There are times when I wonder what’s wrong with some Nintendo executives. The announcement of The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother is a prime example.
The game, which is the first major console adaptation of Hyūganatsu’s incredibly popular anime, manga, and light novel blockbuster The Apothecary Diaries (Kusuriya no Hitorigoto), is coming to PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2 in early 2026.
It’s developed by Atelier veteran studio Gust under the umbrella of Koei Tecmo.
So, why am I shaking my angry fist and my head at the same time at Nintendo? Today, the Japanese Nintendo Direct provided a full-fledged reveal of the game. On the other hand, someone at Nintendo of America or Europe must have thought that an anime game is too niche for a full reveal, so they relegated it to 7 seconds in the sizzle reel.
Perhaps they did not know (and did not care to educate themselves) that The Apothecary Diaries is a global phenomenon that has sold 57 million copies in print and is among the most streamed anime of all time.
At this point, I have to wonder if whoever decides the lineup of American and European Nintendo Directs suffered a sudden and devastating attack of stupid. Yes. I have used the “S” word. Sorry, not sorry.
Nintendo is not new to baffling decisions regarding Western Directs, but I can confidently say that this one beats them all.
Anyway, now that I’ve vented and likely burned a few bridges, we can move on to talk about the game.
We play as the anime’s heroine Maomao, as she’s investigating the so-called “Five Mysteries and Five Curses,” two chains of strange phenomena and conspiracies that are wreaking havoc in the rear palace, the pleasure district, and the capital itself.
During her investigation, she identifies a suspect, a mysterious masked man calling himself the “imperial younger brother.”
The gameplay involves exploring, gathering evidence, and organizing the information to make deductions. Of course, you’ll also have to gather ingredients for your medicines.
During the investigation phase, you can explore the Rear Palace and the surrounding city, and even venture outside to gather. This is followed by the deduction phase, when you can review information, present your deductions and evidence, while carefully selecting the answers with the help of Maomao’s notebook.
Below, you can check out a trailer and a bunch of screenshots and artwork.
