One of the strongest trends in gaming in the last decade has been the increasingly imaginative approach to licensed video game adaptations. From turning Indiana Jones into an immersive sim or giving One Piece’s Sanji the stage for a restaurant business simulator, developers have been taking more imaginative approaches to adapting a broader range of licenses.

One such case is developer Gust’s upcoming take on The Apothecary Diaries. Originally a serialized novel before being adapted into an ongoing anime in 2023, the series is set in a fictionalized take on Imperial China and follows a young girl named Maomao who, after being kidnapped sold to an Imperial Palace, becomes a personal poison tester the Emperor’s favourite High Consort.

Gust’s adaptation of the series takes the form of an adventure game, as Maomao solves a series of mysteries where she’ll have to gather clues, question witnesses, craft medicine, and eventually find the culprit in five cases surrounding The False Imperial Brother. While the game was originally announced during September’s Nintendo Direct for a ‘Spring 2027’ release, Koei Tecmo has now revealed that the game will release on March 18, 2027.

The publisher also revealed multiple editions for the game, with the ‘Premium Box’ collector’s editions being exclusive to Japan. The Digital Deluxe Edition will be available worldwide and includes bonus costumes for Maomao and Jinshi.

The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother will release for PC, PS5, Switch, and Switch 2 on March 18, 2027. The physical Switch 2 version will be a Game Key-Card release.