Potion Permit Reviews
In a nutshell, Potion Permit is a good game for all gamers who are simply looking for a simple game to relax a bit while gaming. The game is pretty and can be quite entertaining, but it also has a few weak points. Those who simply want to switch off a bit at the end of the day will have fun with Potion Permit.
Review in German | Read full review
For those willing to commit the fifteen to twenty hours to enjoy the content despite the mountain of technical issues, or those willing to wait for a few patches to iron out the current issues, there’s a quaint title waiting to be explored.
The town of Moonbury is charming with a massive cast of varied and fun characters, and the resource gathering gameplay loop has the usual ability to keep you sucked in for hours, but there's just something there that made me feel like it wasn't scratching the itch as well as it could have. Add to that the various technical issues and the inexcusable crime of not allowing me to romance Helene, and it is difficult to imagine recommending this game to someone before pointing them towards many of the other options popping up around it. Despite all it does well, Potion Permit doesn't quite do enough to stand apart from the crowd.
Of course, other aspects of those goals fall short. The mini-games are not too exciting and a lot of the other life sim aspects feel like an afterthought because it takes so long to unlock them. Not to mention the bugs you’ll run into along the way that also bring down the experience. It’s hard to deny that the ideas behind Potion Permit are great, but it doesn’t quite reach the level where the gameplay becomes truly captivating.
However, despite these frustrations players will likely still find themselves returning to Potion Permit for hours at a time - it's incredibly easy to get in a "just one more day" loop despite some of the game's duller moments, because the puzzling and progression elements like improving as a chemist, forging friendships, and upgrading the clinic are so satisfying. At its core, Potion Permit is a unique and cozy indie game that clearly has a large amount of effort and ambition behind it, which helps it overcome some - but not all - of its flaws. For players looking to sink dozens of hours into a different style of simulation title, brewing up a life in Potion Permit may be just what the doctor ordered.
Unfortunately, there are also a lot of bugs present in the game. Characters will glitch in and out of existence while you’re talking with them. Sometimes the whole screen will go black and your character will pop up in a different part of the map when fast travelling. It’s things like this that really stop Potion Permit from reaching its potential, and its charming visuals can only do so much to counter this.
Potion Permit certainly has its own unique charm as you continue shaping the fortunes of Moonbury and its citizens. Unfortunately, it can get fairly monotonous later on.
A cosy game of potion manufacture, healing, and friendship set in a delightful isometric world, that's let down by its grinding repetition and some serious bugs.
Potion Permit throws a bunch of ideas together, but nothing really sticks as a true standout. It forces players into heavy grinding sessions for materials and other progressions at its worst. This makes it feel more akin to an MMO or GaaS than a fitting single-player experience. However, the actual aesthetics and characters are great and can be enough to tip things to some people’s liking.
Potion Permit is a simulation title with RPG and exploration touches where we will assume the role of an alchemist who arrives in the town of Moonbury. We will have to look for ingredients and elaborate potions to cure the sick, at the same time that we unravel the mysteries of the main story.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Potion Permit is at best an okay game. From someone who was looking forward to this game for a while, it hurts to say, but it just doesn’t live up to what it’s selling. MassHive tries a lot of different things in this RPG slice-of-life game, but it doesn’t reach the mark on most of them. Players should wait on this title until it has received the necessary fixes and balancing changes, if then.
Potion Permit mixes interesting gameplay and an intriguing story, but it doesn't manage to make the most of a wonderful setting.
Potion Permit has a great concept, but ultimately some quest issues and the sheer amount of grind make it a bit of a drag.
Slightly above average or simply inoffensive. Fans of the genre should enjoy them a bit, but a fair few will be left unfulfilled.
The streamlined mechanics of Potion Permit have simplified some genre staples to the point where they can feel like a grind. However, this game should still be fun for people motivated to learn more about Moonbury’s inhabitants — the town is a lively place where more than 30 individuals pursue daily routines. They interact with each other and the player in ways that suggest an established community, making it more rewarding when you earn that community’s trust.
From creating potions to going on dates and more, Potion Permit’s simple name belies the fact that this game will swallow you in with plenty of things to do. Those who enjoy simulation games should give this a whirl despite some weird glitches and easy minigame challenges. So settle into Moonbury, grab some ingredients, and start producing those potions!
Potion Permit is a hard game to pin down. It manages to give a refreshing take on the genre, but some of the mundane tasks often felt like bashing my head into a wall over and over again. Potion Permit feels like a nice cup of hot chocolate on an unseasonably warm day. Sure, it tastes good and the thought of it is great, but in practice maybe some things need improvement for it to truly be great.
Potion Permit is a quaint little alchemy simulator that will delight anyone looking for something cozy. It’s not exactly the Stardew Valley sibling it appears to be, but it has the potential to become just as beloved in its own right nonetheless. If you’re hurting for a cute life sim that blossoms over time, Potion Permit will cure what ails you.
Potion Permit is an attractive life sim with plenty of chemistry but its gameplay could really do with more variety and challenge to keep things engaging. I also hope that a big patch is on its way to remedy all of the odd bugs on display.
There's a lot of promise in the game's premise but it's still a glitchy mess that drags on from slow gameplay with minimal difficulty.