Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator 2021 Review. Everything we know about Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator, the development history of Potion Craft

Contents:

• In hoc signo vinces, or Under this banner you will win
• Carpe diem, or Seize the moment

After playing Kingdom Come: Deliverance, Misha had the idea to create a full-fledged game dedicated to alchemy. He designed all the objects on paper, scanned them, and assembled a small prototype in Unity. It seems that Misha initially planned to continue drawing game objects by hand. This path is quite complicated and often ineffective. However, our publisher tinyBuild has a game called Trash Sailors, created entirely in watercolor, which shows that not everyone is afraid of a challenge.

Misha returned to his game prototype, recorded a few GIFs, and posted them on Reddit. The audience showed interest, and the post received numerous comments. Users suggested names for the game and shared ideas for improving the concept. In 2019, Misha demonstrated his work and the audience's reaction to representatives of tinyBuild. As a result, a publishing contract was signed. Until then, Misha had been working alone, but the publisher encouraged him to assemble a team to further develop the project. This decision was an important step in the development of the game and allowed us to attract more resources and ideas.

I became the first member of the Potion Craft development team. Several years ago, I was studying graphic design at St. Petersburg State University, where I met a friend of Misha's. When Misha began building his team, I was working as a freelancer. My portfolio included medieval-themed projects, which later became the basis for Potion Craft's visual design. A mutual friend recommended me to Misha, and this happened in the summer of 2019.

Before we finalized the agreement, I started generating ideas and exploring styles. Eventually, I became the project's artist. In the fall, two programmers joined us, and a year later, we hired a game designer. Since then, our team of five has been continuing to develop Potion Craft.

The entire team works remotely. This allows employees to access projects and collaborate with each other from anywhere. Remote work allows for schedule flexibility and promotes productivity. Each team member can organize their workspace to best facilitate task completion. We actively utilize modern technologies for communication and collaboration, which allows us to maintain a high level of collaboration and achieve our goals.

We've been working from home since the very beginning, even before the pandemic. Our team consists of three people from St. Petersburg: myself, Misha, and programmer Sasha. Vlad, the lead programmer, is based in Moscow, and game designer Philip lives in Elista. We've never met Philip in person, as the commute from St. Petersburg to Moscow is quite convenient, while Kalmykia is more difficult to get to. We planned to attend the DevGAMM conference in September with the entire team, but various challenges, including the coronavirus, made this difficult. In the end, only three of us were able to attend.

You mentioned that you studied graphic design and have already created works in a medieval style. Is Potion Craft your first game you've helped develop?

It's my first game, although I've previously created something similar in Unity. I developed an app for the Children's Center of the Tver Museum, which features a corner with a reconstructed Russian izba. Next to it is a touchscreen with an app that is an interactive encyclopedia of ancient Russian holidays. Visitors can switch between the 12 months of the year, each accompanied by interactive elements and minigames. The app's design is in a naive medieval style, similar to Potion Craft, with vibrant lines and bright colors. The project's producer described the desired style as a combination of "popular prints and the works of Tom Murr."

Tom Murr is the founder of the Irish studio Cartoon Saloon, which became famous for creating three key cartoons: "The Secret "The Secret of Kells," "Song of the Sea," and "The Legend of the Wolves." Released in 2009, "The Secret of Kells" had a significant impact on my perception of animation while I was still at university. Its unique visual style and profound storyline left an indelible mark on my creative life. Cartoon Saloon continues to develop amazing animated projects that captivate audiences worldwide and showcase the richness of Irish culture and mythology. After completing the museum project, I immersed myself in freelancing for two years. During this period, I did not have work in the gaming industry, but I received a commission from a holiday resort near St. Petersburg. The owner of the resort planned to create a Viking village on its territory and asked me to design a map in a style similar to the map from Kingdom Come. At the time, I was impressed by the quality of the maps and interfaces featured in that game. Thus, our team can express our gratitude to Warhorse Studio: they not only proposed the main concept, but also inspired me to search for a unique style for the project.

