Seattle-based Voracious Games is bringing AAA quality to the indie scene with their upcoming game, Potionomics. Their social media has consistently shown high levels of polish and design that rival the likes of Dreamworks and Pixar. Despite being relatively new, Voracious Games’ AAA pedigree promises a game that’s sure to bewitch its audience.
Have you ever wanted to play a RPG about a in-debt witch? I did, so I’m making a game about that. #gamedev #indiedev pic.twitter.com/3vfQBuJ0TT
— Potionomics⚗️Merch Launch! (@potionomics) September 13, 2016
Potionomics is a management game that follows Sylvia, a recent graduate witch who suddenly finds herself in debt when she returns home to her childhood potion shop. Together with her owl companion (the aptly named ‘Owl’), Sylvia must put her skills to the test as she brews her way up to a healthy profit margin!
Abracadabra, Potionomics Ho!
The most striking thing about Potionomics is how alive its characters feel. Even without dialogue, their distinct personalities come to life through colorful designs and emotive physicality. Between detailed character profiles and abundant animation clips, Voracious Games clearly harbors a deep love for their game.
In an interview with PC Gamer, the dev team discussed their design philosophy and how it translates into the game. “Before we start animation,” said character animator Sengamphon (Emily) Lattanavong, “Usually we will discuss the personality of the character.” This attention to detail is important not only for Potionomics‘ art, but its gameplay as well.
As a merchant-based management game, it’s easy to draw comparisons between Potionomics and Recettear. Where Recettear emphasized dungeon crawling in order to build your store’s inventory, Potionomics instead focuses on, of course, potion brewing. Buying the right ingredients, crafting the best potions, and haggling your way to profit seems to comprise the core gameplay loop.
AAA Work, Indie Passion
The confidence, consistency, and quality of Voracious Games’ posts are incredibly refreshing qualities to see in an indie developer. Not only does it speak towards their deep-rooted passion, it clearly shows their ability to see it through. While this will be the studio’s first indie release, the devs are certainly no strangers to this kind of work.
Potionomics is set for a to-be-announced release on Steam. Until then, the demo trailer below will be sure to get you bubbling with excitement!
https://youtu.be/i0lTmmP9yho
