Quintessence: Alchemist — reaction chains in the browser
«Quintessence» is an alchemy puzzle where you build a substance that does not exist
at the start of the level from just four essences. You drop two substances into the
cauldron, and if a recipe exists for the pair, a new substance is born. It stays in
the cauldron, so you can add the next essence to it and grow the chain longer.
Why it is interesting
There is no randomness: every pair has a fixed result, so a level is a planning
problem rather than luck. You see the goal (say, "Clay"), know the base essences, and
must reconstruct the path: Steam is Fire plus Water, and Clay is Steam plus Earth.
The longer the chain, the more steps you must hold in your head.
What a round is made of
- Four essences at the bottom: Earth, Water, Fire, Air.
- A cauldron with two slots — the reaction fires by itself when both slots are full.
- Stability is your pool of tries: a failed pair burns up and costs one unit.
- The level target is shown at the top, and discovered substances collect in the
"Discovered" list.
Strategy
Derive an intermediate substance first, then pull the chain toward the goal: for
"Steel", first make Energy (Fire+Air), then Metal (Energy+Earth), and only then fuse
it with Fire. Do not mix pairs at random — stability is finite. If you have made
something extra, tap "Clear" and start over without spending a try.
Six levels lead from simple Steam to Porcelain, and on each one the whole reaction
tree has to be held in your head at once.