Potion Permit

Potion Permit is an action adventure game with RPG elements, in which we play as an alchemist. It was developed by the independent studio MassHive Media and published by PQube.

Plot

Potion Permit takes place in a fantasy world - specifically in the town of Moonbury, the residents of which are suspicious of alchemy, relying primarily on traditional healing methods. When the mayor's daughter falls ill, however, with the local witch doctor unable to help, the townspeople eventually crack and ask the Medical Association for help. The organisation, therefore, sends their best alchemist to cure the girl, as well as other residents if the need arises. By gaining the trust of various townspeople, the protagonist gradually opens up Moonbury not only to themselves, but to alchemy as a whole.

Mechanics

The gameplay in Potion Permit is seen from an isometric view. The game revolves around treating the residents of Moobury, suffering from various diseases. Treatment first requires proper diagnosis (presented in the form of a mini-game), obtaining necessary ingredients before finally creating a potion, ointment or balm with them. Once we've done that, we must give the medicine to the patient and watch them recover. The player is accompanied by a dog, helping us find hidden items or pointing the way to specific characters.

Though our job seems simple, it's much more complicated than it seems. Acquiring ingredients often requires us to face threats such as rainstorms, snowstorms or scorching desert heat. Some ingredients are guarded by wandering monsters and aggressive wildlife we must battle for them. Combat is dynamic, letting us use various melee weapons such as hammers, axes and scythes. We can increase our chances of victory by preparing potions to buff our character or debuff enemies. To brew potions, ointments and balms we must return to our headquarters and mix the ingredients in a cauldron. Creating specific medicine requires a recipe, the list of which gets much longer over time. The further we progress, the more we can upgrade our gear; better weapons let us face stronger adversaries, while larger cauldrons let us brew stronger medicine.

Our work in Moonbury isn't our only task. The town is inhabited by dozens of characters, each with their own daily schedule (which is interrupted once they fall ill and end up in the town clinic), an individual attitude towards our character and alchemy as a whole. Progressing through the game earns us the townspeople's trust. With high reputation we can start upgrading town buildings, opening roads to new, unexplored areas and forming closer relationships with certain characters. In our free time, meanwhile, we can indulge in optional activities such as visiting the town inn or fishing.

Technical aspects

Potion Permit features pixel art graphics and a colorful, manga-like artstyle. The game contains a day-and-night cycle, determining each resident's schedule and affecting the areas' lighting.