Maomao's first console mystery finally has a date. The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother, the mystery adventure game from Koei Tecmo and developer Gust, will launch on March 18, 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and PC via Steam.
The release date was revealed alongside a second trailer, shared by the official anime account for The Apothecary Diaries. Physical pre-orders are also now open in Japan.
The game was first announced back in September with a vague early 2027 window, so fans now have a firm date to circle. Koei Tecmo America's official site has also been updated to list the March 18 launch.
Jinshi And Maomao The Cat Are Playable
The biggest reveal in the new trailer is that Maomao is not the only character players will control. The official announcement confirms that Jinshi and Maomao, the cat that shares the apothecary's name, can both be controlled in the game, and the trailer pitches this as a way to solve cases as them.
The footage shows Jinshi exploring on his own, while the cat sneaks across rooftops and slips through the palace grounds. It is a fun way to approach the investigation from different angles, and the cat sections look like they could be some of the most charming parts of the game.
How The Mysteries Play Out
The trailer also offers a clearer look at the core gameplay loop. Players explore the rear palace and the capital, collect evidence, and craft medicine through a timing-based minigame. According to the trailer, those concoctions can be used both to prove what happened in a case and to make items that characters request.
Once enough clues have been gathered, players move into a deduction section that pieces together the full picture of an incident. Evidence is presented to the people involved, and the trailer shows screens for reading characters' true feelings and recalling the scene of a crime. There is also an achievement system that rewards players with special illustrations for collecting seals by completing objectives.
That lines up with the gameplay description Koei Tecmo shared at the reveal, which said players will need to "explore, gather evidence, and organize the information at their disposal to make deductions, while also gathering apothecary ingredients to concoct the medicines."
Three New Original Characters
The story is completely new and was conceptualized by series author Hyuganatsu. It follows Maomao as she investigates the Five Mysteries in the rear palace, and later the Five Curses spreading through the capital, which leads her to a masked man calling himself the imperial younger brother. Jinshi insists it is not him.
Three characters created for the game take part in that story. Guanyu is a traveling actor whose fame is growing in the capital, Yanxi is a high-ranking official from the rear palace's Bureau of Ceremonies, and Chenhan is a regular customer at the Verdigris House in the pleasure district. The voice cast confirmed so far includes Aoi Yuki as Maomao, Takeo Otsuka as Jinshi, and Yohei Azakami as Guanyu.
Editions And Bonuses
In the West, the Switch 2 and PS5 versions will be available physically, while the Switch and Steam versions are download only. A Digital Deluxe Edition includes the Maomao and Jinshi Formal Costume Pack, the Maomao Fantasy Costume Pack, and the Feline Fashion Accessory Pack, so even the cat gets to dress up. Digital pre-orders also come with the Apothecary's Tasteful Accessory Pack.
The game will feature Japanese voices with English text. It arrives while the anime is in the middle of its third season, which picked up its English dub on Crunchyroll last week.
Are you more excited to investigate as Jinshi, or to sneak around the palace as Maomao the cat?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.