The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother Announced for Early 2027

The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother has been officially announced as a new mystery adventure game set in the world of The Apothecary Diaries. Revealed during the September 9, 2026 Nintendo Direct, the game is scheduled to launch in early 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.

Rather than simply replaying an existing anime storyline, the game features a completely new original story based on an original concept by Natsu Hyuga, author of The Apothecary Diaries. Players take control of Maomao as they explore the rear palace, pleasure district, and capital, collecting evidence, compounding medicine, organizing information, and using several forms of deduction to solve the Five Mysteries and Five Curses.

> Light spoiler notice: the official game synopsis references developments from the original story, including the conclusion of the Shi clan rebellion. This article does not discuss the details or outcome of that arc, but its chronological placement is mentioned because it forms part of the game's official premise.

Quick Summary

• English title: The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother
• Japanese title: 薬屋のひとりごと ～偽りの皇弟～
• Format: video game
• Official genre: mystery adventure
• Announcement: Nintendo Direct 2026.9.9
• Announcement date: September 9, 2026
• Release: early 2027
• Specific date: unannounced
• Platform: Nintendo Switch 2
• Platform: Nintendo Switch
• Platform: PlayStation 5
• Platform: PC / Steam
• Players: 1
• Price: unannounced
• CERO: rating pending
• Steam developer: KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
• Steam publisher: KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
• Development collaboration: Koei Tecmo Games' Gust brand and TOHO Games
• Original story concept: Natsu Hyuga
• Story status: completely new original story
• Franchise position: first console game adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries anime
• Protagonist: Maomao
• Maomao CV: Aoi Yuki
• Major character: Jinshi
• Jinshi CV: Takeo Otsuka
• Original character: Guanyu
• Guanyu CV: Yohei Azakami
• Location: rear palace
• Location: pleasure district
• Location: capital / castle town
• Initial mystery: Five Mysteries
• Five Mysteries example: faceless eunuch
• Five Mysteries example: storehouse that wails every night
• Five Mysteries example: garments turning red overnight
• Later threat: Five Curses
• Central mystery: masked imperial younger brother
• Core gameplay: exploration
• Core gameplay: witness interviews
• Core gameplay: evidence collection
• Core gameplay: ingredient gathering
• Core gameplay: medicine compounding
• Core gameplay: information organization
• Core gameplay: deduction
• Deduction system: answer selection
• Deduction system: evidence presentation
• Deduction system: calming an emotional witness under a time limit
• Deduction system: reconstructing details from the scene
• Deduction system: combining two pieces of evidence
• Case-choice system: Apothecary's Choice
• Repeated mistakes: can lead to a dead end and restart from before deduction
• Audio: Japanese
• Interface/text: Japanese
• Interface/text: English
• Interface/text: Simplified Chinese
• Interface/text: Traditional Chinese
• Indonesian: not supported
• Steam wishlist: available
• Steam App ID: 4905780
• TGS 2026: appearing at the Koei Tecmo booth
• TGS 2026 dates: September 17–21, 2026
• Special stage: September 20, 2026 from 1:30–2:20 PM JST
• Current status: in development for an early 2027 launch

Announcement Trailer, Steam and Gameplay

A New Story Based on Natsu Hyuga's Original Concept

One of the most important parts of the announcement is the game's story status. The False Imperial Brother is not simply an interactive replay of anime episodes; it is a new original story built from an original concept supplied by Natsu Hyuga.

The official website describes it as another story taking place behind developments familiar to readers and viewers.

Hyuga recalled being surprised when she learned Koei Tecmo Games would be adapting the property, particularly because of the company's association with the Atelier series. After seeing development materials, work-in-progress screens and the scenario expanded from her concept, she highlighted the amount of enthusiasm being put into the project.

She also pointed to the immersive appeal of being able to freely move around the world of The Apothecary Diaries. Its 3D environments turn the rear palace, pleasure district and capital into explorable spaces rather than simply backgrounds for dialogue.

The Five Mysteries and Five Curses Drive the Story

The story begins shortly after Maomao starts working as a maidservant in the rear palace.

