Info about Brew:

Official game description:
Brew is an action-packed roguelite that emphasizes quick thinking and resource management in the midst of battle. With an intuitive crafting system, you can create an abundance of different potions to aid you in attempting your alchemy exams!
Gather ingredients and brew them up into powerful potions in the midst of battle! Use the potions to climb further into The Tower, by drinking and temporarily boosting yourself, throwing to affect the enemies and environment around you, or loading into your weapon to upgrade your potion gun! Achieve mastery over alchemy by utilizing potion abilities to create fierce combos!
Unlock unique badges and learn new potion recipes to create your own unique playstyle! With a wide variety of potion upgrades, character skills and secret rooms inside The Tower to unlock, you will feel like a true alchemy student learning new abilities after every class!
Get to know your fellow classmates and professors. Converse with them, try to impress them with a gift or spend your days hanging out with them! Deepening your friendships is the key to enjoying the student life at the Alchemy Academy!

Release date: Nov 6, 2025

Categories: Action Roguelike, Third-Person Shooter, Crafting, Roguelite, Character Progression, NPC Relationships & Romance, Resource Management, Procedural Generation

Feature scans:
- Steam Deck: score 80; verdict: Broken - Frequent Crashes and Input Drift; summary: The game suffers from frequent crashes, screen flickering, and input drift, making it unreliable on Steam Deck. While basic keyboard and mouse controls are noted as functional, stability and cursor issues create a high-friction experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $15.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence shows mixed sentiment: some players feel the $20 base price is too high, while one reviewer believes it is underpriced. The majority find the sale price of $16 to be a good value, indicating a fair price range between $15 and $20. One review explicitly states $20 is too expensive for an unknown game, and the sale purchase suggests $16 is acceptable. The opposing view that the game is too cheap at $20 is a minority opinion but still considered, resulting in the upper bound of $20.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 10.0h
  - Story completion: 5.0h
  - Session length: 2.0h
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: Game completion evidence comes from 'Takes about 10h to 100%' and 'I reached the end in about 12 hours' indicating 100% achievement completion and full story completion respectively, with 10h as the most explicit figure. Story completion evidence from 'Beaten in about 4-5 hours' and 'I reached the end in about 12 hours' suggests a range, but 4-5h is a common early completion figure. Session length evidence from 'You can finish a run in about two hours' represents typical run duration; 'played it 6 hours straight on the first day' is a longer outlier. No evidence quantifies endgame playtime, so null is returned.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game starts with a slow, clunky progression that feels unrewarding, but after investing the first hour or two into unlocking meta-progression upgrades, the gameplay becomes more viable and satisfying.
  - Stance: Clicks after
  - Anchor: Unlocking upgrades that make resource management more viable
  - Time to anchor: N/A
  - Friction: slow progression; unclear onboarding; clunky early gameplay; repetition; resource scarcity; trial and error
  - Unlock drivers: meta-progression upgrades; resource management upgrades; boss knowledge; unlocking skills and power boosts
  - Conditions: player tolerance for early grind; understanding of game systems; unlocking resource management upgrades; unlocking meta-progression skills; learning boss patterns; acquiring health items
- Player Archetypes:
  - Completionist Achievement Hunter (sale)
    - Motivation: Efficiently unlock all achievements with minimal time investment
    - Playstyle: Systematic, goal-oriented runs, tracking achievement requirements
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: achievement huntress
    - Reference games: N/A
  - Roguelite Build Crafter (buy)
    - Motivation: Experiment with potion combinations and unlock permanent upgrades
    - Playstyle: Experimenting with different builds, optimizing potion synergies
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: roguelike fan
    - Reference games: Hades; Risk of Rain; Gunfire Reborn
  - Cozy Aesthetic Explorer (buy)
    - Motivation: Enjoy charming characters and a relaxing, casual gameplay experience
    - Playstyle: Casual runs, focusing on fun and exploration rather than optimization
    - Experience: newcomer
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: beginner roguelite player
    - Reference games: Ratchet & Clank
  - Polished Experience Seeker (no buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking a polished, bug-free experience before purchase
    - Playstyle: Critical evaluation of game quality, withholding recommendation until issues are fixed
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: no buy
    - Labels: N/A
    - Reference games: N/A


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Game is very fun (weight 0.4): Multiple reviews consistently describe the game as fun, addictive, charming, and enjoyable. The core gameplay loop is praised for being both satisfying and engaging.
- Potion system is creative (weight 0.33): The unique potion system is a standout feature, praised for being fast, creative, and decisive. It adds depth and variety to the gameplay, with options to drink, throw, or load potions into weapons.
