Little Alchemists
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That moment when your child understands an ingredient's property before you do. And they look at you with that smile. Well, this game exists for those moments.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A deduction game that doesn't leave you behind
Designed by Matúš Kotry (author of Alchemists), Little Alchemists is the family version of the renowned alchemical deduction game. Published by Czech Games Edition and brought to Italy by Cranio Creations, with illustrations by David Cochard, Štěpán Drašťák, Dávid Jablonovský, and František Sedláček, the game uses a progressive chapter structure that introduces new mechanics as children grow and master the system.
At the table, you collect ingredients, combine them via a free app, and discover which potions they produce. The trick is to deduce the secret properties of each ingredient to sell the right potions to customers. Each game unlocks new elements: contracts, objectives, advanced rules. In seven chapters, you transition from a game for 7-year-olds to a perfect preparation for the actual Alchemists.
What they say abroad
A system that perfectly prepares you for the complexity of Alchemists, without skipping steps.
— FroGames
The unlockable chapter structure works: you never feel the burden of new rules.
— FroGames
Piccoli Alchimisti (Little Alchemists)
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and game sessionsThe Alchemist's Tools
What you use to discover the secrets
Ingredient Tiles
Eight base ingredients, each with hidden properties. You combine them in pairs to create potions. The heart of the game is understanding what each ingredient hides.
Companion App
Scan two ingredients, the app shows you the resulting potion. Instant, intuitive, free. No paper charts, no master: just pure deduction.
Secret Board
Your personal space where you note your discoveries. No one sees what you've figured out. When you sell a wrong potion, others know: you deduced incorrectly.
Chapter Keys
Each completed objective gives you a key. Collect enough keys and you unlock the next chapter with new rules, components, and challenges.
A year from now, you'll still be playing. Only by then you'll have unlocked all seven chapters.
A game in five acts
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The confused gathering
The first turns are chaotic. Everyone draws ingredients, scans random combinations, notes down results. Nobody knows anything yet. The personal board is empty, there are too many hypotheses.
The first deduction
Someone makes the first logical connection. "If mushroom + root makes a red potion, and mushroom + flower makes a blue potion, then mushroom must have property X." Others nod, or bite their lips because they hadn't thought of it.
The race for contracts
Now that properties are starting to emerge, the game speeds up. There's a contract asking for a green potion, and everyone knows how to make it. Who gets there first? Who has the right ingredients in hand?
The public mistake
Someone sells a wrong potion. The app flags it, others see it. Laughter. You deduced incorrectly, and now everyone knows that combination doesn't work. Free information for opponents.
The chapter key
End of game, count points. But the most important thing is: have we unlocked the next chapter? If so, the next game will have new rules. If not, we try again.
How to play
The flow of each round
Fast turns, simple actions. Complexity lies in deductions, not in phases.
Take ingredient tokens from the common supply or the market. The more you have, the more combinations you can test.
Choose two ingredients, scan them with the app. The app shows you the resulting potion. You note the information on your secret board.
You can sell the potion to a customer (if it matches the request) to earn points, or continue testing combinations to better understand the properties.
If you fulfill a current chapter objective, you get a key. Collect enough keys during games and unlock the next chapter.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Progressive chapter system
It doesn't throw everything at you at once. Chapter 1 is for 7-year-olds, with basic rules. As you play and unlock chapters, you add contracts, objectives, special powers. In Chapter 7, you're practically playing Alchemists Junior.
App that solves the GM problem
No tables to cross-reference, no player acting as referee. You scan two ingredients, the app tells you the potion. Immediate, transparent, error-proof. And most importantly: everyone plays, no one checks.
Accessible deduction
The core is identical to Alchemists: eight ingredients with hidden properties, combinations that generate results, logic by exclusion. But the notation system is simplified, the first chapters have fewer variables, the app gently guides you.
Keys and unlocks that motivate
Each game is not an end in itself. You complete objectives, earn keys, unlock new content. It works like a light legacy game: the desire to see what's in the next chapter makes you want to replay.
Contracts that create tension
In advanced chapters, contracts come into play: specific potion requests. If you complete them, you earn points, but you must have the right ingredients at the right time. Others see the contracts: open race.
Scales with players' age
You can start with a 7-year-old in Chapter 1, and continue playing when they're 10 in Chapter 7. The game doesn't get old: the players get older, and the game keeps up.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
The player who scores the most points by selling potions and completing contracts wins. But the real victory is unlocking the next chapter.
Victory
- Sell the right potions to customers and accumulate more points than your opponents
- Complete contracts in advanced chapters for bonus points
- Correctly deduce ingredient properties and don't make sales mistakes
Costly mistakes
- Sell a wrong potion: the app flags it, others know, you lose credibility
- Waste time testing without selling: others complete contracts before you
- Don't collect enough keys: you have to replay the chapter instead of unlocking the next one
A family game that respects children's intelligence. And that doesn't end after the first game: it grows with them.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Piccoli Alchimisti (Little Alchemists)
Is the app really needed to play?
Yes, it is mandatory. The app manages ingredient-potion combinations and reveals the results. Without the app, the game does not work. The good news: it's free, intuitive, and works on iOS/Android tablets and smartphones.
How many games does it take to unlock all chapters?
It depends on how many keys you earn per game. On average, it takes 2-3 games to unlock a chapter, so about 12-20 total games to see all the content. But each chapter is replayable, so the longevity is much higher.
Can a 7-year-old really do it?
In Chapter 1, yes, no problem. The rules are very simple: draw, combine, note. Deduction is assisted by the app and parents. In subsequent chapters, more logical abstraction is needed, but if you start at 7 and play regularly, you grow with the game.
Is it different from Alchemists or is it just a simplified version?
It's a bridge to Alchemists. The deductive core is identical, but the notation is simplified, the app removes tabular management, and the chapter system gradually introduces complexity. If Alchemists is weight 4, Piccoli Alchimisti reaches weight 2.5 in Chapter 7. Perfect for preparing children for adult gaming.
Is it available in Italian?
Yes, this Cranio Creations edition is completely in Italian: rulebook, cards, components, app. Everything localized.
Piccoli Alchimisti (Little Alchemists) is a progressive deduction game for 2-4 players, aged 7 and up, lasting 20-40 minutes. Designed by Matúš Kotry and published by Cranio Creations, the game uses a free companion app to manage alchemical ingredient combinations. Eight ingredients with hidden properties, seven unlockable chapters that gradually introduce new mechanics, contracts, objectives. Perfect for families who want a family game that grows with their children. Available on FroGames.it.
Little Alchemists
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