The time I have been waiting for has finally arrived: Hello Kitty Island Adventure is coming to the Nintendo Switch (and PC and PlayStation). Set as a timed exclusive, the cozy Apple Arcade game from Sunblink and Sanrio is arriving first on PC and Switch, followed by PS5 and PS4. A dynamic island adventure, Sunblink has added update after update, with new zones and minigames, to create one of the most expansive, cozy games I’ve had the pleasure to play.
Developed in collaboration with the iconic Sanrio, Hello Kitty Island Adventure takes cozy gameplay, dynamic puzzles, vertical zones, and iconic characters to craft a unique experience. Not to mention the inclusion of tiny hidden Gudetama, which has offered one of the most memorable and wholesome mini-games I’ve ever seen. Not only that, but the game also boasts a storyline that takes the player across Sanrio characters and adds lore to characters that have, up until then, had small backgrounds.
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In the game, My Melody is invited to open a gift shop at Big Adventures Park. She invites Hello Kitty and her friends, including you, to an island getaway. But things go sideways upon arrival, with the friends separated and the park found abandoned. Join forces with Hello Kitty to restore the island’s beauty and the desolate theme park to its former glory.
The chance to express yourself as an original Sanrio-styled character was enough for me to fall lin love with the game, or at least the nostalgia of it. But Sunblink has also created a massive world that begs to be explored. When we spoke with Sunblink before the game’s launch on Apple Arcade, they mentioned that the platform offered them the ability to create a title without the need for microtransactions.
That ethos is being carried over to the release of the game on other platforms. Ultimately, there is no premium currency to earn, purchase, or spend in Hello Kitty Island Adventure. This makes the game a perfect all-ages game where you can craft, create, collect, cook, and explore. And when I say explore, I do mean explore.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure features stunning vertical areas. With the ability to explore deeply detailed areas that allow you to climb and float to the top, it’s the underwater exploration that makes the game truly unique. By jumping into the water, you don a mermaid tail and can explore the world beneath and around the island in a way you just don’t see in other games in the genre.
A free-to-play experience, Hello Kitty Island Adventure stands to launch new audiences into a dreamy adventure. While my time with the game at Summer Game Fest wasn’t much more than we’ve seen we released on Apple Arcade, the game’s performance on Switch was near-perfect. Not only that, but the adaptation to the controls on the platform is also expertly handled. Add in the fact that the game allows players to play with others, and it’s a great time all around.
Additionally, the game manages to capture the balance of being an all-ages game. Hello Kitty Island Adventure is accessible to young players. Throughout the weekend, the Sunblink developers opened their couches to the children of workers at the event, which showcased the game’s universal appeal. With a busy booth, children could easily navigate the game, and for adults, there were rather difficult puzzle rooms to keep them engaged. The ability to offer enough for all age groups is excellent and captures the magic of the game.
While the exact date for its console release hasn’t been released, I can’t wait for more players to get the chance to experience the Island that Sunblink has created. Hello Kitty Island Adventure is your new favorite cozy adventure game. You don’t know it yet if you haven’t had an Apple device.
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is available now on Apple Arcade and will be released on the Nintendo Switch, PC, and PlayStation consoles sometime in 2025.