The map from Kingdom Come immersed many players in a medieval aesthetic inspired by engravings and miniatures. The Warhorse team used the style of miniatures from medieval Books of Hours as a basis, but didn't simply copy it. The artists reimagined this style, making it more accessible. However, not all developers follow this example. The mobile game Marginalia Hero, for example, uses strange imagery, such as snails with swords and battles between hares and knights. While this may seem cute to connoisseurs, for a general audience such images look out of place. Next year, the French game Inkulinati will be released, in which the developers also reinterpret imagery from medieval miniatures. Our team took a different approach: we aimed to preserve the spirit of the Middle Ages, while adapting it for modern sensibilities in order to create a unique and engaging experience for players.

You guessed it, I'm going to ask about strange medieval images. These works of art often cause surprise and even bewilderment in modern viewers. They are full of symbolism and reflect the worldview of people of that era. Medieval artists used unusual imagery and allegories to convey religious ideas and moral lessons. By studying these images, one can better understand the cultural and historical contexts in which they were created. Interestingly, many of them still raise questions and debates among art historians, which makes them especially attractive to researchers and art lovers.

Marginalia, or comments in the margins of medieval books, are an interesting aspect of historical culture. The word "margin" Marginalia literally means "margins," and it's in these margins that funny or obscene images often appear. These unique graphic elements have attracted the attention of historians and medievalists, who explore the reasons for their appearance. Often, marginalia served as a place for ironic comments by scribes or their creative wordplay. These images can be seen as medieval memes, mixing images of a hare and a knight or a woman and a man, which evoked laughter in contemporaries. I particularly like the aesthetics of marginalia. In Russia, many people learned about it thanks to the project "Suffering Middle Ages", which helps popularize this fascinating topic.

Our team didn't set out to introduce marginalia into the game. They merely served as conceptual inspiration for our project. We aimed to create something light and engaging. Our design style is more reminiscent of engravings: lines, shadows, and contours that evoke the early printed books of the 16th century. We emphasized detail to convey the atmosphere of that era and make the gameplay more engaging for users.

In hoc signo vinces, or Under this banner you will win

Art for games differs significantly from illustrations for books or museum exhibits. First and foremost, game graphics require dynamism and interactivity. Unlike static images used in books or exhibitions, game illustrations must be adapted for user interaction. This means creating characters and environments that can respond to player actions, which makes them more complex to execute.

Furthermore, games require a high degree of detail and optimization of graphics for various platforms. Game artists must take performance limitations into account to ensure smooth game performance. This requires them to be able to compromise between image quality and technical parameters.

Unlike games, art for books and museums is most often focused on static images and conveying a specific concept or mood. Here, the emphasis is on artistic expression and storytelling, allowing artists to utilize more complex compositions and styles.

It's also worth noting that illustrations for books and museums can be more free in their approach and style, while game graphics must adhere to specific visual standards and a style consistent with the game mechanics and storyline. Thus, each field of graphic art has its own unique requirements and challenges, making them distinct in their approach and implementation.

The main difference in an artist's work in the games industry is the need to understand how the animation will interact with the image. This requires proper layering of the graphics. For example, in the game Potion Craft, customers at first glance have a minimal number of animations: they enter the store, turn their heads, and change facial expressions, demonstrating emotions of joy or irritation. However, in reality, each character can consist of 50 or even 100 layers. This is due to the many unnoticeable animations. For example, some characters have potions attached to a rivet on their belt that opens and closes during animation, while others may carry the potion under their arm. Thus, attention to detail in the artist's work plays a key role in creating an immersive gaming experience.

The game features a variety of head shapes, facial features, hairstyles, and headwear. These elements are separate layers that must be harmoniously combined. For example, if we have 15 male head shapes and 20 male hairstyles, this already creates 300 unique combinations. Adding helmets and headwear to this, the number of options increases significantly. Such tasks require special attention and careful elaboration, unlike the work of a book illustrator, where the image remains static and does not require such complex synchronization.

