Welcome to our Atelier Reset Era Community Thread! This thread is for general discussion about the Atelier series from GUST Co. / Koei-Tecmo Co. Ltd. A series spanning over 20 games and several spinoffs dating back to the PlayStation days, the Atelier series gameplay centers around item creation. Many of the games also have a heavy time-management component where actions take a certain number of days and feature assignment deadlines ranging from days to years, though recent games have dropped these time constraints. Feel free to discuss all games from the series, new and old! We welcome all new-comers to the series and will happily guide you through your journey into the (mostly) Puni-filled worlds of the Atelier series. :)
Most of the information for the games is taken from the best and most awesome Atelier fansite ever. Visit The Puni Cove at
http://www.punicove.com/ :) Additionally much information comes from the Atelier Wiki found here
http://atelier.wikia.com/wiki/Atelier_Wiki
Special thanks to King Metal Zel for putting the original version of this OP together! It's thanks to their hard work that we have this thread in the first place.
Salburg Series (A1-A3)
Marie, Elie, Lilie. The games that started it all.
The Salburg series never made it out of Japan, but fan translations exist of Marie and Elie (here's the patch for the PS2 re-release containing both games). At this point, the games are very simple: alchemy is just a matter of mixing ingredients according to recipes, and gathering and adventuring are extremely streamlined. But the basics are here: everything happens according to a calendar, with time-gated events, and your goal is to prove yourself as an alchemist by making cool stuff.
Atelier Marie ~Alchemist of Salburg~ (1997)
マリーのアトリエ ~ザールブルグの錬金術土~
Artist: Kohime Ohse
Atelier Marie is the game that launched the Atelier series back in 1997. It is also the first of three parts in the Alchemist of Salburg series. You play as Marlone, or Marie, a student at the Magic Academy with the worst grades on record. Your objective in Atelier Marie is to make an item in five years that will impress your professor, Ingrid. The game featured a number of endings, one of which was not available in the original PS1 release. Although initially released on the PlayStation, Atelier Marie had other releases on the Sega Saturn and PC. Later, it was paired together with Atelier Elie on the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2. Atelier Marie was only released in Japan.
Atelier Elie ~Alchemist of Salburg 2~ (1998)
エリーのアトリエ~ザールブルグの錬金術土 2~
Artist: Isaemon Yamagata
The second game in the Atelier series, released on the PS1 in 1998. Atelier Elie is also the second part of the Salburg story. In this, you play as Elfir, or Elie, as she becomes an alchemist at the Salburg Magic Academy. The goal of Atelier Elie is to save Elie's hometown from an epidemic, which you have five years to do. Like Atelier Marie, this game had a number of different endings that you could obtain, decided upon your actions in the game. Atelier Elie was only released in Japan on the PlayStation and PC. Later, it was released with Atelier Marie on the Sega Dreamcast and PlayStation 2.
Atelier Lilie ~Alchemist of Salburg 3~ (2001)
リリーのアトリエ ~ザールブルグの錬金術土 3~
Artist: Isaemon Yamagata
Atelier Lilie is the third game in the series, as well as the third part of the Salburg series. Despite that, this game is a prequel to Marie and Elie. You play as Lilie, a young alchemist living Salburg during it's earlier years. Some characters from Marie and Elie are in this installment, but they are all at least twenty years younger. Atelier Lilie was only released in Japan on the PlayStation 2.
Gramnad Series (A4 and A5)
Judie and Viorate Violet Viorate...? (Character artist: Jun Futaba)
Judie and Viorate are also Japan-only releases, and they bring some changes to the formula. Traits appear for the first time, a staple of Atelier alchemy, and the concept of ingredient classes, where materials in a class are interchangeable, also get introduced. After this series, Atelier takes a bit of a detour.
Atelier Judie ~Alchemist of Gramnad~ (2002)
ユーディーのアトリエ ~グレムナートの錬金術土~
In a village, there is an alchemist called Judith living together with her parrot. One day, an adventurer requests her to create an "Hourglass of the Dragon" – an item with the power to travel in time. While synthesizing it, a piece of Judith's hair fell down into the cauldron and Judith suddenly finds herself 200 years into the future.
Atelier Viorate ~Alchemist of Gramnad 2~ (2003)
ヴィオラートのアトリエ ~グレムナートの錬金術土 2~
Atelier Viorate is the fifth Atelier game and was the last of the traditional-styled ones to be released on the PS2. It follows the story of the young alchemist, Viorate, and her brother in the village of Karotte, where they maintain their own shop and help further develop their small village.
