Released in 2001, PopCap Games’ Alchemy Deluxe is a puzzle and strategy game that feels like a mystical cousin to Bejeweled. The object of the game is simple but devilishly tricky: place runes, symbols drawn from astrological glyphs like Aries, Taurus, and Gemini, on a grid to turn every tile into gold. Complete a row or column, and that stretch of the board shimmers with alchemical glory.
Gameplay is all about careful rune placement. You can only place runes next to matching shapes or colors, never diagonally. If you can’t use one, you toss it into the forge, but fill that forge too many times and it’s Game Over. Wild cards and skull-and-crossbones tiles add strategic twists, letting you bend or break the rules when things get tight.
With three difficulty modes and progressively complex levels, each turn becomes a puzzle in itself. Clear three levels and the challenge deepens with more symbols, colors, and fewer easy moves. Matching the right rune isn’t just luck, it’s pure alchemical strategy.
Like its PopCap siblings, Alchemy Deluxe has that one-more-turn magic, pulling players back until the whole board gleams.
Developer
PopCap Games
Platform
Web browser
How to Play Alchemy
Use the left mouse button to place runes
