The Apothecary Diaries Gets Its First Console Game — How The False Imperial Brother Actually Works

The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother is the franchise’s first console and PC game, announced by publisher KOEI TECMO and developer Gust, in cooperation with TOHO Games, during the September 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct. It launches in early 2027 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.

This isn’t the anime retold as a game. It’s a brand-new story conceptualized by Hyuganatsu, the original novel author, written specifically for this project rather than adapted from any existing novel, manga or anime arc.

The Quick Version

Title	The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother
Publisher	KOEI TECMO
Developer	Gust, in cooperation with TOHO Games
Story	Original, conceptualized by Hyuganatsu
Platforms	PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam)
Release window	Early 2027
Genre	Mystery-investigation adventure
Languages (audio/text/subtitles)	Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese
Canon status	Not formally addressed by KOEI TECMO

The story: Five Mysteries, Five Curses, and a masked impostor

Maomao — now working in the rear palace after her apprenticeship in the pleasure district — is drawn into two connected chains of incidents: the “Five Mysteries” disturbing the rear palace, and the “Five Curses” spreading fear through the capital. At the center of it is a masked figure who claims to be the “imperial younger brother,” a claim that Jinshi himself disputes. Maomao has to use her knowledge of medicine and eye for detail to work out who this person actually is before, in KOEI TECMO’s own framing, it “destroys the imperial court.”

KOEI TECMO hasn’t said where this story sits relative to the anime’s ongoing seasons or the novels, and hasn’t described it as canon to the main timeline one way or the other — it’s presented as a self-contained original story rather than a slotted-in chapter.

How the mystery-solving actually works

The game is built as a mystery-investigation adventure, not a visual novel or an action game. According to KOEI TECMO’s official description, players:

• Explore locations to gather evidence, examining objects and scenes for clues
• Interview witnesses and organize what they learn
• Craft medicine from ingredients gathered while exploring, tying directly into Maomao’s actual skill set
• Assemble findings into deductions, connecting clues in a notebook to work toward the truth

There’s also a credibility system: giving a wrong answer during deduction sequences reduces trust, and KOEI TECMO says repeated mistakes “may lead you into a dead end” — so wrong guesses have real consequences rather than just requiring a retry.

Platforms, release and languages

The game is confirmed for PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam), with a release window of early 2027 — no specific date has been announced. Its Steam listing confirms interface, full audio and subtitle support in Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese, so this isn’t a Japanese-audio-only release for Western platforms.

What’s still unknown

• Exact release date
• Pricing, editions and whether a physical release is planned
• How the story’s placement relates to the ongoing novel and anime timelines
• Full character roster beyond Maomao and the masked “imperial younger brother”

KOEI TECMO has said it will show more of the game during a Tokyo Game Show 2026 stage livestream on September 20, so some of these gaps may close soon.

How this fits with everything else

The Apothecary Diaries is having a busy year across formats — Season 3 of the anime begins in October, a theatrical movie arrives in December, and a Prime Video live-action series is set for 2028. This game adds a sixth format to that list, and it’s the first one built as an original story specifically for its medium rather than adapting existing material. For the full picture of how every version of the franchise connects, see our complete Apothecary Diaries format guide.