The Apothecary Diaries is getting a game, and it is not a gacha. The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother is a mystery title launching in early 2027 for Switch 2, Switch, PS5 and PC — a full console release for a franchise that until now has stayed in books, manga and television.
Quick answer
The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother is a new mystery game announced on September 9, 2026, launching in early 2027 for Nintendo Switch 2, Switch, PlayStation 5 and PC, per Animenewsnetwork. It is the franchise's first console game. The anime itself streams on Crunchyroll and Netflix depending on region; per SenpaiRanks, season 1 holds 7.67 and season 2 holds 7.69 on our Consensus board, with season 3 arriving this October.
The hook
Maomao is a diagnostician, not a fighter. That is the whole reason this franchise works, and it is also why a mystery game is the only genre that ever made sense for it. Every arc of the series is already structured like a case file: symptom, environment, motive, reveal. The False Imperial Brother is a title that tells you what the case is before you start it, which is a confident thing for a mystery to do.
The four-platform launch is the interesting part. Anime tie-in games usually land on mobile first and stay there. Going Switch 2 / Switch / PS5 / PC out of the gate means somebody thinks this franchise sells to people who buy premium games, not just to people who tap free ones.
Where it comes from
Natsu Hyuuga's light novels, then Nekokurage's manga, then the TOHO Animation and OLM television series that turned it into a global hit. The anime is the reason most of the game's audience exists — and with season 3 due in October, the timing on an early-2027 launch is deliberate rather than lucky. A season airing is the cheapest marketing a tie-in game will ever get.
Reception signal
Per SenpaiRanks, the two aired seasons sit within two hundredths of each other — 7.67 for the first, 7.69 for the second — which is unusual. Most sequels move: either the audience broadens and Consensus climbs, or the writing tightens and Quality does. The Apothecary Diaries did neither. It made a season that landed with exactly the same people, in exactly the same way.
That flatness is a compliment. It means the show knows what it is. Where MyAnimeList gives you one blended figure that cannot distinguish "everyone likes it" from "it holds up," our two axes let you see that this franchise scores identically on both — the signature of a series with no weak cour to apologise for.
Season 3 is where that gets tested, and we cover the date and platforms in our Apothecary Diaries season 3 premiere breakdown. If you have watched either season, rate it from its page above — the 7.67 and 7.69 are made of votes, and yours moves them. Where it sits against the wider field is on our best anime of 2026 board.
Frequently asked questions
Q: What is The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother?
A: A new mystery game in The Apothecary Diaries franchise, announced September 9, 2026 for release in early 2027.
Q: What platforms is the Apothecary Diaries game on?
A: Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5 and PC.
Q: When does the Apothecary Diaries game release?
A: Early 2027. No exact date has been announced.
Q: Where can I watch The Apothecary Diaries?
A: Crunchyroll and Netflix carry it depending on region. Each season's page lists every platform currently offering it.
Q: Is The Apothecary Diaries good?
A: On SenpaiRanks, season 1 holds 7.67 and season 2 holds 7.69 on both the Consensus and Quality axes — consistently strong across both seasons.
Q: Do I need to watch the anime before playing the game?
A: The game has not detailed its story placement yet, but the franchise's mysteries are largely self-contained, so prior seasons should be helpful rather than mandatory.