A series of unexplained incidents known as the Five Mysteries begin unsettling the court. Official material names examples including a faceless eunuch, a storehouse that wails every night and clothing that becomes red overnight.

Jinshi asks Maomao to investigate. Using her medicinal knowledge and keen observational skills, she gathers evidence, questions witnesses, compounds medicines and searches for rational explanations behind incidents being treated as supernatural.

The story eventually expands beyond the rear palace. Following the end of the Shi clan rebellion, rumors of the Five Curses spread through the capital.

During the investigation, Maomao sees a masked man claiming to be the imperial younger brother. Jinshi denies any involvement, yet a mysterious group supporting the masked figure begins to gain attention.

The larger question becomes not only who the False Imperial Brother actually is, but how the Five Mysteries, Five Curses and a long-buried piece of history are connected.

Medicine Crafting Is Part of the Investigation

Because Maomao is an apothecary, medicine is integrated directly into the investigative loop rather than being treated as an unrelated side activity.

Players explore the rear palace, pleasure district and city areas to collect both clues and medicinal ingredients.

Gathered materials can then be used in the compounding system. Created medicines may help move an investigation forward, satisfy a character's request or provide another way to solve someone's problem.

The English Steam description adds that ingredient quality and variety can influence the difficulty of the compounding mini-game and the effectiveness of the finished remedy. An automated feature is also available for players who want to prepare high-quality medicine more quickly.

That gives Maomao's profession a mechanical role in the complete investigation cycle: gather ingredients, compound medicine, use the result, and bring the information gained back into the case.

Deduction Involves More Than Presenting Evidence

Once enough clues are collected, players enter an information organization phase to map relationships between pieces of information.

The game uses choice-based reviews to revisit clues before Maomao builds a clearer picture of the case.

Deduction itself includes several different interactions. Players can choose from four answers through Solution Selection, present testimony or evidence from the notebook, combine two pieces of evidence, and use Scene Memory to identify truths hidden in the physical environment.

There is also Calming the Heart, which activates when another person becomes emotionally overwhelmed and asks players to choose the right words under a time limit.

Mistakes have gameplay consequences. Too many incorrect choices can send the case into a dead end, returning the player to the point immediately before deduction.

Some evidence is optional rather than strictly required. Finding it can reveal a culprit's deeper motivation and unlock Apothecary's Choice, where Maomao may choose between delivering an uncompromising truth or a more comforting response.

The official system page says these choices can alter how individual cases conclude, but multiple endings for the overall main story have not been confirmed.

Guanyu Joins the Returning Anime Cast as an Original Character

Alongside Maomao and Jinshi, the game introduces Guanyu, an original character voiced by Yohei Azakami.

Game Ad

Stranded with You

Guanyu is a traveling actor who has become popular in the capital. When performing in the streets, he projects confidence and uses a powerful voice to capture the crowd.

His real personality changes dramatically once he leaves the stage. Guanyu is much more timid in private, to the point that people may fail to realize the bold performer and the quiet man are the same person.

Maomao meets him during a visit home. After providing him with medicine, she gradually becomes involved in the problems surrounding him.

The game also brings back many characters and voice actors familiar from the anime, including Gaoshun, Xiaolan, Lihaku, Gyokuyou, Lihua, Lishu, Luomen, Yuyuan, Hongniang, Madam, Meimei and Pairin.

Aoi Yuki continues as Maomao, while Takeo Otsuka returns as Jinshi.

Tokyo Game Show 2026 Is the Next Major Stop

Only days after its Nintendo Direct reveal, the game is already scheduled for a major appearance at Tokyo Game Show 2026.

Koei Tecmo will feature The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother at its booth during TGS from September 17 through September 21, 2026.

Visitors who show that they follow the game's official X account can receive an original clear file and sticker set while supplies last.

A special stage is also scheduled for September 20 from 1:30 to 2:20 PM JST.

Aoi Yuki, Takeo Otsuka and Yohei Azakami are scheduled to appear, representing the three major characters revealed so far, alongside a Maomao mascot appearance and a greeting session after the stage.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the TGS booth will offer a public playable demo or function primarily as an exhibition and stage presentation.