- Characters are charming (weight 0.28): The character designs, animations, and personalities are frequently praised for being cute, expressive, and full of charm. NPC interactions are memorable and add to the game's appeal.
- Visual style is appealing (weight 0.26): The visual style and art direction receive high praise for being captivating, charismatic, and stylized. Bright, pleasant graphics with cute character designs contribute to the game's charm.
- Music is great (weight 0.11): The game's soundtrack is surprisingly good and adds to the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the music and sound design, which are described as wonderful and well done.
- Combat is satisfying (weight 0.09): The combat becomes highly satisfying once players get used to it, offering rewarding and fun gameplay. It is described as super fun and rewarding.
- Game feels like Ratchet and Clank (weight 0.09): Several comparisons to Ratchet and Clank highlight the game's unique playstyle, fast-paced action, and slick vibe. This indicator suggests a level of polish and excitement familiar to fans of the classic series.
- Game has potential (weight 0.08): While some reviewers mention the game's potential, they also note it offers a good challenge and is worth trying. The overall sentiment is positive, seeing room for growth or a strong future.

Common complaints:
- Frequent bugs and glitches (weight 0.31): Players report various bugs and jank, including animation issues, glitches, and problems that can lock out runs. These issues contribute to an overall lack of polish.
- Sound quality needs improvement (weight 0.18): Multiple reviews mention poor sound design, including missing effects, poor mixing, and inconsistent audio levels. Specific issues include very quiet sound effects, imbalanced audio, and dissatisfying melee sounds.
- Limited content and length (weight 0.14): Many players note that the game has little content and can be beaten quickly, often sooner than expected. This suggests a lack of depth or replay value.
- Cutscenes have janky transitions (weight 0.11): Cutscenes suffer from technical issues like janky transitions, typos, and characters' mouths flapping after scenes end. These issues detract from the narrative experience.
- Healing system is too stingy (weight 0.11): Players find healing options very limited, making damage feel punishing. This encourages hoarding potions and ingredients rather than using them freely.
- Game is too easy (weight 0.11): Several reviews state the game is too easy, with players beating it on early tries. This reduces challenge and long-term engagement.
- Progression feels slow (weight 0.06): Global progression is seen as slow, making it difficult for players to see tangible improvement. This can reduce motivation to continue playing.
- Crafting system is frustrating (weight 0.06): Crafting, especially potions, is not intuitive or satisfying, with annoying base material requirements. This detracts from the gameplay experience.
- No voice acting present (weight 0.06): The game lacks voice acting entirely, which may reduce immersion and narrative impact. This is a notable omission for a story-driven game.
- Guns feel underpowered (weight 0.06): The standard gun's damage is considered underwhelming, making combat feel less satisfying. This may push players to rely on other weapons.
- Lacks content outside main loop (weight 0.06): The game fails to introduce the core gameplay loop effectively and offers little outside of it. This limits variety and player interest.
- Main character is unattractive (weight 0.06): Players describe the main character as looking gross or ugly, which may affect their connection to the protagonist. This is a subjective but common complaint.
- Animations are unpolished (weight 0.06): Some animations feel noticeably unpolished, rough, and repetitive, affecting the overall presentation. This contributes to a sense of jankiness.

Gameplay feedback:
- Potion system offers versatility (weight 0.65): Players can drink potions for buffs, throw them for area effects, or load them into guns to modify attacks. This three-way usage adds strategic depth and flexibility to combat.
- Roguelite genre with tower (weight 0.43): The game combines roguelite progression with a tower-climbing structure that becomes progressively harder. Runs and out-of-run upgrades mirror familiar roguelite mechanics.
- Third-person shooter perspective (weight 0.26): The game is consistently described as a third-person shooter roguelite. This perspective ties together the fast-paced shooting and potion-based mechanics.
- Potion brewing and crafting (weight 0.2): Players collect materials to brew potions, with effects depending on ingredients and element choices. Crafting is central to gameplay, allowing experimentation and customization.
- Rapid in-combat crafting (weight 0.11): Players can craft potions quickly during combat, enabling dynamic strategy adaptation. This feature highlights the agility and responsiveness of the potion system.
- NPC friendship and gifts (weight 0.1): Players can build friendships with NPCs by giving gifts and making choices in events. These social systems add a relationship-building layer to the experience.
- Mouse character in academy (weight 0.09): The player controls a rodent character, a mouse, trying to enter an alchemy academy. This narrative framing adds charm and context to the alchemy-focused gameplay.
