Life sim Potion Permit brews up a fall release date

Saving Moonbury one potion at a time

The day I’ll be tired of life simulators will be the day that I die, which is why I’m so excited to see another great game in the genre finally get a release date. Potion Permit is an adorable little life sim, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you’re in for a treat (you can also play the PC demo right now, by the way). The game is set in the small town of Moonbury, where an illness has spread. As the Medical Association’s most skilled potion maker, the player is tasked with helping create the cure for the ailing townsfolk.

Let’s be honest, all of these games have a super cute art style, but I have to say Potion Permit has one of my favorite looks from a game like this in a long time. Plus, everything looks super polished, which is a huge plus going in. From the trailer, I can already get the sense too that we won’t be in want of activities to pad out our playtimes.

There’s a ton to do in Moonbury — aside from diagnosing patients, finding ingredients for potions, and of course healing them, players can get to know over thirty of the town’s inhabitants, fight off fearsome creatures, and upgrade the town and the surrounding areas. There are some RPG elements too, but we haven’t gotten a good look at what those might be just yet.

Of everything Potion Permit has to offer, I think I’m probably most excited for all of the NPCs in the game. That’s just around the number of NPCs you can give gifts to in Stardew Valley, and I don’t want to play the comparison game too much here, but that always felt around just the right amount to me. Having a whole new cast of characters to befriend (and romance) in games like these is always a highlight for me, and I already have an NPC or two that I have my eyes on.

Potion Permit will be available on PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Steam on September 22, 2022.