Anvil and Alembic

Anvil and Alembic is a single-player fantasy shop-keeping simulation set in an adventurers’ outfitter on the edge of a realm. The player operates three crafts under one roof: smithing (daggers, swords, axes, spears and greatswords made at the workbench, forge and great forge), armouring (caps, mail, plate and shields made at the armourer’s bench and tanning rack) and alchemy (health, mana, strength, luck and other potions made at the cauldron, alchemy table and alembic). Each order can be made from a material grade ranging from budget to masterwork, and recipes can be progressed through Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers, which affects prices and customer satisfaction. More than 80 blueprints are available through a multi-tier research tree.

Over twenty customer types visit the shop, including townsfolk, militia, rangers, sellswords, dwarven warriors, mages, knights, nobles and royal envoys, each with different budgets and preferences. Pricing influences demand, and VIP customers pay double for higher-quality goods. Players can also recruit adventurers and send them on expeditions using gear crafted in the shop, with better equipment improving their chances. Daily omens indicate what to prepare for, and an adventurer who survives repeated quests can reach Legend status and eventually retire into the shop as a helper.

The workshop can be designed and expanded using hundreds of furniture pieces, floor and wall styles, lighting, wall art and garden items, with adjoining plots and an upper floor available for purchase. Staff, including a blacksmith, armourer, alchemist, shop hand and minstrel, can be hired and levelled. Progression is structured around ten shop ranks that unlock research, rooms, staff and events, alongside an Alchemists’ Guild story questline, frontier campaigns involving seven factions, and endgame Master Forge endowments. Seasons and festivals alter demand and lighting, and the game features a low-poly 3D world with day and night cycles and seasonal weather, 52 achievements, interface localisation in 14 languages, the ability to pause at any time and no fail states.