Moonbury's residents need healing, and you're the best chemist around! With your trusty tools, a brewing cauldron, and a canine companion at your side, you'll need to diagnose symptoms, gather ingredients, brew potions, and cure ailments in this open-ended sim RPG.
As the town's new chemist, players take on the role of a potion crafter. When a patient visits the clinic, players must diagnose their symptoms through a series of interactive mini-games. After determining the correct diagnosis, players then need to gather the necessary ingredients - such as plants, herbs, wood, and ore - from the surrounding environment and combine them in their cauldron to brew the appropriate remedy. This potion crafting mechanic features a satisfying puzzle element, as players must experiment with different ingredient combinations to unlock new recipes. As players progress, they can further enhance their cauldron to create more advanced and powerful potions.
To gather the ingredients needed for potion brewing, players must venture out into the surrounding wilderness and fields. This involves foraging for resources like ginger, mint, and dandelions, chopping down oak and pine trees for wood, and mining deposits of stone and iron ore. However, the environment is not without its dangers, as players may encounter hostile creatures like bears and wolves that drop valuable crafting materials. To deal with these threats, players can use their mining tools, such as axes and pickaxes, as makeshift weapons, engaging in real-time combat.
Interacting with the 30 unique residents of Moonbury is another key aspect of the gameplay. As the town's new chemist, players must work to gain the trust and friendship of the locals, who are initially wary of outsiders. By completing quests, delivering potions, and simply talking to the townspeople, players can gradually build up their relationships and unlock new story events and dialogue. For example, befriending the gruff, elderly blacksmith, Dan, might lead to him sharing the tragic tale of a past chemist's experiments gone wrong. In terms of progression, players can upgrade their various tools and equipment, allowing them to more efficiently gather resources and complete tasks. They can also invest in upgrading the town's facilities, such as the clinic and local shops, which in turn unlock new options and conveniences for the player.