Alchemists
RULES
- Goal
- As an alchemist, combine and test ingredients to build accurate theories and earn reputation and points.
- Flow
- Each round, place action cubes to gather ingredients, run experiments, sell potions, publish theories, and more, checking experiment results through the app.
- Win
- After 6 rounds, whoever has the highest combined reputation, artifact, and grant score wins.
- Twist
- Experiment results are only judged through the app, so publishing a false theory costs you negative points if exposed.
A standout deduction-and-worker-placement strategy game where players become alchemists, using a companion mobile app to experiment with and deduce the hidden alchemical properties (polarity, color, size) of 8 ingredients, then publish their theories. It masterfully combines the bluffing thrill of boldly announcing a false theory before you know the real properties, hoping to bait an opponent, with the intellectual challenge of nailing down every property through pure logical elimination — a masterwork of deduction meets Euro strategy for advanced players.
※When a player feels intense fatigue from using a mobile app for a board game, or from the deduction (elimination-logic) system of calculating ingredient combinations alone behind a screen; or when heavy overthinking stretches playtime past 3 hours and downtime peaks.
As an Amazon Associate, Tabletop Lens earns from qualifying purchases.
Scores by situation
New faces+−
♡♡☆☆☆ [Awkward/Entry Barrier] Just explaining the rules takes 20+ minutes, and you need to understand the mobile-app experiments and the complex deduction logic table (a puzzle behind your screen). The barrier to entry is far too high to bring out for a light icebreaker with strangers or players new to board games.
Close friends+−
♡♡☆☆☆ [Dopamine Deficit] Even among close friends, play tends to be long stretches of quiet as everyone combines and deduces alchemical properties behind their own screen rather than chatting, leading to long thinking times and silence. Since it's dominated by brain-splitting logic battles rather than loud laughs, it doesn't suit lifting the mood.
Strategy+−
♡♡♡♡★ [Lifetime Favorite] The fusion of deduction systems with Euro strategy (worker placement and resource management) is near-perfect. The catharsis of precisely proving a theory a step ahead of the other alchemists through rigorous logical deduction, or getting away with a bluffed theory to the very end and scooping points, delivers maximum satisfaction to intermediate/advanced strategists.
Couple+−
♡♡♡☆☆ [Quiet Healing] There's interaction in challenging each other's theories, but the main joy comes from solving the ingredient puzzle behind your own screen. Couples or partners who love heavy strategic puzzles will enjoy sitting side by side, putting their heads together for some intellectual exploration.
Duel+−
♡♡♡♡☆ [Soul-Level Sharp] Even in 2-player mode, the taut tension of competing over deduction, claiming theories first, and timing your challenges holds up beautifully as a 1-on-1 mind game. With minimal luck involved, the catharsis of overpowering your opponent through pure logic and psychology is superb — a true brain-burning duel.
Gateway+−
♡♡☆☆☆ [Why Now?] A masterpiece that highly integrates deduction and worker placement, but the rule complexity, fiddly exceptions, and the difficulty of the behind-the-screen deduction puzzle are considerable. A board game newcomer tackling this as their first strategy game may find it head-splittingly exhausting — better to work up to it through easier Euro strategy games first.
Frequently asked questions
How many players does Alchemists need?
4 players, and it is at its best with 4.
How long does a game of Alchemists take?
About 120–150 minutes per game, plus roughly 20 minutes to teach the rules.
Is Alchemists hard to learn?
It sits at 4 out of 5 on rules weight. The balance is 10 luck / 70 skill / 20 read, so the stronger player usually wins.
Who is Alchemists good for?
It fits Strategy and Duel especially well. One caveat: When a player feels intense fatigue from using a mobile app for a board game, or from the deduction (elimination-logic) system of calculating ingredient combinations alone behind a screen; or when heavy overthinking stretches playtime past 3 hours and downtime peaks.
How do you win Alchemists?
After 6 rounds, whoever has the highest combined reputation, artifact, and grant score wins. The goal is As an alchemist, combine and test ingredients to build accurate theories and earn reputation and points.
Played it?
Rate a game and we will lean your picks toward what you like.