribute them to players according to the number of players.
- Artifacts: Shuffle the artifact cards and place them face down in a pile on the game board.
- Theory Sheets: Give each player a theory sheet.
- Distribute Reputation Points and Gold Coins.
- Alchemist Screens: Each player receives a screen to maintain the secrecy of their alchemical discoveries.
- App or Calculation Sheet: Make it available to decipher potion combinations.
Gameplay
The game is played in rounds, each consisting of the following phases:
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Gather Ingredients: Players choose through placement of their action tokens whether they take ingredients from the market or acquire them through research-based actions.
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Brew Potions: Players combine ingredients to create potions. They use the app (or calculation sheet) to record the reaction.
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Sell Potions: Players can sell potions to adventurers to earn gold. Each sale brings specific challenges based on the potion requested.
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Publish Theories: Players can publish theories about an ingredient’s properties. These must be consistent with their previous experiments. Theories can later be challenged and disproven by other players.
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Acquire Artifacts: Use gold to acquire powerful artifacts that offer special abilities or points.
Game End and Scoring
The game ends after six rounds. Then, reputation is calculated based on: - Completed and accurate theories - Sold potions and artifacts - Remaining gold
Players wrap up by reviewing conducted experiments and targeted research.
Strategic Tips
- Use Deduction: Carefully note your experiments and findings to help your theories become reality faster.
- Be Versatile: Prepare multiple potential theories in advance in case one is disproven or new insights emerge.
- Take Risks: Experiment intentionally even with little knowledge, if you can increase value through sales to adventurers.
- Interact with Other Players: Observe and follow other players' progress to either confirm or challenge their theories and gain points yourself.
