Alchemy is really a very simple premise of a game. You start with 4 elements, and by combining them you create other elements (for example earth plus water equals mud), then from there you create other items by combining what you have. When I started out there was 270 items, but recently the author, through update has increased this total to 300.
Again, simple easy to understand and control wins the day. There is no lengthy manual for Alchemy… none is needed. Simply a couple of prompts that inform you of what to do on each screen and you are good to go. The things I like about games like Alchemy is that you can play them for as little or as much time as you have at any given time without losing your place. That being said, I have spent quite a bit of time mixing and finding combinations and have lost several hours to its addictive powers.
There are two things that make the game a bit frustrating… the negatives if you will. The first is that some of the combinations are just plain hard to figure out, and (as far as I can tell) there is no way, that based on logic alone that you will be able to figure all of them out. It has taken me at times, just addding a bunch of random items onto the screen to see what else I may come up with accidentally. The second is some of the items that are meant, I guess, as sort of tongue in cheek. For example (minor spoiler alert) combining cancer and Bicycle give you Lance Armstrong. I understand what they were going for… but it seemed a bit tacky to me.
But overall it is an enjoyable game that has a most excellent price of free. (It is ad supported). The author of the game on the website also offers “hint packs” as a source of revenue… this also borders a bit on the tacky side, but if you search the web, you will more than likely be able to find some clues without having to resort to paying for the clue packs. I don’t begrudge anybody for trying to earn money on the products they create, but I would rather he have a “pro” version that you could purchase, or just go ahead and have a donate link. Personally, I would be happy to pony up some cash for all the entertainment the game has provided. And right there, is about as good an endorsement as I think I can give. Here is a game that I would be willing to pay for, but (at least right now) you have have for the grand sum of nothing.
If you enjoy simple but addictive puzzle games, download it and give it a try. And don’t forget to come back and tell me what you thought of the game.
You can scan the following logo with your android phone and it will bring you directly to the game in the Android marketplace.