(An aside: is Viorate a mangled attempt at the name Violet? The Atelier wiki suggests several reasons why not: the katakana for Violet and Viorate differ significantly, for example. Subsequent localizations of the name confuse things--Violette, anyone?--but Nelke seems to establish the current canon localization for her name as Viorate. Or you could just call her Vio for short--everyone else does, apparently!)
Iris Trilogy (A6-A8)
Klein and Lita; Felt and Viese; Iris (finally!) and Edge. (Character artist: Jun Futaba)
The Iris series of games represents a different direction for the Atelier series; synthesis is still a part of the games but they're much more similar to traditional JRPGs than the games before or since. They also happen to be the first games localized in English. A quick note: there are TWO characters named Iris, they do not both show up in the same game, and the first Iris is NOT the protagonist of either of the games she shows up in. Simple!
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana (2004)
イリスのアトリエ ~エターナル マナ~
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana, known as Project A6, marks the first time GUST moved the Atelier series into a different kind of play style, focusing more on the adventure and the world, rather than alchemy itself. Klein Kiesling, a young alchemist lives in a world known as Regallzine where an ancient city of alchemists, Avenberry has fallen. Many adventurers and alchemists seek to explore the city of Avenberry to learn more about Iris, an alchemist that lived before the fall of Avenberry. Regallzine is host to many Mana, beings that can harvest elements in objects to assist alchemists in synthesizing items. Klein's adventure begins when he meets a girl, Lita, in a forest and winds up on a long-winded adventure to discover the secrets behind the fall of Avenberry, as well as Lita's past.
Atelier Iris 2: The Azoth of Destiny (2005)
イリスのアトリエ ~エタナール マナ 2~
The direct prequel of Eternal Mana, known as Project A7, is the second title in the Atelier Iris subseries. Felt and Viese Blanchimont are alchemists that live in the floating continent of Eden. Felt has always been more interested in adventure and the world outside of Eden, than in alchemy. Meanwhile, Viese takes studying alchemy quite seriously, and is doing her best to make friends with various Mana in order to improve her skills. One day, Felt finds a mysterious talking sword known as the Azure Azoth, who asks Felt to travel to another world to figure out why earthquakes are suddenly occurring on Eden. Viese stays behind to help Felt with her alchemy, and eventually comes across a mysterious little girl named Iris…
Atelier Iris 3: Grand Phantasm (2006)
イリスのアトリエ: グレンファンタズム
Atelier Iris 3, known as project A8, takes place in a completely different setting and continuity than its predecessors. Edge Vanhite and his childhood friend, Iris Fortner, are Raiders in the city of Zey Muruze. Raiders are adventurers that take jobs commissioned by the Raider's Guild in order to explore the Alterworlds around the town, as well as to help citizens. One day Iris, who is an alchemist, finds the Wizard's Libram of Escalario, of which is said that if one finds all the different parts of it, then any wish could be granted. Iris decides to follow through with this legend in excitement and does not realize the fate that bringing the Escalario together would bring her.
Mana Khemia Series (A9 and A10)
Vayne, and Ulrike and Raze. Class is in session! (Character artist: Kazuyuki Yoshizumi)
Mana Khemia brings back some of the alchemy mechanics missing from the Iris games, and changes the setting to a school one. Mana Khemia, despite not having Atelier in the name, is considered an Atelier series. Its combat system is often considered one of the best of the whole franchise, with later games returning to some of the combat principles laid down here.
Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis (2007)
マナケミア ～学園の錬金術士たち～
Mana-Khemia, known as Project A9, is set in the alchemy academy called Al-Revis. The story revolves around an orphaned boy named Vayne Aurelius who lives alone with his cat, Sulpher. Vayne's father, Theofratus, was quite possibly one of the most famous and well-known alchemists in the world. One day, he gets an invitation to attend Al-Revis and ends up accepting it, opting to spend the next three years learning about alchemy. Along the way, Vayne ends up being forced into an Atelier on campus by an upperclassman and ends up making many close friends. The game takes many elements from the Iris trilogy and refines it, as well as somewhat easing the Atelier series back into it's more traditional roots.
Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy (2008)
マナケミア2 〜おちた学園と錬金術士たち〜
Mana-Khemia 2 returns to Al-Revis, but this time, Al-Revis is no longer floating in the sky. The story revolves around two main characters this time around. Razeluxe Meitzen, a boy who was forced to attend Al-Revis by his employer whom he's served since childhood, winds up meeting a strange man who deems him a potential rival. Ulrika Mulberry, a simple country girl who one day receives a Mana egg from a mysterious old man, attends Al-Revis in hopes of becoming a great alchemist. Both of the stories are significantly different, but wind up tying together at certain points of the story.
Arland Series (A11-A13, A20)
Rorona, Totori, Meruru, Lulua. The start of the PS3 era. (Character artist: Mel Kishida)
Arland goes back to basics: a young woman learning alchemy and managing an atelier. Known for its quirky characters and goofy atmosphere, Arland brought in a lot of new Western fans and laid the foundation for the modern era of the franchise. Versions of the Arland games are playable on current platforms, including PC, Switch and PS4/PS5.
Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland (2009)
ロロナのアトリエ ~アーランドの錬金術土~
Atelier Rorona, also known as Project A11, returns the mainline Atelier series to its traditional roots of alchemy. The Kingdom of Arland's government decides one day that alchemy would no longer be needed, and forces the Atelier our protagonist, Rorona works in, into a three year cycle of assignments to prove that alchemy can still be useful in times where technology is slowly rising, and abundant. Astrid, Rorona's unreliable master, ends up making her student take up the mantle of saving the workshop. If Rorona fails, she and her master will be forced to leave town, never to return.
Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland (2010)
トトリのアトリエ ～アーランドの錬金術士２～
Project A12, and the direct sequel to Atelier Rorona, focuses on a young alchemist named Totooria Helmold who lives in a small fishing town called Alanya. The Kingdom of Arland is now the Republic of Arland, and Adventurers are now a full time job for the government. Totori's mother was one of those adventurers, and was quite famous and well known. However, she has been missing for quite some time now, and Totori resolves to go out and find her with the help of alchemy that her teacher, Rorona, taught her.
Atelier Meruru: The Apprentice of Arland (2011)
メルルのアトリエ ～アーランドの錬金術士3～
The tiny kingdom of Arls, located on the northeastern border of the Arland Republic, is where spunky Princess Meruru calls home. Ever since she was exposed to alchemy by famed adventurer Totori Helmold, all she can think about was becoming an alchemist. With Totori's guidance, Meruru sets out to develop her home kingdom of Arls using the power of alchemy. On her way, Meruru will encounter new adventures, obstacles, mysteries, and friends, and discover what life is like outside the castle walls. How you choose to guide her through the advancement of her land will determine the final outcome in the tale of Atelier Meruru.
Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland (2019)
ルルアのアトリエ ～アーランドの錬金術士4～
Released many years after the last Arland game, Lulua picks up the story with Rorona's daughter, Elmerulia Frixell. Apprenticing in alchemy under her teacher Piana, Lulua stumbles upon a strange book called the Alchemyriddle that must be deciphered. This leads to Lulua leaving her hometown of Arklys and traveling across the Arland Republic to unlock the book's secrets, visiting some old haunts of her mother's and her former companions along the way.
Dusk Series (A14-A16)
Ayesha, Escha & Logy, Shallie & Shallie. Slice of life in a slowly dying world. (Character artist: Hidari)
The Dusk series takes place in a world slowly being ravaged by a long-term ecological catastrophe of some sort. For the most part, though, it's still a light-hearted series about alchemy and its many applications.
Atelier Ayesha: Alchemist of Dusk (2012)
アーシャのアトリエ~黄昏の大地の錬金術士~
Atelier Ayesha: The Alchemist of Dusk follows the story of Ayesha Altugle, a girl who has been living alone in a secluded workshop ever since her grandfather died and her younger sister went missing a few years ago. She supports herself by making and selling medicine. As the story begins, she finds out that her younger sister IS alive somewhere in the world. Now, she must devote herself to finding her younger sister. Her journey to keep her promise begins.
Atelier Escha & Logy ~Alchemists of the Dusk Sky~ (2013)
エスカ＆ロジーのアトリエ～黄昏の空の錬金術士～
Choose from two the protagonists to unfold events unique to each character. Escha's story has a lighthearted tone appealing to fans of the Atelier series while Logy's tale is one of a darker more somber mood. Both characters experience the same main story, but there are different events with the respective perspectives from both characters, including different endings.
