The Smile Alchemist

This game is somehow very reminiscent of the classic Atelier games---and by classic, I mean the ones that were for PS/PS2 (Atelier Marie~Atelier Iris). However, it's very simplistic in comparison, so it could be considered a good introduction to the genre. There is a story (and optional side stories) that you can do at any time, material gathering mini game (NOTE: it is *not* countdown timer, so don't need to rush it), and the alchemy system. The characters are very amusing and, as you get to know them, become more endearing... Despite their... odd names. The game is about resource management and gets a bit of hands-on understanding, but it's fairly forgiving to the point that I could consider this a cozy game.

***Short answer: GET WHILE ON SALE BELOW $10*** I have loved Kemco on mobile for quite some time, though I do dislike how there are still IAPs when you purchase the full games (not applicable here). However, this is a fun, simple game to play while listening to Youtube or other multitask options but that is why it is only worth less than $10. For the full price, I would expect much more engaging gameplay (i.e. Atelier series-esque) or more to explore in the map, but it is basically make things, sell things, do occasional tasks, read stories, and do a weird puzzle to collect. If this was on mobile, I'd pay $5 and probably enjoy it way more as time sink. (positive prior to mid game) ****UPDATE after the madness: To get to the end, it took several hours of mindless grinding and there were so many questions still unanswered. At first, I really like this game. But once it got the mid-end game...I felt the pain and it was not the fun kind. Suffering complete and so glad to uninstall.

This game follows the very adoreable Nayc in his efforts to become the best alchemist he can be! In terms of the look of the game, it's bright and it's cheerful. The characters are all drawn in a very cute way and things pop and animate in a pleasing, satisfying way. The gameplay is essentially what you would get if you made an entire game about crafting. You wont find action stages to explore or survival scenarios to endure. It's all for the joy of crafting, so you should know if this is the kind of experience you want! If you love MMO crafting or the crafting part of any game, you will love this. Unlocking different areas to send unlockable crafters to. Watching them get better at their job and return with more resources for you to use to further your alchemy. You will have sales targets to achieve and special orders, but there's never really any pressure and you can go at your own pace. The most satisfying thing by far though is filling out pages and pages of your big collection book of everything you can craft, as well as your badges and achievements, unlocking bonuses every step out of the way. As far as pacing goes, it can be easy to get a bit too obsessed with making ever…

[h1] Adorable game, but wait for a sale and keep a few things in in mind. [/h1] -The story was very sweet. I love all of the characters, as well as the subtle world-building introduced throughout the narrative. Not sure if it was intentional or not, but a lot of the characters' bad or silly decisions/solutions/reactions actually make a lot of sense considering the age-range of the main cast. Past the typical JRPG quirkiness, there's a lot of touching moments that show genuine character growth where they reflect on their actions. Many of the minor quests also tied in nicely with bigger plot happening in the background. I wish there were a few more side stories between the end of the main story and the grind to 100% Cyan's task list for the final side story. The task list is especially grindy with the "explore this area X amount times" type of quests. I bought a lot of materials through the store on my playthrough, so it took me a couple of extra hours to finish the area goals. It's a requirement to complete all of these tasks to unlock the New Game+ feature, which essentially carries over some data to make a second playthrough easier. -As others have said, if you're a completioni…

This is a strange title that is hard to describe and you have to like the tiny niche it falls into to recommend. The game is structured like a visual novel, but with a bit more gameplay. The gameplay mostly revolves around resource management, between your various energy types and item/materials for crafting. Events play out in VN fashion, with no choice in what occurs. Story steps have requirements of reaching a certain number of goals to trigger, or creating a specific item, so it can be a bit grindy between story steps. Anything that is not a cutscene is navigating menus or playing the collection minigame. Money and Distilled Water were the tightest resources. You need at minimum 10,000 distilled water through the course of the game, I was always needing to take adventurers out to get more. Thankfully later on you can craft the water without energy, but you also lose out on a chance to double it. Storywise it reminds me of an early Atelier (or Mana Khemia) game. Nayc is generally a lovable protagonist, somewhat like Rorona from Atelier. You're doing a lot of local and more personal goals rather than some big overarching plot like a typical RPG. Slice of life is…

bad game lot of grinding