Potionomics review – colourful adventures in magical capitalism

Voracious Games/XSEED Games; PC
Running a struggling potion shop, sourcing ingredients, haggling with customers and fending off the bank is all charming and stressful work in equal measure

Someone has to make all those potions that heroes quaff as they fight their way through dungeons, and in Potionomics, you're that person. You play as Sylvia, who has inherited a debt-ridden potion shop from her uncle, and your job is to turn around its fortunes by brewing better and better potions, selling them for a profit and keeping on top of the repayments to stop the bank from repossessing your business.

This isn't the first time a game has tasked players with running a shop or brewing potions, but rarely has it been done with such gorgeous presentation and charm. The vibrant colour palette and fluid animations are a delight to behold, and the quirky characters are a joy to spend time with. Roxanne, your voluptuous and catty potion-making rival, is particularly fun, and she's just one member of a colourful cast that also includes a rockstar bard cum hero, a cauldron-making walrus man and a chilled-out carpenter faun, among others. You can even date them if you build up enough rapport.