POTION EXPLOSION
Does this lightweight marble-matcher have the formula for success? Matt Jarvis gets all mixed up
Cool Mini or Not| £37.99 | Marble Set collection | 2-4 players | 30-45 minutes | Age: 14+ | cmon.com
BOX CONTENTS
◗ Ingredient dispenser
◗ 80 ingredient marbles
◗ 15 skill tokens
◗ 64 potion tiles
◗ Four desk boards
◗ 21 Little Help tokens
◗ First Player token
◗ Rulebook
Given the massive moneyspinning success of matchthree video games such as Candy Crush and Bejeweled on mobiles, it’s perhaps surprising that few tabletop games have attempted to cash in on the booming market.
In steps Potion Explosion, a smart translation of shifting coloured pixels around a touchscreen to the satisfying physicality of cardboard and marbles, wrapped up in a pseudo-Harry Potter theme.
Players collect coloured marbles to brew potions with a variety of powers.
Between two and four players are plonked in the pointed hats and oversized black robes of students taking their final potions exams at the Horribilorum Sorcery Academy for Witty Witches and Wizards.
Each is then equipped with a cardboard brewing desk, complete with two slots for potion flasks and a spare storage container.