- BGG rating
- 6.6
The Valley of Alchemists: Ghost Expansion
- 2–5 players
- 45–75 min
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #10,361
- BGG rating
- 7.1
The Valley of Alchemists
2019
Rules assistance for The Valley of Alchemists
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 45–75 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.0/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for The Valley of Alchemists
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Valley of Alchemists is a board game released in 2019 for 2–4 players, 45–75 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Kamil Langie and its main mechanics are Set Collection and Pattern Building.
Expansions
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About the game
Welcome to the Valley of Alchemists, a land in the heart of mountains, carved by a glacier thousands of years ago. Legends say that during its descent it gathered the most marvelous specimens of ancient life. When its descent had come to an end and the Sun finally thawed the formidable permafrost, a Valley full of wonders and mystic powers was revealed to the World. With time, Alchemists started to settle in this region, studying the marvelous properties of local wildlife. Years of experience and failed experiments brought them to the mastery of preparation of exquisite mixtures. Their skills grow with each newfound ingredient and acquired knowledge bear fruit in new mixtures. For the Valley hides much more undiscovered secrets. Each year, when Winter leaves the Valley and Mother Spring wakes the World to life anew, Alchemists arrange a slight contest of mixture preparation. There’s no lack of mixture recipients and enthusiasts, and domesticated mystical beings ceaselessly spread the fruit of the hard alchemic work to the whole World. It is you, my dear Player, who will have the honor to take the role of one of the greatest Alchemists known to this World. Learn and strive for greatness, and maybe it will be you who wins the Spring contest and with it, the title of the best Alchemist in the Valley for the whole upcoming year. The game is made up of a series of player turns, that are played one by one, starting with the First Player and continuing clockwise. On their turn, a player can perform any 2 actions out of the 5 available ones; the chosen actions can be carried out in any order and combination. The same action type can be performed twice. 1. Collecting the Ingredients 2. Brewing the Decoctions 3. Making Elixirs 4. Rearranging the Elixirs 5. Selling a Line of Elixirs During the game, the players collect ingredients, brew decoctions, and turn them into magic elixirs. Points are gained over the course of the game and also once the game has finished. The player with the most Experience Points (EP) at the end of the game becomes the winner.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- CreativeMaker LLC
Questions and answers
The Valley of Alchemists supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The Valley of Alchemists is 45–75 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The Valley of Alchemists for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Valley of Alchemists has a complexity rating of 2.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The Valley of Alchemists belongs to these categories: Fantasy. Its main mechanics are Set Collection and Pattern Building. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of The Valley of Alchemists are: Kamil Langie. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists The Valley of Alchemists as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.