Potionomics: Masterwork Edition Brings Tons of Improvements to the Nintendo Switch (Mini-Review)

The Nintendo Switch welcomes another shop-management and deck-building game with Potionomics! Potionomics: Masterwork Edition blends cozy storytelling, strategic deck-building with card combos, and potion crafting. This edition introduces new features for a more relaxed experience, balancing its cozy vibes with challenging gameplay. How does it hold up?

Sylvia, a potion maker, inherits her late uncle’s potion shop along with his enormous debt. To save the shop and her future, she must figure out potion crafting, build relationships with quirky locals, and win brewing competitions. While the story leans on familiar genre clichés, its engaging characters and cozy narrative make it delightful.

Potionomics: Masterwork Edition enhances its core gameplay with new mechanics and features. Crafting potions requires players to balance ingredient combinations to create the highest-quality brews. Negotiation uses a card-based haggling mini-game similar to the combat in deck builders like Slay the Spire, where players build decks and play cards to maximize profits. Building relationships with Rafta’s residents, including optional romances, isn’t just for the shippers—it provides unique abilities and new negotiation cards exclusive to the partner.

The Masterwork Edition introduces a cozy difficulty that eases time constraints and a more challenging mode for players who already enjoyed the PC edition. Endless Mode is another welcome addition, allowing players to enjoy the gameplay indefinitely. These new features soften the difficulty of the original, eliminating the juxtaposition between hardcore min-maxing and cozy vibes. If players still want that sweaty shopkeeping experience with the constant threat of defaulting on debt, they can have that. 

Potionomics: Masterwork Edition features beautiful art direction and character designs, with each character radiating personality through both their appearances and interactions. The addition of full voice acting in this edition elevates the storytelling, making each scene more entertaining.

However, the Switch version faces technical challenges. Frequent loading screens disrupt the game’s pacing, and occasional visual glitches detract from the otherwise polished experience. Despite these setbacks, the vibrant visuals, character animations, and audio design create a cozy and captivating atmosphere for players.