Potion Permit is a premium adventure title from developer MassHive Media. In this sprawling action game, players take on the role of a chemist in a town that's in constant need of healing and medical attention. They will collect ingredients, diagnose illnesses, and create potions to cure them.

Just like Hades or Death’s Door, Potion Permit is an isometric game that is played in the 2.5D perspective. Also, it takes on a more retro approach to its game design and presentation, utilizing a charming pixel art style and graphics. Play as you like in this open-ended RPG adventure.

The town needs some healing

Potion Permit takes place in Moonbury, a town that has always shunned the advancements of the outside world and relies on traditional methods of healing. That is until the mayor’s daughter falls ill with a disease that the local doctor can do nothing about. This is where you come in, the Medical Association’s most accomplished chemist, to use the wonders of modern alchemy to find a cure.

Once you’ve determined the cause of the illness, you will then devise the right potion for it, and this is where you’ll venture into the wild for the necessary ingredients. Of course, things won’t come easy as you’ll need to face monsters along the way. Thankfully, you have an assortment of weapons and deadly concoctions at your disposal to help in battles. Then, you’ll use your cauldron to brew the cure.

That’s not all you can do in this game, though. You’ll also be able to interact with the townsfolk, know their stories, and help improve the town. Such bonds are not built overnight, but as your healing hands restore wellness, you will witness an uptick in your reputation. Your efforts to connect with the townsfolk might even lead to special bonds with select bachelors or bachelorettes. However, the gameplay gets repetitive quickly.

You hold the cure

All in all, Potion Permit mixes elements of open-world exploration, real-time combat, and life simulation to create a fun and charming experience. The pixel art and graphics look great and the open-ended nature of its story and progression allows you to play it however you want and at your own pace. Its charming yet relaxed gameplay gets repetitive eventually, though.