One of the world exclusives from the PC Gaming Showcase was the Voracious Games Potionomics, and published by XSeed Games.
Potionomics is a game about the business of brewing and selling magical potions. Players portray Sylvia, a young witch who must save her burgeoning potion shop from closing. Sylvia must master the art of potion brewing, but also be a savvy saleswoman, dealing with fickle customers in any way possible.
The quirky teaser trailer showcased a ton of mechanics, from selecting ingredients to throw into a pot, to setting up your potion shop and interacting with a ton of colorful characters. A lot of the characters included fellow merchants, adventurers, fantastical creatures, royal advisors, and tax collectors. Each has their own wants, desires, likes, and dislikes Sylvia must navigate to sell her wares.
One unique feature is the collection of cards with emotions and moods attached to them. When using these cards, it changes your interaction with customers, no doubt adding a dynamic layer of strategy catered specifically to how you sell your potions to your clientele. It is more than just selling potions, you got to make the pitch worthwhile for your customers by playing on their interests to make a deal.
To say the least, Potionomics is a weird mix of genres, pun intended. Potionomics definitely has a cute charm to it though, and the combination of genres certainly helps it stand out compared to other shop simulators or even other RPGs, like the Atelier series.
No release date was given for Potionomics, but XSeed Games stated it will be coming out for the PC soon.
