Achievements worth tracking early
Video-tested experience: petting the tutorial cat immediately awards an achievement in the captured playthrough. The same series later references an achievement for petting all 10 cats, finishing the Spice Table and completing Hero Chronicles.
Current public achievement listings: also include progression milestones for completed shelves, puzzle solutions, upgrades, chess, clock and a run completed without ability use.
Low-regret route
- Pet every named magical cat when you first encounter it.
- Finish collectible clue boards when their pieces are nearby instead of postponing them indefinitely.
- Keep a separate no-ability run in mind if you care about full completion; the videos show a player voluntarily avoiding most powers, which demonstrates that this playstyle is viable.
- Do not assume a missing achievement is bugged until the related board or puzzle is fully restored.
Exact unlock thresholds can change and should be checked against the current Steam achievement list before publishing hard numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main objective in Shelve the Potions!?
Sort more than 2,000 potions back onto shelves by discovering the rule for each handcrafted shelf puzzle.
Are all shelves solved the same way?
No. The developer says the game contains many unique puzzle rules; the videos show number, liquid level, color, Greek-letter, compass, clock, weather and other clue types.
Can the game reveal a puzzle answer?
Yes. The magical-cat assistance system can highlight relevant items and can reveal a puzzle solution when you are stuck.
Can I find missing puzzle items with an ability?
Yes. The videos show a highlight ability designed to mark items associated with the selected potion puzzle.
Is there a penalty for taking too long?
The official Steam description says the game has no timers or penalties.
How many unique puzzles are there?
The developer devlog says 28 unique puzzles were created. The store page uses the broader wording “20+ handcrafted puzzles.”
Do some puzzles require collecting pieces first?
Yes. Video playthroughs show missing chess pieces, clock parts, pages, books and other clue objects that must be found before some answers become clear.
What should I do when a shelf order looks right but does not complete?
Check whether you are using the correct shelf and whether the puzzle clue points to a different attribute such as liquid amount, bottle size, cork size or an environmental sequence.
Does the tutorial teach mechanics used later?
Yes. The tutorial demonstrates number order, liquid-level order, color sequencing and an environmental-object method using the crow.
Can potions get physically stuck?
A full-game video shows a potion becoming stuck under furniture due to collision behavior. Treat that as a player-observed issue rather than a universal bug.