Chillingo aims for App Store gold with Master of Alchemy HD
Transformational
It wasn't that long ago that learned men spent years of study, poisoning themselves in the hunt for magical materials such as the philosophers' stone.
Famed for its ability to turn lead into gold, of course, it didn't exist, but despite this alchemy was the foundation of modern chemistry, and with its drive to understand the fundamentals of matter, physics too.
Quite whether you'll be able to swap in Master of Alchemy HD, from Italian developer DarkWave and publisher Chillingo, for your chemistry homework is another issue entirely however.
Despite its medieval alchemy themes, it's more of a physics-based puzzler combined with substance transformation rather than a lab for mixing things that go bang.
Heating up the crucibleSpread across 60 levels, you have tools ranging from pipes and coils to blenders and hot air balloons that enable you to perform actions such as turning solids to liquids and gases (and vice versa). You have to use these items, placing them around the cunningly constructed puzzles to transport certain materials into certain containers.
Your score is based on the length of time it takes you to complete said task, and the amount of material you lose in the process. Highscores, achievements and leaderboards are offered through the Crystal social network.
The game also has a strong steampunk art style and you can choose from one of six characters, which each provide different story arc.
Master of Alchemy HD is out now priced $4.99, €3.99 or £2.99.
You can see how it plays in the following video.
