Potions: A Curious Tale review – Bubbling with potential

Embarking on a magical adventure with a talking cat is the stuff of cozy game dreams. But in an industry swamped with cozy adventures, all of which feel beholden to the hype of Stardew Valley, some adventures are more captivating than others. Potions: A Curious Tale has whimsy – one of the main ingredients for any cozy title – and it has heart.

Still, Potions: A Curious Tale is a game that has much potential, but ultimately leaves it unrealised. Its console release has addressed some previous issues; however, Luna’s journey, while pleasant, lacks that special something. It’s enjoyable enough, and you can pet the cat, so bonus points there, but it won’t reach the acclaim of other cozy titles. 

The Escapist Recaps

• The Potions: A Curious Tale game was first released on PC on March 7, 2024, and launched on PS5 on December 12 2025. 
• Potions: A Curious Tale is a cozy adventure centred around Luna as she learns how to hone her talents.
• Potions: A Curious Tale’s gameplay is simple enough to pick up, but it isn’t intuitive; there are quality-of-life features missing from the game that impact enjoyment. 
• Alongside the Potions: A Curious Tale’s Switch version, you can also play the game on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. 

A lack of finesse

The biggest issue with Potions: A Curious Tale’s gameplay is its general lack of finesse. While there’s a lot to like about this adventure, one of the ways it falls short is how easily common quality-of-life features have been overlooked. 

In a game that centres around errand quests, having an accessible task list is essential; however, although Potions: A Curious Tale provides accessibility, it does so by cluttering up the interface. There’s a constant to-do list in sight at all times, and as it grows, as is inevitable with any cozy title, it becomes more of an eyesore. 

This design oversight was prevalent in the PC-only version and has persisted despite updates to the game in preparation for its console launch. Potions: A Curious Tale would benefit from a journal system similar to the one in Scrabdackle; with a press of a button, you can open your notebook to see what tasks have been completed and which ones remain. 

Slow map traversal

The rough-around-the-edges essence of the Potions: A Curious Tale game continues with clunky map traversal. Though, in its defence, as new areas of each region become available, you can select which level within that area you wish to start from. 

Nonetheless, a decent fast travel system is severely lacking. Considering Luna has the Stone of Recall, an artifact that allows her to teleport to her grandma’s home, it would make sense that its capabilities expand to teleportation across the region. 

Despite eventually receiving a broom, which does speed up the process, exploration is slow. As this is a quote-unquote cozy game, a relaxing experience is expected. Still, Luna, even when in search of a missing NPC, has no sense of urgency. 

As mentioned above, Potions: A Curious Tale involves a lot of back and forth, and so, what might at first seem like a minor problem soon blooms into a constant issue that pulls players out of the experience. 

Refreshing unconventional combat 

The Escapist’s Potions: A Curious Tale game analysis has highlighted several areas in need of improvement; still, that isn’t to say that Luna’s adventure is devoid of merit. On the contrary, some interesting features should be praised, such as its combat. 

Despite not feeling initially instinctive, the combat mechanics are surprisingly refreshing. Luna is a witch with a growing specialization in potion brewing, and so it makes sense that she doesn’t wield any blades or bows. Instead, she brews potions and uses their unique properties to her advantage. 

From the very beginning, Potions: A Curious Tale subverts expectations here; when fighting the Kraken, you think that Luna will pick up one of the weapons from the nearby racks, but no. Instead, she goads the creature into attacking the racks, and in turn, injuring itself. 

On occasion, aiming before a turkey charges at you can prove difficult, but in those moments, you hop onto your broom and speed away from the threat. This isn’t about button mashing; it’s about creating the right potions for the foes you encounter and using them wisely, as any good witch should be able to do. 

Did we mention that you can pet the cat?

Be you on Potions: A Curious Tale’s Steam version or PS5, one aspect of gameplay that can’t be commended enough is that you can pet the cat. So much so, it bears repeating. 

Stumbling Cat has developed a cute game, featuring stunning artwork and adorable characters. And although it doesn’t meet expectations, there’s an adventure worth embarking on if you’re a cozy games lover. 

Sometimes, it’s easy to want a new game to break the mold and offer true innovation, but with a genre as saturated as cozy games, that’s extremely difficult to do. While we’d be remiss in ignoring where there’s room for improvement, we’d also be remiss in ignoring what Potions: A Curious Tale does well. 

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