Apothecaria Review

“If you’re reading this, I’m probably missing…or dead. Let’s hope just missing.”

Have you ever watched a Studio Ghibli film and wished you could be a part of it? Are quaint and cosy farming games like Harvest Moon and Stardew Valley your jam? Do you love RPGs, but lack a regular game group to play with? Are you a naturally creative person looking for inspiration?

If you answered yes to any of the above, then Apothecaria might be the solution. As a solo RPG, this simple little book can open the door to a magical, whimsical world in which you are the main character – a village witch. All you need is a deck of cards, a journal to record your adventures, and a lot of imagination.

Welcome To High Rannoc

Apothecaria is set in the village of High Rannoc, a charming location lifted straight from the cosiest Studio Ghibli fantasy realms (think Kiki’s Delivery Service or Howl’s Moving Castle). High Rannoc is home to illness and accident-prone individuals who are in need of treatment from a local witch, and thanks to the disappearance of your predecessor, that job now falls to you.

Your task will be to diagnose wacky illnesses like Toad Nose and Yeti Chest, explore the town and its surroundings to gather ingredients, and then to brew a cure. You’ll also need to expand your home with upgrades, attend local festivals, solve some intriguing side quests, and maybe discover what happened to your missing predecessor. And of course, you’ll be documenting the whole thing.

One Potion A Week

The rules of Apothecaria use a standard deck of cards to randomise events. Each ‘Week’ you draw a card to determine the ailment of your newest patient. The ailments range from novice to expert, with your current Reputation determining which list to use.

Each ailment has a number of [TAG]s which describe the ailment’s symptoms. Your task is to select reagents with matching [TAG]s and forage for them in one of the town’s locations. Foraging uses card draw to determine success, but also to trigger random events. These can have in-game effects, like rewarding you with additional reagents, but also offer narrative experiences such as meeting a curious stranger or battling a vicious beast.

Many ailments have a limit to the number of times you can forage, with negative consequences if you pass this limit. But, if you successfully gather all the reagents, you can brew the potion, claim a payment of silver, and increase your reputation. You can then take some downtime to build the story of your witch and the village, before moving on to the next week and a new challenge.

More Guidelines Than Actual Rules

The most important thing about playing Apothecaria is remembering that every rule is optional. The real aim of the game is to get creative. If you don’t like the ailment you drew for the week, draw again. If an event doesn’t make sense to your story, change it. And if you want rules for something that isn’t included in the book (I wanted a fishing mini-game!) then make up your own.

There really is no limit. Because I’m a huge fan of H.P. Lovecraft, my current playthrough has High Rannoc repainted as a creepy New England fishing town. This is definitely not what the author intended, but I’ve enjoyed exercising my creative muscle, warping this whimsical world into something more sinister. This is a solo RPG, so you don’t need anyone’s permission but your own, and that’s extremely liberating.

Which Rule Is Witch

Freedom isn’t free, and the strength of Apothecaria is also one of its weaknesses. The rulebook is designed to be like a set of instructions left by your predecessor witch, which is a fun idea, but presents two problems.

Firstly, the rules are not delivered in a particularly intuitive order. Some of the core rules are split and separated by multiple pages of optional extras. It’s difficult to identify which rules are important until you start playing, and if you ever need to look something up, you’ll likely be reading the whole book again.

The other problem is ambiguity. The emphasis on theme means that some of the rules are not fully explained. There have been many times when I’ve had to make personal rulings as to how an action or event might resolve. Of course, the book encourages players to make up their own rules if it suits their story, but a little more clarity might smooth the experience.

Writing For Writing's Sake

Most of the time when you sit down to write, it is with the reader in mind. Your writing needs to have purpose, needs to be accurate and easy to understand. It needs to be “good”. Apothecaria has none of these creative trappings. When I get out my journal, it is with the safe knowledge that whatever I write is for me only. Whatever I create is free from judgement. I can enjoy the process of telling a story for its own sake.

Journaling is a hobby that gives many people a huge amount of insight and relief from stress. This clever little RPG offers a chance to journal as another person in a fantastical place. It can be a mindful and relaxing way to spend your time.

Final Thoughts

The success of RPGs is mostly determined by the people playing them. The slickest system in the world will only ever be as good as your Game Master and fellow players. And even though Apothecaria is a solo experience, I think this remains true.

While the light rules provide some structure, the real purpose of Apothecaria is to help you create your own adventure. The core book’s content is minimalistic, full of vague prompts and encouragement to break any rules that don’t fit your story. And this lack of structure will either be frustrating or exactly what you’re looking for.

Apothecaria is a game for people who want to tell a story, but don't know exactly what that story should be. With very little initial commitment, the book guides you to create something special and personal. In the end, like all RPGs, it will be as fun as the group you play it with. Only this time, the group is just you.