- Skill tree enhances gameplay (weight 0.06): The skill tree impacts crafting and survivability, offering meaningful progression choices. This adds a meta-progression layer beyond the in-run potion mechanics.
- Simple yet deep alchemy (weight 0.06): While the alchemy system is simple to understand, it offers many possibilities for experimentation. This balance appeals to both casual and strategic players.
- Procedural generation variety (weight 0.06): Arenas and enemy layouts are procedurally generated, increasing replayability. This aligns with the roguelite structure and keeps runs fresh.
- Combat blends shooting and melee (weight 0.06): Combat includes both ranged shooting and close-quarters melee attacks, catering to different playstyles. This variety is enhanced by potion effects that modulate movement and attacks.
- Fast-paced dynamic battles (weight 0.06): The combat is fast-paced and fluid, keeping players engaged. This speed complements the quick potion usage and roguelike challenge.
- Vending machines for upgrades (weight 0.06): Vending machines provide upgrades and potion recipes, serving as a hub for progression. This system integrates with the crafting loop.
- Comparable to Ratchet & Clank (weight 0.06): Players note similarities to Ratchet & Clank in gameplay feel. This comparison suggests a polished action-platformer experience with imaginative weapons.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues on PC (weight 0.15): Multiple clusters report poor optimization, crashes, and low performance on PC, including struggles to load areas, poor optimization, and crashes. These issues indicate significant technical problems on the PC platform.
- Gameplay-affecting bugs (weight 0.12): Several clusters describe bugs that hinder gameplay, such as soft locking with hidden enemies, bosses glitching into walls, getting stuck in the environment, and jump input not registering. These issues disrupt normal play and can prevent progress.
- Visual glitches and bugs (weight 0.12): Clusters mention visual glitches like T-posing, screen flashes, and slow texture loading, which degrade the visual experience. These issues are noticeable and affect immersion.
- Optimization concerns persist (weight 0.09): Clusters indicate optimization issues such as game speed tied to CPU speed, poor performance on Linux, and fans spinning up on menu, suggesting ongoing technical challenges. These issues may affect playability on various systems.
- Resolution and display issues (weight 0.09): Clusters mention resolution mismatch causing mouse issues, difficulty at lower resolutions, and unclear cinematic resolution, indicating problems with display settings. These can frustrate players and reduce usability.
- Crashes and stability issues (weight 0.07): Clusters report crashes, including black screen crashes and multiple crashes in a session, indicating stability problems that can interrupt gameplay. These are critical issues that need fixing.
- Audio problems (weight 0.07): One cluster reports that audio is too quiet even with sliders maxed, while another mentions SFX not working at all. These audio issues impact the overall experience.
- Mixed optimization feedback (weight 0.07): While some clusters report good optimization and high frame rates on mid-range hardware, others indicate poor performance and bugs, showing inconsistent experiences across systems. This may depend on hardware configuration.
- Animation and dialogue issues (weight 0.06): Clusters mention that animations need optimization and that animations, text, dialogue, and menus are out of whack, indicating pervasive presentation problems. These issues can detract from the narrative experience.
- Slow texture loading (weight 0.04): One cluster specifically notes that many textures load in slowly, causing blurriness in certain areas. This can affect visual clarity and performance.
- Specific gameplay bugs (weight 0.04): One cluster describes a bug where the air rifle launches the player into the stratosphere during the final boss fight, which is a humorous but game-breaking issue. This can ruin the climax of the game.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for roguelite fans (weight 0.19): Several clusters emphasize that the game is highly recommended for fans of action roguelites, roguelike shooters, and similar genres. Specific references are made to Gunfire Reborn, Risk of Rain, and Ratchet & Clank.
- Strong overall recommendation (weight 0.16): There are several clusters with strong recommendations, including 'highly recommends giving the game a try' and 'definitely recommended'. This indicates a general positive sentiment among many players.
- Recommended for specific audiences (weight 0.16): The game is recommended for fans of shooter-platformers, 3D platformers, fast-paced TPS roguelite action, and those who enjoy cute characters and art. This shows the game appeals to niche player groups.
- Worth its price (weight 0.15): Multiple reviewers state the game is totally worth its price, with some noting it's a very worthwhile experience for its low cost. Others mention it's an okay purchase for the price, indicating generally positive value perception.
- Wait for bug fixes (weight 0.13): Several clusters recommend waiting for updates, citing bugs and unfinished game design. Reviewers suggest waiting a few weeks or months for the developers to fix issues and add content.
