As the saying goes, “Double double toil and trouble. Fire burn and cauldron bubble.” Rosy Lovett, Iris Nightshade, Sky Celeste, and Holly Forest are all making potions to prove their mettle as they compete for the title of Head Witch. Players will take on these roles in Potions Please as they claim ingredients from their peers, buy ingredients from the market, and brew their magical elixirs. Who will be the first to accomplish their goal and take the title for themselves?

Laura Erwin not only designed and self-published Potions Please but did the artwork as well! She is currently working on a new game called Roller Wreckage, based on one of my favorite sports: Roller Derby! Erwin’s art is charming, colorful, and reminds me of some of my favorite comic book artists. She also has an Etsy store where you can buy more Potions Please swag such as magnets, pins, and even an activity book!

Potions Please is a quick, light card game where up to four players compete to be the first to create four potions. Each potion must be one of the four colors to win: green, blue, purple, and pink. The cards used when setting up the game is determined by the number of players. Any card denoting a number higher than the player count is not used for that game. After separating the unusable cards, the Potion Cards and Ingredient Cards are shuffled into their respective decks and placed into the center play area. Next, deal three Potion Cards face-up next to the potion deck. Players then set up the Market by lining up the Market Value Cards 1-5 and dealing an Ingredient Card into each space, making sure to still leave room for a discard pile. Each player chooses their Witch character and is dealt a set number of cards based on player order.

Games of Potions Please are played over multiple rounds with individual player turns. On a player’s turn, they must follow these four actions in order: Ask, Take, Drink, and Make. Players may ask for any ingredient except for a wild card from another player of their choice during the Ask phase. If the player has the card, they must give it to the asking Witch. Otherwise, the Witch must draw a card from the Ingredient deck. Every turn, players automatically receive five credits to spend at the Market during their Take phase. These credits do not roll over but can be used to buy multiple Ingredient cards if a player chooses. The Market is reset after the player is done with their purchase(s). During the Drink phase, if a player has any previously brewed potions, they may “drink” them to use their abilities or to “Dump the Cauldron” to get three new potions in the lineup. Even imbibed potions count towards the final potions needed, so don’t worry about using your potions and having to create another of the same color! Each character also has a unique power available for use once per game, which can only be used during the Drink phase. Should a player have the correct ingredients in hand, they may brew and take one of the potions in the Make phase. All spent Ingredients are placed in the discard pile. Play moves in clockwise order until a player triggers the end of the game by creating their four potions.

Potions Please is a game that I really enjoyed at higher player counts. While still balanced with only two, I feel a lot of the interactions were simply missing; especially during the Ask phase. Have you ever tried playing Go Fish with two people? It’s a lot like that. Still fun, but definitely lacking. That being said, Potions Please really seems to shine at four players for my group. There’s more camaraderie, interaction, and actual competition when there are more players involved, which is what this game really needs. When it comes to the art, I do enjoy the characters and would like to see more featuring them (there were hints of a possible expansion or web-comic at one point). All in all, this was a cute, fun, easy, and fast filler game that is age appropriate for kids and adults alike, making it a great spooky game for families wanting or needing to take a break from all of the trick-or-treating, spooky encounters, and sugar rushes on Halloween.

All photos of Laura Erwin Design and Games products included in this review were taken and edited by Krista.