The Apothecary Diaries, which recently announced a live-action adaptation, is now coming as a video game as well.
A new mystery adventure title currently under development by Koei Tecmo, 'The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother (working title)', was revealed for the first time during Nintendo Direct. An official website, trailer, and Steam page were released alongside the announcement, with the game scheduled to launch in early 2027.
The game features a brand-new original story conceptualized by Natsu Hyuuga, the original author of the series. While investigating mysteries taking place in the rear palace, the protagonist, Maomao, gets caught up in an incident surrounding a man who claims to be the Emperor's brother.
Gameplay follows an adventure format in which players explore crime scenes, gather evidence and information through questioning, and organize their findings to deduce the truth behind each case. Depending on the situation, players must present the appropriate information to person of interest to gain new clues, and making repeated wrong choices can stall the investigation.
Maomao's specialty, medicine crafting, also serves as a core system in the game. Players can collect herbs and ingredients to craft required medicines, with the crafting difficulty and the completed medicine's effects varying based on the materials used.
The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother is scheduled to launch in early 2027 for PC, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. However, according to its Steam page, Korean is not supported.