- Not for deep roguelite seekers (weight 0.07): Some reviewers note that the game is not for those looking for a long, in-depth roguelite with significant challenge. This suggests the game is more casual or short-form in nature.
- Cute characters appeal (weight 0.06): Recommendations are given for those who are drawn to cute characters, with some saying to buy without hesitation if charmed. This highlights the game's art and character design as a key strength.
- Suitable for short runs (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for players who enjoy short intense runs and have a free afternoon for a few runs, reinforcing its short-form nature.
- Light short adventure (weight 0.06): The game is recommended for those seeking a fun, neatly packaged experience or a light, short adventure, indicating it is not a complex or lengthy game.
- Positive for young players (weight 0.05): The game is recommended for young players who enjoy adventure and fantasy, as well as those who like humor, magic, and style.
- Buy on sale (weight 0.03): One reviewer recommends buying the game on sale, suggesting that the price point is a factor in the recommendation.
- Check reviews for fit (weight 0.03): One reviewer advises checking other reviews to see if the game aligns with what you're looking for, indicating potential mismatch between expectations and actual gameplay.
- Combat adjustment needed (weight 0.03): A review notes that combat may take a couple of rooms to adjust to, suggesting a learning curve for the combat system.
- Low replay value (weight 0.03): One reviewer notes that the game is not recommended for long-term play as replay value is low, which is a potential drawback for some players.
- Fun and improving (weight 0.03): One reviewer leaves a 'Recommend' because the game is fun and seems to be improving, indicating that despite issues, there is positive potential.

Other player notes:
- Comparisons to Hades and Gunfire Reborn (weight 0.24): The game is frequently compared to popular roguelikes like Hades and Gunfire Reborn in terms of structure and gameplay. Reviewers see it as a lighter, more casual alternative to these titles.
- Short completion time (weight 0.16): Reviews indicate the game can be completed in a few hours, with estimates ranging from 1.5 to 12 hours, but most around 2.5 to 10 hours. This suggests a short main campaign with potential for post-game content.
- Active development and updates (weight 0.16): Players noted that the developers are actively working on the game, releasing patches and updates since launch. This indicates ongoing support and potential for improvement.
- Game compares to Ratchet and Clank (weight 0.14): Multiple reviewers note the game's style and movement are reminiscent of Ratchet and Clank. This comparison appears frequently, indicating a strong similarity in gameplay feel.
- Low price and good value (weight 0.14): The game is praised for its low price point, offering good value for the content provided. Some mention it's priced lower than regional suggestions, making it an accessible purchase.
- First project from small indie team (weight 0.14): Reviewers highlight that this is the first game from a small indie team of six friends, noting potential for growth and future improvements. This context helps explain some rough edges.
- Game feels unfinished or beta (weight 0.12): Several reviews mention the game feels like it's still in early access or playtesting, citing unfinished elements and a need for more polish. This is a common concern among players.
- Story has mixed reception (weight 0.1): The story is described as lighthearted and kid-show-like, which may appeal to some but not others. It references many NPCs that don't appear, leaving the world underdeveloped.
- Achievements are grindy (weight 0.09): Achievements require grinding friendships and reaching day 50, which some may find tedious. However, no achievements are missable, so completionists can get them all.
- Requests for more content and variety (weight 0.09): Players suggest adding more variety such as different locations, potions, recipes, and story elements, as well as post-game difficulty options. This indicates a desire for expanded gameplay depth.
- Post-game content exists (weight 0.08): After beating the game, there is an 'Ambition' mode and other challenges, but some players noted that only modifiers change, not the core experience. Post-game content adds replayability.
- No voice acting (weight 0.06): The game lacks voice acting, which may affect immersion for some players. This is a minor but notable omission in the overall experience.
- Melee and weapon balance issues (weight 0.06): Specific feedback mentions rebalancing the lightning gun and improving melee attack feedback, suggesting combat polish is needed. These are actionable improvements for the developers.
- Visual style reminiscent of Borderlands and PS3 (weight 0.06): The art style is compared to Borderlands and PS3-era games, with a stylized, animated look that offers clear readability. This aesthetic is generally well-received.
- Friendship and social system underdeveloped (weight 0.06): The school life segment with friendships is considered underdeveloped compared to the action roguelike core. Players want deeper interactions and more meaningful choices in this area.
- Game is suitable for family play (weight 0.06): The game is child-friendly and simple, making it a good option for family playing. It is accessible to younger audiences.
- Controller aiming lacks assist (weight 0.03): One reviewer notes that the controller lacks aim assist, making keyboard and mouse the recommended control method. This is a usability concern for controller players.
