It was only a few weeks ago that I reported on the reveal of AlcheMice, a new fantasy deckbuilder by Red Mountain that is set in 16th-century Granada.
Except, while AlcheMice is ostensibly set in that time and place, it’s also a game starring big-eared mice, floating pigs, and lute-playing donkeys – so it’s also very much a fantasy retelling of the era.
The story of Granada is really fascinating, and I can absolutely see why it is of interest to the developers. I can also understand why the events that defined the city in that time – its conversion from Islam to Christianity – have been reimagined through a more fantastical lens.
What is AlcheMice, then?
The current playtest, which runs until October 31, shows a small slice of AlcheMice. Your progress will reset after three days and three nights, but you’ll keep your cards and whatnot, ready for the next run.
AlcheMice is actually a fusion of a couple of different genres. On the one hand, this is a deckbuilder where you collect new cards and use them in battle. On the other hand, it’s a tactical combat game with a hint of XCOM about it.
In fact, the tactical decision-making starts from the very first moment, when you’re forced to balance your gifts and challenges, and in doing so select the difficulty of your next attempt. For example, you can boost your health, but in return, you might have one fewer action points for that run.
It’s very intuitive: you control your little mouse, and using movement cards (held on the right) inspired by Chess, you can explore the grid-based environments around you. As is the case in most deckbuilders, you have a limited number of action points, and while you’ve got to spend some on traversal, you also have action cards.
The cards in your left hand offer a mixture of options around attack, defence, and environmental control. You can unlock new cards by smashing destructibles, broadening your range of moves at any given moment. I’ve played the demo for a couple of hours, and it seems like a solid setup with a range of options that unlock at a steady pace.
Surprises at every turn
The thing that first caught my attention was the visual style. I’m not normally graphics-focused, but I do like a game to have a strong overall aesthetic. In this respect, AlcheMice is shaping up nicely. The environments are colourful, the characters are based on medieval marginalia, and it’s all delivered with a Disney-esque twist. It’s cute.
Except for when it’s not.
There were a couple of moments where my expectations were side-stepped completely, and the first such moment came when I killed an enemy only for it to explode, its guts landing all around me. I just didn’t see this one sinking into ultraviolence on the second level – but here we are!
Another surprising twist came when my character teleported onto a piece of the map that I didn’t even realise was part of the arena. These elevated platforms add a small degree of verticality to your movement and all of your related decision-making, and it was a welcome wrinkle that forced me to adapt on the fly and more deeply consider the environment, which is already filled with traps and obstacles.
Another surprise came in the form of the alchemy system, although thinking about the name of the game, it shouldn’t really have been a surprise… Still, at the start of each run you begin at a lab and you’ve got various pieces of equipment which you can use to brew potions; a nice touch that sounds like it’ll further broaden your tactical options.
AlcheMice might look cute and cuddly, but it’s actually a violent game set against a turbulent backdrop, with an enigmatic cast of anthropomorphised characters. The game is due out next year, so there’s plenty of time for this one to grow and for Red Mountain to apply some much-needed polish. However, I’m really intrigued by the game’s distinct blend of ingredients, and I’ll definitely be back in 2026 for another look at this promising deckbuilder.
The AlcheMice playtest is running until October 31st. You’ll find more details over on Steam. If you’re reading this after that time, you can still hit the link and do the ol’ wishlisting thing.
