The Apothecary Diaries is getting its first console game, with Koei Tecmo, Gust, and Toho announcing The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother for an early 2027 release on PlayStation 5, Switch, Switch 2, and PC via Steam. Rather than retelling the anime, the game runs an original story with new characters conceptualized by series author Hyuganatsu, and it ships with Japanese voices and English text.
The setup puts Maomao, the pleasure district apothecary now working in the rear palace, on the trail of the Five Mysteries and Five Curses, two chains of strange incidents and conspiracies spreading through the rear palace, the pleasure district, and the streets of the capital. Her prime suspect is a masked man calling himself the “imperial younger brother,” and following the rumors around him leads toward a secret that could bring down the imperial court. Jinshi, the influential eunuch of the rear palace, returns alongside newcomers like Guanyu, a traveling actor whose popularity in the capital is on the rise.
Gameplay splits into two phases in The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother. During investigation, Maomao explores crime scenes, the surrounding city, and the rear palace to find clues and interview witnesses, and heading outside the city lets her gather apothecary ingredients to concoct medicines that can double as evidence or help her friends. Once enough information is in hand, the deduction phase has Maomao summarize the facts and present her theory, but the other party argues back, so players have to pick the right answers, pull the relevant evidence from her notebook, or combine pieces of information to make the case stick. The more you gather during investigation, the more evidence you have to work with.
Koei Tecmo is saving a fuller look for Tokyo Game Show, with a livestream from its stage on September 20 featuring voice actors Aoi Yuki (Maomao), Takeo Otsuka (Jinshi), and Yohei Azakami (Guanyu). Gust is best known for the Atelier series, and this is the studio’s second announcement this week after Atelier Karia’s release date was announced yesterday.