Why This Matters

1) It is not simply an anime retelling

Natsu Hyuga provided the original concept for a new story, giving players mysteries beyond a straightforward recreation of television episodes.

2) Maomao's profession becomes gameplay

Gathering medicinal ingredients and compounding medicine directly feed into investigations rather than existing as decorative side activities.

3) Deduction uses several different interactions

Players organize clues, combine evidence, reconstruct scenes and manage emotional witnesses instead of only selecting a culprit.

4) Choices can affect the resolution of cases

Optional evidence can reveal hidden motives and give Maomao the choice between blunt truth and a more compassionate response.

Game Information

For now, the additional important information currently known includes:

• the Japanese title is 薬屋のひとりごと ～偽りの皇弟～
• the official English title is The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother
• the game was revealed during Nintendo Direct on September 9, 2026
• its official release window is early 2027
• no specific month or day has been announced
• pricing remains unannounced
• editions or a collector's edition remain unannounced
• preorder details remain unannounced
• Steam wishlisting is already available
• Nintendo Switch 2 is supported
• Nintendo Switch is supported
• PlayStation 5 is supported
• PC is supported through Steam
• no Xbox version has been announced
• the game is designed for one player
• its official genre is mystery adventure
• the CERO rating is still pending
• it is the first console-game adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries anime
• Natsu Hyuga supplied the original concept for the new story
• Natsu Hyuga has not been announced as the sole scenario writer
• Steam lists KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. as developer
• Steam also lists KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD. as publisher
• Japanese promotional material describes the Gust brand and TOHO Games as collaborating on development
• Maomao is the player-controlled protagonist
• Aoi Yuki returns as Maomao
• Takeo Otsuka returns as Jinshi
• Yohei Azakami voices Guanyu
• Guanyu is an original game character
• the story begins with the Five Mysteries in the rear palace
• the Five Curses later appear in the capital
• a masked imperial younger brother becomes the central mystery
• gameplay combines exploration and witness interviews
• players can investigate crime scenes
• clues are stored and organized through a notebook
• medicinal ingredients can be gathered in the field
• ingredients are used for medicine compounding
• medicine can contribute to cases or character problems
• ingredient quality and variety affect compounding according to Steam
• automated compounding is also available
• information organization visualizes relationships between clues
• deduction uses multiple-choice answers
• players can present testimony and evidence
• two pieces of evidence can be combined to reveal new information
• Scene Memory uses details from physical locations
• Calming the Heart requires the correct words under a time limit
• repeated errors can lead to a dead end
• after a dead end, the game restarts immediately before deduction
• optional evidence can reveal deeper motives
• Apothecary's Choice can change how a case is resolved
• multiple endings for the overall main story have not been confirmed
• Japanese full audio is supported
• Japanese interface and subtitles are supported
• English interface and subtitles are supported
• Simplified Chinese interface and subtitles are supported
• Traditional Chinese interface and subtitles are supported
• Indonesian is not supported
• published screenshots come from a development build and may change
• TGS 2026 runs September 17–21
• the game will appear at the Koei Tecmo booth
• the special stage runs September 20 from 1:30–2:20 PM JST
• Aoi Yuki is scheduled to appear
• Takeo Otsuka is scheduled to appear
• Yohei Azakami is scheduled to appear
• a public playable TGS demo has not been confirmed in the verified material
• official information is available through the Official Website
• updates are available through Official X
• the first video is available through the Official PV1
• the PC version can be wishlisted through Steam
• the PS5 page is available through the PlayStation Store

Closing

The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother translates Maomao's identity into a surprisingly direct game loop: gather clues, search for medicinal ingredients, compound remedies, organize information and test the resulting theory through several forms of deduction. An original story built from Natsu Hyuga's concept also gives the project room to explore mysteries beyond a simple anime retelling.

The game is scheduled for early 2027 on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PS5 and Steam. Pricing, a specific release date, editions, preorder details and the possibility of a playable TGS 2026 demo all remain unannounced.