The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother will launch on March 18, 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam. Developed by Gust in collaboration with TOHO Co., Ltd., it is positioned as the franchise’s first console-game adaptation, with Maomao at the center of a new palace mystery.
The announced premise gives the game a clear investigation structure: Maomao must uncover the truth behind the Five Mysteries and resolve the Five Curses. Rather than making every lead available through one protagonist, the game will let players shift between characters whose social positions and physical abilities open different paths to information. That setup is potentially a particularly natural fit for a story built around observation, access and deduction.
Pre-orders are now open. Players buying either a physical or digital copy by March 31, 2027 are set to receive the Apothecary’s Starter Kit and Modest Accessory Pack as an early-purchase bonus. The digital pre-order version includes that early-purchase content, while a separate digital pre-order bonus, the Apothecary’s Tasteful Accessory Pack, is available to those who pre-order digitally by March 17, 2027.
A mystery game built around who can reach each clue
Maomao is the primary playable character, but the investigation will occasionally move to Jinshi and Maomao (Cat). The distinction is more than cosmetic. Jinshi can draw statements from people who will not speak with Maomao, using his position to overcome social barriers. Maomao (Cat), meanwhile, can climb to high locations, listen in on conversations and recover evidence that human Maomao cannot access.
In practical terms, that means the game’s investigations appear to be designed around character-gated clues: information or objects that are inaccessible until the appropriate playable character is used. Jinshi’s route seems focused on dialogue and authority, while the cat’s route focuses on movement, overheard conversations and environmental access. Maomao remains the core investigator, but the other perspectives should allow cases to explore the rear palace from angles that ordinary questioning cannot.
That approach also creates an appealing narrative logic. A mystery can be blocked for a reason beyond a locked door or a missing tool: someone may simply refuse to tell Maomao what they know. Jinshi offers a route through hierarchy, while the cat can sidestep hierarchy entirely. The result could make the act of gathering evidence feel rooted in the setting rather than reduced to a conventional checklist.
New faces join Maomao’s investigation
The False Imperial Brother introduces original characters conceived by Hyuganatsu, the series author. They are Yanxi, a high-ranking official in the rear palace’s Bureau of Court Etiquette; Guanyu, a traveling actor; and Chenhan, a regular customer of the Verdigris House.
Only their roles have been outlined so far, so it is too early to assume how each will connect to the Five Mysteries or the Five Curses. Still, the descriptions place them in distinct social spheres: palace administration, performance and the Verdigris House. That range is notable for an investigation story, because it suggests Maomao’s work will not be limited to a single circle of palace residents.
Related coverage includes The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother Sets March 2027 Release.
The new characters are also an important detail for fans looking for a game story that is not merely a direct replay of familiar material. Their involvement points to a narrative made for this adaptation, while keeping Maomao’s detective work and the palace setting as its foundation.
Trust, side stories and requested medicine
Conversations with other characters will not be only about advancing the central case. The game includes quests and item-delivery requests, including requests for medicine. Completing these interactions raises trust, which in turn unlocks special side stories.
Trust is generally a relationship-progression system: helping a character increases the player’s standing with them and can reveal extra scenes or narrative material. Here, its presence makes Maomao’s medicinal knowledge mechanically relevant beyond the headline mysteries. Delivering the right requested item may be a small task, but it can contribute to learning more about an individual character through the unlocked side stories.
Players should therefore expect at least two forms of progression. There is the main investigation into the Five Mysteries and Five Curses, and there is relationship-focused progress tied to quests and deliveries. For players who enjoy seeing optional character material, it may be worth paying close attention to requests rather than treating them as background errands.
Medicine-making includes different playable characters
Maomao will not be the only character associated with concocting medicine. The Quack Doctor and Luomen can also be played during medicine-making segments. The selected character affects the difficulty of the relevant mini-games.
A mini-game is a smaller interactive challenge embedded within a larger game. The announcement does not yet specify the rules of these medicine-focused activities, but it does establish that character choice has a gameplay consequence. Choosing a different practitioner is not presented solely as a change in animation or dialogue; it changes how demanding the associated task will be.
That could give players some flexibility when engaging with the crafting-related portions of the game, though the precise difficulty differences have not been detailed. It is also not known whether distinct characters provide different rewards, outcomes or story scenes. What is confirmed is narrower, but meaningful: Maomao, the Quack Doctor and Luomen are all playable in this activity, and their selection influences mini-game difficulty.
Completion Stamps reward chapter-by-chapter thoroughness
Each chapter will include Completion Stamps. Earning every stamp unlocks special illustrations, giving completion-minded players a visual reward for fully clearing the game’s chapter objectives.
The exact requirements for individual stamps have not been announced. They may involve investigation progress, optional interactions, medicine tasks or other objectives, but those details remain unconfirmed. What players can count on is a chapter-based completion framework and an all-stamps reward rather than a single reward attached solely to finishing the main story.
For a mystery adventure, that system can make a useful distinction between simply reaching the ending and seeing as much as possible. The special illustrations provide a reason to revisit chapters or make sure optional material has not been overlooked, without suggesting that players need to approach the game as an open-ended collectible hunt.
Editions and pre-order timing
The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the base game and three cosmetic content packs:
- Formal costume pack for Maomao and Jinshi
- Fantasy costume pack for Maomao
- Fashion accessory pack for Maomao (Cat)
Those are separate from the early-purchase and digital pre-order accessory packs. Anyone considering a purchase should note the two deadlines: March 17, 2027 for the digital pre-order bonus, and March 31, 2027 for the early-purchase bonus available with physical or digital copies. The early-purchase content is included with a digital pre-order, but the Tasteful Accessory Pack specifically requires a digital pre-order placed by its earlier deadline.
With its March 18 release date, The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother is part of a broader 2027 release calendar that already includes platform-spanning PC and console games. For another upcoming cross-platform release, see Stupid Never Dies launching on PS5 and PC.
For The Apothecary Diaries fans, the central promise is now clearer: this is a new Maomao-led investigation that uses authority, stealthy feline access, relationship-building and medicine-making as connected pieces of its detective framework. More specifics on the Five Mysteries, the Five Curses and the game’s individual mini-games have yet to be revealed, but the basic case file opens on March 18, 2027.