Perhaps it was easier for me, since I've always been passionate about animation. Often, when working on commissioned projects, I'd find elements I liked and add animation to them out of curiosity. One such project was an app for the Children's Center of the Tver Museum, where I collaborated with programmers working in the Unity platform for the first time. This experience helped me better understand how to properly communicate layouts and source materials to make the animation process more convenient and efficient. Choosing animation for games can be a complex process, especially when it comes to projects like Potion Craft. This game uses a lot of frame-by-frame animation, but also includes physical elements, such as the strings of the scale in the shop. The release of steam from the boiler is a good example of classic frame-by-frame animation. Potion Craft uses composite animations, such as the fur in the lab. Initially, I tried animating them frame-by-frame, but ultimately decided to use After Effects, adding shape (vector) animation. This allowed me to create a sequence of frames with a transparent background, which significantly improved the quality of the animation. Thus, working with 2D animation for games requires considering many nuances and specifics.

Many people learned about Potion Craft after the game's release in Early Access, when it took first place in the Steam sales charts. How did your team react to this success? Did you expect such a result?

We were pleasantly surprised that our game took first place in the sales charts and held that position for several days. However, we initially believed that the game would attract attention and find its customers. An important step before entering Early Access was the publication of free demos, which we offered to players. Playtesting began in the winter of 2020 and was available to everyone. We received extensive feedback, which allowed us to refine the game. The demo remained open for six months, which contributed to the active formation of a community around the project. We primarily focused on Discord, but also actively used social media. We noticed that the community is growing and players are enjoying the early versions of the game. Participants actively shared their opinions and ideas, which contributed to the continued interest in Potion Craft. As a result, more and more people added our game to their wishlists on Steam.

Before releasing the game in Early Access, we were concerned about the presence of critical errors that could negatively affect the rating. That's why we focused heavily on testing. All team members, especially Misha and game designer Philipp, participated in this process. As a result, there were no critical bugs at release. However, some issues did arise, such as with saves. We quickly addressed these issues and have already released three hotfixes, which have resolved numerous issues.

I interviewed the developers of Loop Hero, a well-known Russian indie game. They emphasized the importance of building a community around the project from the very beginning. It's essential to find people willing to play early versions of the game and ask them for support right up until the release. This advice will be useful for anyone planning to get into game development, as active engagement with the audience can significantly increase the chances of a project's success.

Do you have any information on the full release date for Potion Craft?

We don't have a specific release date for updates yet, but we've already developed many ideas and planned features. Our goal is to create a truly engaging game. The team is currently small, but we have plans for expansion, although I can't share specific details yet. We are completely focused on the development of Potion Craft and are truly passionate about this project. We are delighted to see that players are enjoying the current version of the game, and we are confident that with the addition of all planned features, Potion Craft will become even more engaging and popular. We place great importance on our community, and player feedback is extremely important to us. We carefully read all comments and take them into account during development. All bug reports are logged, and we strive to fix them. Many ideas for improving balance and controls came to us from players, and we are grateful for that.

We are considering porting Potion Craft to other platforms. This will allow more players to enjoy the unique gameplay and atmosphere of our game. We understand that expanding accessibility across various devices can significantly increase our audience and help us achieve new successes. We are carefully studying player feedback and technical aspects to ensure the best experience on each platform.

Plans are already developed, but details will be discussed closer to the release date.

Early Access provides many benefits for developers and players. Firstly, it allows developers to receive valuable feedback from the community, which helps improve the game early on. Players, in turn, have the opportunity to try new features first and contribute to the development of the project. However, not all games are suitable for Early Access. Some projects require more thorough polishing before they can be presented to a wider audience. It's important to consider the game type and target audience to determine whether Early Access will be effective in a particular case.

Our game is ideal for Early Access because it doesn't have a clearly defined narrative: it's not something you can finish in two hours and then forget about. Potion Craft is a sandbox that allows players to spend countless hours experimenting. For example, many users already spent over 200 hours in the demo, despite the limited content. They enjoyed exploring recipes, finding unique solutions, and creating their own challenges. We've been inspired by this interest ourselves and now organize weekly challenges on Discord, such as "brew a potion with a poem description," "brew a potion using only mushrooms," or "brew a potion using only prickly ingredients." These activities foster community interaction and maintain engagement with the game.