Atelier Shallie: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea (2014)
シャリーのアトリエ ～黄昏の海の錬金術士～
The third installment of the Twilight Dusk trilogy, Atelier Shallie once again features two protagonists and a new Life system for determining what quest the characters want to do. It also features tasks unique to each protagonist, a fully controllable camera, and the removal of the time mechanic. See the conclusion of the Twilight Dusk series with this final entry!
Mysterious Series (A17-A19, A23)
Sophie, Firis, Lydie & Suelle. The end of time constraints (for the most part). (Character artists: NOCO and Yuugen)
Mysterious is a time of experimentation. Sophie builds upon Shallie's experiment and almost completely abandons the time constraints that had been a hallmark of the series, while Firis flirts with an open-world-esque setup and turns the workshop into a mobile camp. It also expands the franchise's reach to the PC and the Switch for the first time.
Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book (2015)
ソフィーのアトリエ ～不思議な本の錬金術士～
The game revolves around the life of the main protagonist Sophie Neuenmuller, a young, yet inexperienced alchemist who runs an atelier on the outskirts of Kirchen Bell. Sophie discovers a mystical talking book named Plachta, whose sole memories involve the use of alchemy. Plachta, a blank reference book, has lost almost all of the memories that comprise the pages of her text, and it's up to Sophie to help her recover those memories by writing down alchemy recipes into the blank pages.
This game features a "Friendship" affinity system, where investing time in deepening the bonds between the player and the cast of NPCs can lead to new features and party members being unlocked, along with bonuses in battle when paired with party members of a high affinity level.
Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey (2016)
フィリスのアトリエ ～不思議な旅の錬金術士～
Atelier Firis revolves around Firis Mistlud, a young miner girl who longs to travel outside her hometown Ertona. Ertona is a mining town closed off from the rest of the world by a big gate that very few people are allowed to pass through. One day, a travelling alchemist, Sophie Neuenmuller, visits the town and discovers that Firis shows promise to learn alchemy.
Atelier Firis has a focus on traversing large fields. In addition to the usual gathering points, the player can interact with other elements such as trees and rocks to gather materials. For example, the player can use a pickaxe to harvest fruit from a tree or an explosive to extract ore from a large rock or crystal. As the game progresses, the player will be able to use more and more tools to interact with fields or travel faster.
Atelier Lydie and Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings (2017)
リディー＆スールのアトリエ ～不思議な絵画の錬金術士～
The game takes place 4 years after the events of Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey.
The twins Lydie and Suelle live in a small atelier without much of a reputation in Melveille, the capital of Adalett. They help their alchemist father and they one day hope to run the kingdom's top atelier. They are hardworking, but don't get a lot of business and survive on a bare minimum. This environment makes the bonds between the two stronger. One day when synthesizing, they hear a voice from the basement their father has forbidden them from entering, where they discover a painting that brings them closer to achieving their dream. This painting contains a different world full of unique materials, that the sisters in turn use to improve their alchemy skills and business.
Atelier Sophie 2: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Dream (2022)
ソフィーのアトリエ2 ～不思議な夢の錬金術士～
Sophie 2 takes place between the original Sophie and Firis, and features an all-new cast of characters besides Sophie and Plachta.
After leaving Sophie's hometown of Kirchen Bell, the pair discovers a huge tree identical to one that Plachta had seen in a dream, and as they get closer, a mysterious vortex pulls them inside. Sophie awakens alone in a curious new world called Erde Wiege, and it's not long before she hears about an alchemist named Plachta that lives on the outskirts of town. Shockingly, when Sophie arrives at the atelier, she meets a young alchemy enthusiast named Plachta, and even though the alchemist shares the same name as her friend, she doesn't recognize Sophie. What other surprises await Sophie on this journey? As the adventure continues, Sophie meets aspiring alchemist, Ramizel Erlenmeyer, who willingly agrees to help her in her time of need.
Secret Series (A21 and A22, in progress)
Ryza and friends. A breakthrough for the franchise. (Character artist: Toridamono)
After taking a year off, the Atelier franchise returned in 2019 with two new games: Lulua, a return to the world of Arland; and Ryza, a brand new entry and the start of a new sub-series. Ryza changes the alchemy system, customary for the modern games in the series, but also shifts the combat from a turn-based system to real-time for the first time in the franchise's history. Atelier Ryza 1 would go on to be the fastest selling title in the franchise's history.
