The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother

Video game adaptation of The Apothecary Diaries, The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother is an adventure and investigation game that puts you in the shoes of Maomao, an apothecary from the pleasure district turned servant within the imperial palace. Your mission: solve the Five Mysteries that are sowing trouble in the palace, then the Five Curses spreading through the capital, all while unravelling the identity of a mysterious masked "imperial brother".

The gameplay combines classic investigation - interrogations, clue gathering, deduction with consequences on your credibility - with a system for crafting remedies from plants gathered out in the field. The quality of the ingredients directly influences the difficulty of the preparation minigame and the effectiveness of the potions obtained, with an automation option for players in a hurry.

Developed by Gust in collaboration with TOHO Games, the title aims to appeal to both fans of the license and newcomers curious about a soulslike... sorry, a whodunit set in a fantasised period-costume China.