In Potion Craft, users can spend a lot of time creating their own goals and objectives. This approach contributes to receiving feedback and effective development of the project. It is difficult to speak definitively about the financial aspects of entering early access. However, if the game is a sandbox and is intended to be developed in depth, Early Access may be a sensible solution. Years of development without feedback can be detrimental to the team. In our case, having a demo helped us get feedback from players. I don't understand how anyone can work on a project for two or three years alone without sharing it with the audience and knowing what users think. This is not only wrong, but also mentally taxing, as there's a risk of missing important aspects that will be difficult to correct later. Early Access is a logical step, allowing players who want to support the project financially to contribute.

You mentioned interacting with the community on the Discord server. Do all members of the development team participate in these activities?

Misha is actively involved in interacting with the community, as is our game designer, Philip. We also have a community manager from the publisher who also provides support. Ahead of the Early Access launch, we promoted several active community members to Grand Master status. These players now propose ideas for new challenges, monitor their progress, and moderate discussions. This initiative allowed our team to focus on development, while active players get the opportunity to influence the gameplay, which makes interaction even more engaging.

You have organized your work with the community very well, paying attention to even the smallest details. It seems that such an approach is only available to large studios, but you managed to implement it even with a small team.

We have a publisher who provides significant support. From the very beginning, we were assigned a community manager, and tinyBuild took care of all marketing. If we tried to handle everything ourselves, we would hardly have been able to devote enough time to development.

Carpe diem, or Seize the Moment

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the popularity of simulators, including such unique projects as a goose simulator and a surgeon simulator. This trend can be explained by several factors. Firstly, simulators offer players the opportunity to immerse themselves in various roles and situations, creating a rich and varied experience. They allow them to experience emotions and feelings that may not be possible in real life. Secondly, many simulators feature simple and intuitive controls, making them accessible to a wide audience. Furthermore, modern graphics and realistic physics enhance immersion, making the game more engaging. Thus, the combination of creativity, accessibility, and innovative technology contributes to the growing popularity of simulators among players.

Potion Craft is not just a simulator, but an engaging puzzle game, as players emphasize in their reviews. The game's primary focus is problem-solving, which brings enjoyment and delight to players. This unique approach to gameplay is receiving positive feedback and attracting the attention of both simulation and puzzle game enthusiasts.

Simulation games are becoming increasingly popular, and the reasons for this phenomenon are quite multifaceted. One of the main appeals of simulation games is the player's ability to experience progression through gameplay. These games offer a unique opportunity to try on various roles without having to spend years learning or practicing. This is similar to childhood games in which a child becomes a knight, a robber, or a doctor, recreating scenarios that are not yet possible in real life. Computer simulations offer an immersive experience, allowing players to imagine themselves as anyone from an alchemist to a goose. Thus, simulations not only entertain but also allow players to explore new identities and skills in a safe and engaging environment.

When analyzing the evolution of video games, certain patterns emerge. Initially, games were limited to simple arcades and platformers. With the development of technology, the gaming industry began actively introducing stories and narratives. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in simulation games, which may be a reaction to the boom in story-driven games that occurred 10-15 years ago. Players have begun to recognize the pleasure of simulation games, as in such games they can independently formulate goals and objectives. Thus, game development occurs not only within the confines of software code, but also in the imaginations of the players themselves.

Simulators are becoming increasingly popular, and one of the reasons for this is their broad nature as a genre. Simulators range from Microsoft Flight Simulator to games like Papers, Please, which combine elements of a simulator, a puzzle, and a story-driven adventure into a single package. This diversity creates ample scope for creativity and the implementation of new ideas, making simulators unique and appealing to players. Thanks to this, the genre continues to evolve, offering users new and interesting experiences.

