Pax East 2022 is such a blast with the amount of Indie Games that were present. I went to the PQUBE Booth because there was one Indie Game that I was curious about and that game was Potion Permit. Potion Permit is a beautiful Simulation RPG that is currently being developed by MassHive Media. In Potion Permit, you can customize and play as an alchemist/doctor moving into a small village outside of the capital.
The Demo
The demo started with the main protagonist and a canine companion making their way from the capital to the small town of Moonbury by train. And while the residents need an alchemist, they were not thrilled about an alchemist from the capital. As you make your way into town, suddenly, your services as an alchemist are required to save the mayor’s daughter. As a reward, the mayor provides you with a home that you can use to do all your crafting.
Crafting Quest
Afterward, I met the hunter who gave me a quest to find resources to make a potion. There are so many different characters in the town. Each character has their own side story from the game that I believe has a connection to the main storyline. The gathering and finding resources are quite similar to other games that I have played where you hit the rock and it gives stone; the tree gives you wood and fruits.
Of course, there are creatures in the world that also gives you resources when you fight them. The art of alchemy is the main feature of this game and a good chunk of your time will be spent crafting to produce items and potions for the village.
From using the cauldrons to create my potion, I always knew alchemy was hard because I played other games that have similar puzzle shape mechanics. The potion brewing part took a bit of trial and error with some help from the developer, and I didn’t realize I was missing some key resources that I didn’t know I needed. but eventually, I made my potion. I believe after you get used to doing the alchemy portion of the game, it will become easier to grasp.
Appeal
Potion Permit looks like an old-school JRPG that I enjoyed. The game felt polished and I haven’t had an issue playing the demo so far. Potion Permit is otherwise a very cozy and relaxed game that I can see myself and many gamers enjoying if they love a game that is similar to Stardew Valley. I did enjoy the alchemy part of the demo, even though I had some problems in the beginning, but eventually, I was able to grasp it in the amount of time I had left playing the demo. Alchemy can be a challenge for some folks but it is a challenge that will take practice through trial and error.
Story Telling
The early storytelling does an excellent job hinting at some political drama that is going on; it also gives information about the history of the village and why the resident doesn’t like people from the capital. “Why is this village so isolated and why are they so acrimonious toward a doctor from the Medical Association?” There is a relationship between the village and the capital and a dark history; that is why this game caught my interest. I can’t wait for the game to be fully released.
The full game is currently aiming for a simple 2022 release window.
You can Wishlist Potion Permit now on Steam.
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