Potions of Azerland Board Game Review
Potions of Azerland takes something I generally haven’t loved in the past, and made it something I actually quite enjoy. Maybe it’s the cozy nature of the game, or perhaps the satisfying play length, but either way, this hidden selection experience was a lot better than I was expecting after getting my first demo at GenCon 2025.
First and foremost, hidden selection games are pretty divisive as they can at times leave some players holding an empty bag. That isn’t quite the case here as you’ll always generally get something for your efforts, but a few turns where you don’t get what you want, and this game could end up being pretty disappointing.
Honestly, that is the luck of the draw sometimes. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In Potions of Azerland, players will simultaneously use numbered titles to rank a bunch of round actions by priority. This might mean foraging for resources, brewing potions, serving customers, and buying cards from the market. After deciding what priority you want for each action – understanding you only have one of each number to use (1-5), all players reveal their numbers and the action sequence begins left to right across the board.
Generally, the higher priority to select, the more you can do. In the case of the market, placing a high priority there means you get the first shot at the available cards which won’t be refreshing after they are purchased until the next round. Players will continue doing these actions across a number of rounds, attempting to satisfy customers potions demands, performing other actions and using powers, until one player is crowned champion with the most points.
Potions of Azerland is incredibly charming, and while it’s probably on the lighter side of medium weight games, it’s still a game worth tabling. The teaching of this is pretty straightforward, and while there are a number of things to consider each turn, I never felt those decisions to be overwhelming. I do, however, like a game that provides multiple options for specific resources, and Potions of Azerland does this in a great, albeit not really unique, way.
Potions are incredibly powerful in Potions of Azerland – go figure. But how you use your potions is actually a pretty deep decision space, and it’s that decision that makes this game so desirable to play in my opinion. Drinking a potion provides some pretty powerful benefits, and when done at the right time, there is a lot that can be earned from that action. At the same time, the potion you spent so much time foraging for and brewing, can now no longer be used to serve a customer. And when customers are your clearest path to points, it’s always a tense decision when deciding whether to drink a potion or not.
For a game with a decent amount of randomness – let’s be fair, selecting priority is going to bite you at some point, and generally perhaps at no fault of your own – I love these pivotal moments where you hold your own future in your hands. To drink or not to drink, that is the question. And it’s worth remembering that with your 1 tile, you will be going first for one of the game’s five actions.
And while tense, that is a rewarding decision to make. Drink potions at the right time and you can set yourself up well for future turns. Waste an opportunity to serve a customer, however, and you might be wishing you had those extra points when the final scores are being tallied.
All of that said, this is a very smooth experience. Simultaneous selection generally keeps the game moving at a decent pace, and then you simply move through the five actions one at a time. The game can run a bit long if someone thinks too hard about their selection, but with a good group this game can be played relatively quickly. That being said, the very rigid structure of the game might end up being a turn-off for some players: there isn’t a lot in terms of surprises in this game, it all runs pretty much the same round after round.
Overall, though, this is a really pleasant experience and one I think we will keep around for now. A lot of games arrive at our office for review, and not all of them stay. It’s a pretty good indicator of how much we like a title if it sticks around, even for 6 to 12 months after we get it.
Article By Adam Roffel