Children's games often reflect the professional roles they observe in real life. For example, children understand that a police officer's job is to apprehend criminals, but since they can't participate in real-life operations, they find alternative ways to implement this idea in a game. This can be a fun activity that develops imagination and creativity. For example, the game Potion Craft is both a simulator and a puzzle. It takes elements of real life and transforms them into an immersive gameplay experience. Creating a simulator may seem simple—just transfer the real-life process to the screen. However, to be successful, it must be made engaging and interesting for players. This is what makes Potion Craft unique—the combination of real-life action and a creative approach to gameplay.

Game mechanics are a key element, and Potion Craft implements them successfully. I'd like to point out that developing this mechanic wasn't my idea, but the result is truly impressive. The physical and logical aspects of the potion-making process are successfully combined. Many users note in their reviews that the crafting system in our game is significantly different from their usual solutions, which they have become tired of. Unlike the standard approach, where players simply place ingredients into slots and receive a finished product, we aimed to make Potion Craft more interactive. Players should feel as if they are the ones brewing the potions. However, this mechanic also has its drawbacks: some players report that their hands become tired from the repetitive manipulation. We are actively working on improving the controls for such cases, possibly implementing automatic ingredient breaking. Our goal is to create a game that brings joy and pleasure, not physical discomfort.

The plants and mushrooms players use to create potions in Potion Craft are some of the most visually appealing aspects of the game. When creating their appearance and properties, we strove to find a balance between real-world prototypes and elements of fantasy. Some of these elements are based on existing plants and mushrooms, which gives the game a certain degree of realism and recognizability. At the same time, we are adding unique characteristics and visual elements to create an engaging and original gameplay experience. This approach allows players to immerse themselves in a world of alchemy and creativity, creating a variety of potions with unique effects.

When I'm outdoors, I often photograph leaves, berries, and mushrooms. My team members also actively share their ideas and interesting plant images. I try to create new ingredients that aren't exact replicas of real plants. I often combine elements of different plants: for example, I'll use the shape of a banana and the texture of coconut hair. Or I'll take the outline of a dragon fruit but color it dark blue. For some ingredients, I exaggerate the proportions, creating, for example, an overly thick mushroom stem or an unnaturally lumpy beetroot. This approach helps me create unique and memorable images, which attracts attention to my work.

Our Discord community held a challenge in which participants could suggest new ideas for ingredients and potion bases. In the current version of the game, potion bases are limited to water, but oil and wine are planned for future additions. Participants shared many interesting and creative ideas. We will definitely take these suggestions into account when developing new ingredients, which will help diversify the gameplay and make it more engaging.

When working with ingredients, it's important to understand how they behave in a mortar. Soft botanicals and crystals require different approaches when grinding. Soft ingredients are easier to process: the grinding process can be visualized as a sequential animation, where each frame shows the reduction in volume until a homogeneous mass is obtained. Crystals and hard ingredients are more complex: they break into two pieces on the first strike, each of which then breaks into even smaller fragments until they are reduced to fine crumbs. Determining which line to strike the crystal along to achieve the desired result, and doing so realistically, is a task that requires attention and creativity. I never imagined I'd be doing something like this.

The player's home includes an attic—a separate space designed exclusively for sleeping. Currently, there are no other interactions in this space, which is disappointing, especially considering a full-fledged room was created for the attic. Perhaps in the future, the developers will add new features that will allow players to use the attic more actively and diversely.

This room has the potential for future updates, allowing it to be used for more than just sleeping. We have a lot of ideas, but I can't share any specific details yet. We'll likely feature a functional calendar, and we're also planning to introduce the ability to purchase decor that can be placed in different rooms. The attic will become more multifunctional, as will the garden. Currently, the garden functions quite simply: ingredients grow automatically. We plan to expand its capabilities in the future. Our goal is to fill every corner of the house with a variety of activities to make the gameplay more engaging and interesting for players.

Potion Craft has many fun details, including cameos by famous characters and witty descriptions of ingredients. However, the game world as a whole feels like a typical medieval fantasy. I wonder if we can expect a deeper narrative development in the future, or if the developers intend to focus solely on improving the gameplay?

