Overall Impressions
I stepped into Moonbury as its new chemist. The premise charmed me right away. I loved the idea of diagnosing symptoms, gathering ingredients, and brewing potions. The game feels like a cozy potion-focused cousin to Stardew Valley. Its open-ended RPG structure invites slow, relaxing play. However, the repetitiveness can grind the fun to a halt. Moonbury’s days often blend together in endless cut scenes and fetch quests. Still, the art style and peaceful vibe kept me coming back for more casual sessions.
Gameplay Mechanics
Potion Permit centers on diagnosing patients through a simple mini-game. You link symptoms to elements in a puzzle. The mechanic feels fresh at first but grows repetitive. Brewing potions involves another tidy mini-game. I enjoyed the puzzles, though I wished they evolved. Foraging for berries, herbs, and minerals adds variety. Teleportation posts help, but they’re scarce in town. The dog companion is adorable, yet its controls need polish. You must call it with one button, then interact with another. Small bugs like fence borders and limited fast travel hurt the flow. Still, completing tasks and tasting your own potions feels rewarding.
Story and Characters
Moonbury’s villagers all need your help. You meet patients in cut scenes, then cure them with potions. I liked the cozy premise, but many NPCs feel flat. Their schedules blend rather than pop, forcing you to hunt them down. A few characters, like the herbalist and the blacksmith, have memorable dialogues. Romance options exist, but they lack depth. The world-building hints at a rich backstory, yet most side characters stay one-note. I wish the developers added more interaction variety or deeper lore quests. Still, some cut scenes spark genuine smiles.
Visuals and Graphics
Potion Permit sports pixel art that immediately wins you over. The hand-drawn sprites glow with warm colors. Town buildings feel quaint, and ingredient icons look delightful. My only gripe is the color palette’s muted tones. Paths and fences blend, making navigation tricky. Occasional pop-in walls create false routes. Outside of town, biomes like forests and caves show off lovely seasonal changes. The art style keeps the mood serene even during monster fights.
Sound and Music
I adore the gentle soundtrack here. Each area has its own peaceful theme. Bird chirps, bubbling cauldrons, and distant chimes create a soothing soundscape. Sound effects, like potion pouring, feel satisfying. There’s no voice acting, but I didn’t miss it. The audio makes me want to brew in real life. It’s one of the game’s strongest features.
Difficulty and Replayability
Potion Permit aims for a low-stress pace. Combat with slimes and goblins barely challenges you. Foraging and fishing mini-games remain simple and often unrewarding. The day timer pushes you to plan tasks, but many days still feel empty. Once you hit mid-game, tasks plateau. I often wandered without purpose. Updates from MassHive Media added side stories but no new core mechanics. That said, I find myself returning for a quick hour of potion puzzles. The charming setting and those mini-games offer enough casual replay value.
Developer Trivia
MassHive Media is an indie studio based in Indonesia. They built Potion Permit in Unity and released it on September 22, 2022. PQube published the game worldwide. Since launch, the team focused on bug fixes and added storylines. Fans hoped for expanded potion systems, pet interactions, or more fast-travel posts. The devs have hinted at new content patches but haven’t shared a firm roadmap.
Final Thoughts
Potion Permit shines brightest as a chill, undemanding sim. Its lovely pixel art and soothing soundtrack earn it big points. The core potion-making puzzles spark joy at first. But the game needs more variety in tasks, deeper character arcs, and better navigation tools. If you love cozy sims, you’ll find moments of bliss here. If you crave evolving mechanics or tight gameplay loops, you may feel let down.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
