Flask Brings Hand-Drawn Alchemy and Autobattling Chaos to Steam With a New Demo
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Flask, an upcoming dark deckbuilder and autobattler published by Ghost Ship Publishing, has launched a playable demo on Steam, offering a grim mix of hand-drawn alchemy and asynchronous multiplayer.
Alchemy has always looked glamorous in fiction, but a new title from developer Chop Chop Games and publisher Ghost Ship Publishing trades pristine laboratories for financial ruin and creature blood. As reported by Rock Paper Shotgun, Flask is a dark deckbuilding autobattler featuring scratchy, hand-drawn art by Danish artist John Kenn Mortensen. Players step into the worn boots of a broke alchemist trying to settle debts by recruiting homunculi, sending them out to hunt fantasy beasts, and harvesting their remains for profit. The visual style stands out immediately with twisted proportions, matted fur, and a distinct papercraft animation style that gives the entire experience a wonderfully unsettling atmosphere.
Mechanically, the game mixes deckbuilding with automated combat through a potion-crafting twist. Instead of casting spells directly, you build decks out of flasks that your recruited monsters drink in a sequence you choose. Arranging these potions in specific orders triggers elemental bonuses, encouraging you to experiment with recipes to maximize your squad's combat efficiency. The whole loop operates within a roguelike structure where every blood hunt brings new risks and resource management decisions.
There is also a clever asynchronous multiplayer angle that lets your carefully built homunculus team appear as a boss encounter for other players. Defeating rival mixologists lets you climb a global earnings leaderboard, adding a nice competitive layer to the grim fantasy setting. While developer Chop Chop Games has not locked in a firm release date yet, the freshly launched demo is available right now on Steam for anyone looking to test their potion-crafting skills.
Tags: Flask, Ghost Ship Publishing, Steam, Autobattler, Deckbuilder
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun