Koei Tecmo announced The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brothera detective game based on the popular light novel series and its anime adaptation, known to us as “The Pharmacist’s Monologue.” The first trailer was shown along with the announcement. The release is scheduled for early 2027.
The original story is reminiscent of the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, only in the detective’s place is the young herbalist Maomao, and the action takes place in a fictional empire inspired by Tang-era China.
The heroine serves in the Forbidden Palace and looks after the emperor’s concubines, but in fact serves as a court forensic expert. She unravels mysteries with the help of her analytical mind and extensive knowledge of poisons and medicinal drugs, which she often tests on herself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLr4wJhdloE
The plot of the game revolves around two chains of strange incidents, called “Five Mysteries” and “Five Curses”. According to the publisher’s description, these events wreak havoc in three places at once – in the inner palace, in the entertainment district and on the streets of the capital. Maomao’s investigation leads him to a masked man who calls himself “the emperor’s younger brother.”
Koei Tecmo about the beginning:
During her investigation, she comes across a possible suspect, a masked man calling himself the “Emperor’s Younger Brother.” As rumors grow, Maomao is drawn into an investigation that will lead her to a shocking secret that could destroy the imperial court.
The gameplay is based on a scheme familiar to the genre with two phases. First, you have to move freely around the palace and city blocks, interview witnesses and collect ingredients for potions. Then the deduction stage begins, where you need to put forward versions and support them with the evidence found.
The concept of the story was developed by Natsu Hyuga, the author of the original light novel series. At the same time, the wording about the “concept” hints that the dialogues were already written by the game team. The visual style and production design follows the anime adaptation rather than the original source material.
While the PC version has been confirmed, there is no information about other platforms and the availability of Russian localization. You can add a game add to Steam wishlist.
