The consistency and quality of indie titles are vastly improving during this generation. There have been plenty of experiences I’ve sat through this year that have joined my personal favourite games of 2022. Just when I feel things are slowing down a bit on the indie front, one sticks right out at me and blows me away. You’ll want to pop the kettle on for this review as yet again I’ve discovered an absolute gem. It’s an adventure that leans on the likenesses of games like Stardew Valley and Graveyard Keeper but is also unique in its own right.

I had the pleasure of a thirty-minute demonstration with this at EGX in London last week and it captured me almost immediately and as I walked away; I couldn’t stop thinking about playing it. I didn’t have to wait all that long since the game officially launched the very next day. Does this little stunner retain its fun factor after that first half an hour I played? Read on and I’ll reveal all from this fresh adventure from MassHive Media and PQube.

Introduction

You’ve been invited to the town of Moonbury to offer your expertise in medicinal chemistry and to assist the community with their illnesses. All is not what it seems though, the people do not welcome you here. I won’t uncover why the locals seem to despise you as the story will do that for you. But it’s up to you to build connections, trust and loyal friendships. Your primary job is to keep sickness at bay by concocting potions and remedies from the resources that you collect throughout the world.

Firstly, though you’re given the intense task of healing the mayor’s daughter after the traditional methods used by the locals don’t work. You’ll quickly find that after the Medical Association sends you here that the majority of people don’t want any chatter with you whatsoever, but it won’t be long until you can work on getting people to warm to your expertise and craft.

Gameplay

What I really love about Potion Permit is how easy it is to pick up and play from the get-go. There are far too many RPG titles out there that become overbearing rather quickly with too much to take in and learn. You won’t be overwhelmed with a plethora of skill trees and other things to learn here. Perhaps the gameplay loop is pretty easy and never becomes too much of a challenge, but this is what I really enjoyed. I don’t want to keep comparing this game to Stardew Valley, but for those who have played it, it’s clear that some inspiration has been borrowed from that classic. You’ll be familiar with traversing through the town and surrounding areas ticking off quests whilst keeping an eye on the day and night cycle alongside your personal stamina.

In between quests, you’ll want to utilise your time wisely by going off into the unknown terrain to gather resources ready for medicinal brewery in your home. Aside from this you can go about your day and spend time fishing, doing a part-time job for the police or even playing in the local arcade that’s buried beneath the pub. These are just a few features on offer, but there’s always something to be getting on with at your own pace. Whilst stamina doesn’t really deplete aside from resource gathering, you don’t want to stay up too late, or you’ll pass out where you’re standing.

Boil Me Up Some Drugs!

As the chemist geezer, you’ll be on call to treat patients in the hospital and diagnose and cure their illnesses. You’ll know when someone has been admitted to hospital due to a siren sounding out as you rifle through the streets of Moonbury. There is no immediate rush since you normally have around three in-game days to treat a patient before they venture down the slippery slope toward uncertain times. The meat and potato of the game is all about diagnosing illnesses and then going off and crafting the correct potion to treat them. It isn’t always that simple though since some medicines require specific resources and precise placement to get the results desired.

Each time you craft a potion you’re given some puzzle-building challenges to create what you need. The ingredients are presented in block form with Tetris-style blocks to slot into the puzzle. These however can’t be rotated and can only be placed as they appear as indicated by each ingredient. Whilst it seems quite simple at first, it quickly becomes a bit of a head-scratcher and becomes apparent why you need to keep scavenging out in the wild for resources. Some of the more complex potions get a little full on as you try and utilise everything you have to fill in the blanks. If you don’t have what it takes to finish it, then you’ll have to go out and look for more ingredients. Be mindful though that some will only be able to use certain categories as well.

Graphics & Audio

Potion Permit is simply stunning with a beautifully illustrated pixel-art style in a vibrant and interesting world. You’re given the opportunity before your playthrough to design your character. Here you can customise hair colour and alter the aesthetics of your clothing and choose a name for yourself and also your furry companion. Yes, you have a dog that will accompany you on your travels

Whilst some may find the music pretty repetitive throughout the game, I actually found it peaceful and relaxing. I really enjoyed the sound effects that blend into the rest of the game really well. I absolutely adored the chimes when a quest had been completed, it gave you a split-second aura of achievement and makes you feel really good inside. There is no spoken dialogue here and you’ll need to do a fair bit of reading, but chat bubbles and text are clear and concise to absorb. Because of the well-orchestrated story and the unique personalities of the individuals scattered across the town, I genuinely didn’t want to skip any lines of text during my time with the game.

In Conclusion

Potion Permit is absolutely outstanding and instantly consumed me with its excellent storyline and character-building elements. It’s a game that isn’t overly complicated and had perfect pacing to suit casual and hardcore RPG fans alike. It never becomes overly confusing and keeps inventory management simplistic. You get a real feel for the atmosphere during this game, and you can genuinely feel the shift of mood throughout Moonbury as you progress. 

The art style definitely helps Potion Permit to nestle amongst the indie masterpieces of 2022 with games such as Tunic and Cult Of The Lamb. Aside from a few frustrating bugs which I’m sure will be fixed in due course, there isn’t really anything the development team have got wrong here. For the price point, it is worth every penny and for fans of games with a similar vibe, it is an absolute must-buy, and I can assure you money well spent. Get your chemistry cap on and don’t miss this must-buy indie gem.