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness and the Secret Hideout (2019)
ライザのアトリエ ～常闇の女王と秘密の隠れ家～
Reisalin Stout is a farm girl living on the tranquil island of Kurken Island. Convinced there's more to life, Ryza seeks adventure with her friends; one day she manages to "borrow" a rowboat and travels to the mainland, whereupon she stumbles upon the daughter of a traveling merchant and saves her from attacking monsters. A chance encounter with two alchemists and a new friendship spark the adventure Ryza's looked for all her life, setting her on the path of an alchemist and leading her to uncover the mystery of her hometown.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy (2020)
ライザのアトリエ２ ～失われた伝承と秘密の妖精～
An Atelier protagonist returns for a direct sequel for the first time in the franchise. Three years after the events of the first game, Ryza teaches the kids of Kurken Island and performs her alchemy duties. Running an errand for an important town official, Ryza travels to the city of Ashra-am Baird with a mysterious egg in order to seek information on what kind of treasure it represents. A reunion with old friends turns into a new adventure when the egg reveals something unexpected...
A Short Tour of the Atelier Gaming Universe
You thought we were done?
There are a ton of spinoffs, minor series and remasters/re-releases. Going over all of them is probably a bit much (though the old version of this OP did its best!) but there are a bunch of games that may be notable to modern audiences for various reasons.
Atelier Marie & Elie: The Alchemists of Salburg 1-2 (2005, PS2)
The PS2 remaster of the first two games in the series is notable because it has an English fan translation! Import a copy of the PS2 game from Japan and
apply the fan translation patch to enjoy Atelier Marie and Atelier Elie in English and see where the series began. Having played through Atelier Marie a few years back, it's still very playable but very different from modern Atelier games in interesting ways.
Atelier Lise ~Alchemist of Orde~ (2007, DS)
Atelier Annie: Alchemists of Sera Island (2009, DS)
Atelier Lina ~Alchemist of Strahl~ (2009, DS)
The three DS games represent their own series within the Atelier franchise, but do not use the A## codenames that the main series games do. While Lina has a completely new setting and characters, it is assumed that all three games take place in the same universe. Atelier Annie is the only game in the series to get a western release, and it's the first "traditional" Atelier game to do so (versus the Atelier Iris series, which played more like traditional JRPGs). Mostly a curiosity at this point, Annie and its siblings don't seem to get much attention and as far as I can tell none of the protagonists made it into Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists, the metauniverse cross-over spinoff.
Atelier Elkrone ~Dear for Otomate~ (2012, PSP)
Developed by Otomate for the PSP, Atelier Elkrone is an otome game with alchemy! As such, it appears to play very differently from all the other Atelier games, looking more like a visual novel than an RPG. I've never played it myself but you can find footage of the game on YouTube. As you might expect, this one never got localized and remains a Japan-only game.
Nelke and the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World (2018, PS4/PC/Switch)
Nelke, unlike most of the protagonists in Atelier games, is not an alchemist. She's an administrator and a nobleperson sent to manage a frontier town that for some reason attracts a lot of alchemists appearing from multiple universes. You can see where this is headed: every Atelier protagonist from every mainline game in the series (plus a bunch of party members from most of them) make appearances here. The gameplay doesn't directly involve alchemy; instead, it plays much more like... well, a city builder combined with a supply chain management simulator? It's kind of hard to describe, and it's not for everyone. But it is fun watching alchemists from the different universes interact with each other, and I personally found it very enjoyable to play.
Atelier Rorona/Totori/Meruru DX (2018, PS4/PC/Switch)
Atelier Ayesha/Escha & Logy/Shallie DX (2019, PS4/PC/Switch)
Atelier Sophie/Firis/Lydie & Suelle DX (2021, PS4/PC/Switch)
Many Atelier games have seen re-releases over the years; the PS1 games got a ton, Mana Khemia got a PSP port, and Atelier Rorona even got a 3DS version. But these DX versions are modern ports of the last three Atelier trilogies before Ryza, and are the only versions you should really consider buying at this point if you just want to play the games. (I'm sure someone is curious about that New Atelier Rorona 3DS port but you probably don't want to play it for your first time.) For English audiences, physical versions of the Dusk and Mysterious trilogies exist as Asia English releases for the Switch, if you're so inclined to track them down; otherwise these are digital-only games.
Atelier Online: Alchemist of Bressisle (2018 JP/2021 NA, Android/iOS)
There have been several Atelier mobile games over the years; this is the most recent. It's a gacha game. You probably already know if you feel like playing one or not. Atelier Online is supposedly not that great of a gacha game, so bear that in mind before you think about spending a lot of cash to try to score your favourite alchemist from the gacha.
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