Everything regarding the narrative and plot development is in the active development stage. We have a lot of ideas, but no decisions have been made yet. Currently, the primary focus is on developing gameplay mechanics. The existing structure is already prepared for the integration of a more complex storyline, should we decide to implement it. However, gameplay remains the priority, and it requires significantly more effort. Plans include adding new mechanics, new cards, and additional rules. Developing and balancing these elements is our top priority, and narrative creation has been temporarily postponed.

If you want to create artwork for games, but are facing difficulties, here are a few Tips to help you get started and develop in this direction. First of all, it's important to understand that drawing is a skill that takes time and practice. Start with the basics, mastering basic drawing techniques and color theory. Regular practice will help you improve your skills.

Study the work of other artists, analyze their style and technique. This will give you an idea of ​​​​how to approach creating game illustrations. Don't be afraid to experiment with different styles and tools to find what suits you best.

Create your own projects, even if they seem unfinished. This will help you gain experience and develop your style. Participate in online communities and forums where you can share your work and receive feedback from other artists. This will not only help you improve your skills but also expand your network of contacts in the gaming industry.

Finally, be patient and persistent. Success doesn't come instantly, but consistent effort and a desire to learn will inevitably lead you to the desired results.

My path into the game development industry was unusual, but perhaps it's the same for most people. Who among us has a standard path? From the very beginning, I wanted to get into game development, but I didn't know where to start. I studied job postings on HeadHunter and Telegram channels, paying attention to the demand for artists in this field. A few years ago, most employers were looking for specialists working in a casual style for mobile games. I thought, "Yes, I can learn to draw in this style, but it's not quite what I want to do." I'm much more interested in developing my own unique style. So, I continued to periodically browse job postings and freelance, while simultaneously honing my skills.

The modern gaming industry is demonstrating significant development. Players are no longer limited to the photorealistic graphics offered by large AAA studios. They are open to experimental visual solutions and unconventional artistic styles. This creates unique opportunities for artists, allowing them to experiment and find an audience even with the most unusual concepts. As a result, the diversity of visual design in games is becoming one of the key factors in their appeal to players.

Getting into the industry with your own style can be challenging. I personally joined the development team through connections. Nevertheless, my path and the skills I acquired proved useful. If you're looking to find and develop your own style, start drawing for fun and create pseudo-game projects that only appear to be games. Add your work to your portfolio to increase your chances of being noticed. Use active hashtags and participate in events on Instagram and Twitter that are aimed at illustrators. These methods will help increase your visibility and draw attention to your work.

The gaming industry is experiencing rapid development, and more and more people are looking to enter the field. Narrative artists note high competition, but the situation for 2D artists requires separate analysis. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of games with outstanding visuals. A prime example is The Banner Saga series, which impresses with classic 2D animation and meticulously crafted backgrounds, trees, bushes, and hills. A decade ago, such visual solutions seemed unachievable, even though the technical capabilities already existed. In today's world, the visual value of games plays a key role and is becoming more important than ever before. This opens up new horizons for artists and developers looking to create unique and memorable game projects.

Your description really does resemble the evolution of fine art. Initially, artists sought to accurately reflect reality, but over time, various artistic movements emerged that offered new interpretations of reality. Impressionism, pointillism, and Fauvism became emblematic of this process, opening new horizons for creativity and perception. Each of these styles brought unique techniques and approaches, changing ideas about beauty and artistic expression. Thus, art continues to evolve, reflecting changes in perception of the world and human emotions.

Indeed, it is possible to draw such a parallel.

There is no ideal path into the profession. The main factor is personal experience. Even if you came to game development through acquaintances, it matters. This emphasizes the importance of communicating with people working in game development or with those who know developers. Establishing contacts in the industry can open new opportunities and help with career advancement.

Finally, it is worth considering participating in events for game designers. Moscow and St. Petersburg regularly host meetups where you can meet like-minded people and industry professionals. If you have information about studios or publishers specializing in games in the genre you're interested in, don't miss the opportunity to reach out to them. This could be a great start to your career in the gaming industry.