Apothecaria is the game that first introduced me to solo tabletop roleplaying games. I saw it recommended in a Reddit post and from there I went down a rabbit hole that resulted in my starting an Ironsworn game.
Before too long though, I came back to Apothecaria and purchased it out of curiosity. The game is more “cozy” than Ironsworn and initially I was looking for a similar tone to what I had assumed about Dungeons & Dragons. But over time I came to really appreciate having a game with a lighter tone for when I’m in a different mindset.
The Game
- Fundamentally, you play as a witch who is trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance of the former witch.
- The core game mechanics revolve around foraging for reagents and crafting cures for local villagers, but there are larger story arcs involving seasonal festivals and recurring creatures.
- The publisher has created a treasure trove of expansions so the game can be as complicated / in-depth as you’d like or you can play the fairly straightforward original rule set.
- At the end of the day, how you play is left very open-ended and the gameplay is a journal or story you can write to suit your own mood and themes.
- My own game is re-flavored to be set in a world of Greek mythology, which I’ve found to be very fun.
My Setup
I really enjoyed putting together a small notebook that contained the story journal as well as several reference pages for ingredients/ailments/potions and some art supplies.
A few of my game images
I am using a Kokuyo Campus ring binder inside the notebook cover. The pages take my fountain pen ink from the Platinum Preppy really nicely. For the maps and images, I have to be careful not to apply too much water with my paints because the pages will buckle.
Overall I was aiming for a pastel and calm look to go with the quiet nature of the game.