The Apothecary Diaries: The False Imperial Brother is an adventure video game developed by Gust and published by Koei Tecmo Games.

About

Craft herbal medicine and utilize cunning deduction to uncover the truths behind the Five Mysteries and Five Curses, two chains of strange phenomenon and conspiracies causing chaos throughout the rear palace, pleasure district, and streets of the capital.

Apothecary Maomao must use every ounce of her intelligence and knowledge to solve the mysteries and unveil the truth behind the False Imperial Brother.

Story

Not long after pleasure district apothecary Maomao began work as a maidservant in the rear palace…

Rumors of unexplained happenings spread like wildfire amongst the court: the so-called “Five Mysteries.”

A faceless eunuch, a storehouse that wails every night, garments turning a deep red with no warning… With no rhyme or reason in sight, the rear palace remains unsettled.

When Master Jinshi, overseer of the Rear Palace, entrusts her with investigating these mysteries, Maomao uses her medicinal knowledge, keen observation, and apothecary skills to gather evidence and solve each case.

On a visit home, Maomao befriends traveling actor Guanyu, who gradually begins to pull the apothecary into the very real drama of his life.

Time passes, and the Shi clan’s rebellion is swiftly quelled. The capital city is not yet at peace, however, as similar mysteries begin popping up throughout the castle town, earning the moniker the “Five Curses” from the afflicted citizens.

When Maomao is roped into investigating once more, she stumbles upon the would-be suspect: a masked man calling himself the “imperial younger brother.”

The city is abuzz with rumors of the vigilante imperial prince, righting the wrongs of the court—but Jinshi insists it is not him.

Who is this mysterious impersonator? Why are similar mysteries and curses affecting both the rear palace and the capital?

As the truth is uncovered, so, too, is a long-lost mystery that was buried decades ago…

Key Features

• An Untold Story, Unearthed at Last – Five Mysteries that perplex the rear palace. Five Curses that plague the surrounding town. As Maomao’s sharp wit and apothecary knowledge help her solve mystery after mystery, astonishing truths about the inner court are brought to light. From the rear palace to the pleasure district, the False Imperial Brother weaves a complex tapestry of mystery and history that will captivate both new and returning fans.
• Gameplay – Unravel the truth by exploring, collecting evidence, crafting medicine, organizing information, and making deductions. Each phase connects to the next: gather items to craft medicine requested by key witnesses. Ask about clues to learn information and use it to gain the upper hand in negotiations with potential culprits.
• Collect Clues and Decipher Mysteries – Conduct witness interviews and field investigations, and organize information and connect clues in your notebook. Choose which information to present to involved parties and earn enough trust to get crucial leads. Your choices directly affect your credibility: wrong answers reduce trust, and repeated mistakes may lead you into a dead end.
• Gather Ingredients and Compound Medicine – Explore your surroundings to discover medicinal herbs and other ingredients. Use your gathered goods to concoct an apothecary’s worth of medicines. Ingredient quality and variety influence the difficulty of each addictive crafting minigame and the effectiveness of the final product. An automated feature allows hasty healers to craft high-quality herbal remedies quickly and with ease.