- Music DLC anticipated (weight 0.03): A reviewer plans to buy the anticipated music DLC, indicating that the soundtrack is a positive aspect. This suggests community interest in additional content.
- Works well in VR (weight 0.03): The game functions well with UEVR, making it a good VR experience. This adds a unique feature for VR enthusiasts.
- No multiplayer (weight 0.03): The game lacks multiplayer, which may disappoint players expecting co-op or online play. This is a notable absence in a roguelite.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.2): Players largely enjoy the game due to its fun, fast-paced combat, unique potion-based weapon system, and charming characters. The cute art style, engaging gameplay loop, and variety of mechanics such as potion brewing and gift-giving contribute to a positive experience for many.
- Frustration (weight 0.18): Frustration stems from numerous bugs, glitches, and technical issues that can interrupt runs or make the game unplayable. Resource scarcity, limited healing, and challenging early game difficulty also lead to frustration, as do control problems and unsatisfying combat feedback.
- Disappointment (weight 0.12): Disappointment arises from the game feeling unfinished, with a lack of content, polish, and depth. Players are also let down by short playtime, underdeveloped NPC interactions, and missing quality-of-life features like sound effects and voice acting.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.04): Satisfaction comes from the game's solid gameplay foundation, varied builds, and stable balance. Players feel rewarded by the deep mechanics, satisfying combat, and the ability to complete the game or 100% it without major issues.
- Excitement (weight 0.04): Excitement is driven by the game's unique and interesting mechanics, such as the potion system, and the classic roguelite moments when builds come together. Players are eager to continue playing, explore the tower, and see future updates.
- Annoyance (weight 0.04): Annoyance is caused by several minor but persistent issues including screen flashing, missing crosshair settings, janky cutscenes, and occasional input recognition problems. The need to destroy every barrel for ingredients and the slow pacing of school life also irk players.
- Hope (weight 0.03): Players hope for continued development and future updates, wishing for more content and expansions. They believe the game has potential and want to see it improve and grow, with some expressing desire for a sequel.
- Appreciation (weight 0.03): Players appreciate the game's polish and the evident passion of the developers, as well as its performance on mid-range hardware. The innovative potion system, smooth controls, and loving art direction are also highlighted as positive aspects.
- Love (weight 0.03): Love for the game is expressed through strong attachment to its characters, art style, and atmosphere. The combination of fast-paced combat and strategic planning, along with enjoyable graphics and music, makes the game genuinely delightful for many.
- Amusement (weight 0.02): Amusement is found in the game's goofy humor, quirky characters, and whimsical tone. Players laugh at funny glitches, the protagonist's antics, and the humorous dialogues, especially in the Norwegian translation.
- Admiration (weight 0.02): Admiration is expressed for the game's charming and beautiful art style, well-designed characters, and creative potion system. Players find the world interesting and entertaining, praising the responsive gameplay and solid systems.
- Fondness (weight 0.01): Fondness comes from the gentle story, charming student characters, and relatable portrayals like Irene's hyperactivity. Players feel the love and passion put into the game, which creates a warm, affectionate connection.
- Concern (weight 0.01): Concern is raised about the game's late-game difficulty dropping too quickly, with overpowered builds making it too easy. Players also worry about potential run-ending bugs and the game feeling like unreleased early access.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Confusion arises from unclear UI elements, such as the potion menu popup that closes immediately and the purpose of the fourth inventory slot. Players are also puzzled by certain character pronouns and unclear NPC introductions.
- Delight (weight 0.01): Delight is experienced through the game's charming characters, well-realized world, and appealing atmosphere. The combat, environment, and music are praised, creating heartwarming and visually pleasing experiences.
- Anticipation (weight 0.01): Anticipation is high for exploring every aspect of the game, with players looking forward to upcoming content and music DLC. The menu teases future additions, fueling excitement for more runs and boss battles.
- Fun (weight 0.01): The game is considered fun primarily for its potion mechanic and casual, accessible gameplay. Running around and experimenting with different potions provides a lighthearted and enjoyable experience, similar to other roguelike shooters.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom sets in during the repetitive academy life and dialogue, as well as lengthy boss fights. The lack of difficulty options after completion makes the game feel dull and less engaging over time.
- Approval (weight 0.01): Approval is given for the unique and well-implemented potion system, which players find creative and useful. The buffs to potions and the mechanics around them are positively received.
- Affection (weight 0.01): Affection is directed toward the school characters and teacher bosses, who are cute and fun. The gift-giving mechanic adds to the charm, and players genuinely care for the characters they interact with.}