I've also already written this review on steam, but I wanted to post it here as well in case some people exclusively view itch.io and I wanted more people to know about this amazing game.
This is my review:
"Royal Alchemist is a game that is better than how it looks and that is already saying a lot considering how amazing it looks like. It’s unique, special, full of good content, and just a joy to play.
I usually hate stat raising in visual novels; I find them unnecessary. Sometimes it even feels like the developers use it as a cheap way to distract us from the lack of actual content in the story. So it was surprising to see how much I actually enjoyed – and not tolerated, but genuinely enjoyed – the stat raising aspect of this game. The dialogue changed based on the stats, your lives depended on those stats, and how much you knew and figure out also depended on those stats. That added a great replay value to the game. They made complete sense and were essential. However, precisely because they make so much sense, I recommend for everyone to save often in the game, because if you raise the wrong stats, you really can die. Luckily though, you get stronger after that. There is a story mode and adventure mode. I’ve played with story-mode first and died about 2 times, but depending on your choices, you can have more chances to die.
Anyway, I mentioned before how I thought that developers sometimes uses stats to cover up lack of content. That was NOT the case with Royal Alchemist. In fact, it had a rich story with plot twists, lovable love interests, smart main character, and likable side characters. After playing through all the routes, I was able to learn new things about events that took place in another characters’ route and see different sides of the story. I’ve spent about 25-30 hours playing the game so it is definitely worth its price."
Also, I wanted to thank the developers for making this wonderful game. I’m on the discord too so I’ve already said this there, but Royal Alchemist has become one of my favorite visual novels. 😊