Hello Kitty Island Adventure has been on CGM’s radar since our writer, Chris de Hoog, reviewed it back in 2023 for iOS. Earning our Edtior’s Choice award, some of the staff were a little bit jealous that the game was locked to iOS. Well, Hello Kitty is making her way onto Nintendo Switch and PC, and we couldn’t be more excited to dive in!
We were able to sit down with Hello Kitty Island Adventure’s Chief Product Officer, Chelsea Howe, to learn a bit about what went into moving the game from a mobile platform to consoles and PCs, how Sunblink Studios felt taking on such a beloved franchise in the first place, and a bit about what we can expect from Hello Kitty Island Adventure in the future.
How did Sunblink end up with such a major IP like Hello Kitty under their belt?
Chelsea Howe: Sunblink knew the type of game we wanted to make: a cozy adventure that blended the best of life-sim games with open-world adventure mechanics. We’d already been working with Apple, and when they wanted to collaborate with Sanrio, we realized what a perfect fit Hello Kitty was for our gameplay vision. Sunblink put together an initial prototype, and everyone sensed it had enormous potential. The rest is history!
What were the challenges that faced the team at Sunblink, taking on an IP that is so deeply loved?
Chelsea Howe: While most of the team was familiar with Hello Kitty, there’s fifty years of Sanrio lore that we got to explore along the way. Did you know Hello Kitty is not a cat? Did you know about the alligator character Big Challenges, who was only used once in the seventies and never again (until us)? We got to explore the nuance of the main Hello Kitty & Friends cast, discover adorable supporting characters, like Cinnamoroll’s cafe friends, and even stumble upon gems like Big Challenges or Kirimichan, who’s a walking, talking piece of sashimi.
Since Hello Kitty Island Adventure was released for iOS, what has the reaction been like?
Chelsea Howe: We believed the game would be big, but the response has blown us away. Our biggest point of pride has been the 4.9-star average across 100k user reviews. That’s about the clearest measure you can get of the value and quality fans see in the game. We’ve also been thrilled by the critical response, with award nominations like Mobile Game of the Year from The Game Awards and DICE, and the pop culture presence. There was an outpouring of posts about the game’s title, a Penny Arcade comic… we were even on the apple.com homepage!
Now, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is coming out for Nintendo Switch and PC; what is it like to bring a game to a brand-new platform after its initial release? What goes into that, and what kind of challenges did your team face?
Chelsea Howe: When we first showed the Switch version at Summer Game Fest, the game had been out on Apple Arcade for over a year. It was so rewarding to go ‘back to the beginning’ and watch players experience the game for the very first time on new platforms. Seeing that initial delight was so gratifying. Perhaps the most challenging aspect of the multi-platform release was preparing all of our live service content so far in advance. Because we strive to keep all platforms on the same cadence of events, we essentially had to prepare the first half of 2025 events during the summer of 2024 while we were finishing content for the PC and Switch versions.
Do you think PC and Switch will bring something new to Hello Kitty Island Adventure, or is it just about bringing Hello Kitty Island Adventure to as many people as possible? Will there be a reason for iOS players to make the jump, too?
Chelsea Howe: We definitely wanted to bring Hello Kitty Island Adventure to more folks! The Switch install base is massive and almost synonymous with cozy, approachable gaming. On PC, we’ve focused on how immersive the game can be with the hardware (playing on a 240hz monitor is wild) and how to provide keyboard and controller remapping for additional accessibility. Our goal for the gameplay itself was parity, though update cadence varies by platform. At the end of the day, no matter what platform, we intend to make it an incredible experience supported with new content.
The map in Hello Kitty Island Adventure is, quite frankly, massive! Was that always the plan from the start, and how did the team navigate how to put the map on full display, including the different ways to traverse the island (gliding, swimming, diving, etc) and different perspectives as you move around?
Chelsea Howe: A great open-world adventure requires a great open world! The scale was always intended (what you see is actually only about two-thirds of the original design), and introducing new forms of traversal through gameplay was core to the vision. In particular, we wanted swimming to be a major differentiator. We loved the idea of seamlessly becoming a mermaid and diving into coral reefs, mysterious caves, and towering kelp forests.
Getting the camera perspective to feel nice has definitely been an ongoing challenge. When a few players reported motion sickness in the new Merry Meadows area, we completely redid the camera setup to make it more accessible. It takes a lot more bespoke work than folks think, but we’re lucky to have a community that helps ensure we hit the mark.
Was the entire map made available when the game was first released, or were sections added since then, and why or why not, and can we expect more someday?
Chelsea Howe: We had a massive world at launch—everything you see in the overworld map and a few extra inside areas, like the Red Hot Ruins. Since then, we’ve released three major new areas, like Merry Meadows and Cloud Island, and plenty of smaller interior spaces, like the Secret Attic in My Melody’s Shop. New areas are one of the most exciting reasons to play, so we try to release them as often as we’re able. Players can definitely expect the world to continue to grow and expand in the future.
Can we expect new content like in-game events, more Sanrio characters or more in the future? What does the future of Hello Kitty Island Adventure look like?
Chelsea Howe: Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a living world: one where there’s always something to look forward to next. Events will continue with new and exciting twists and items each year. Sanrio favourites will make appearances, both as cameos and new residents, and of course, there are always big new things on the horizon, like the new island beyond Friendship Island. When we released, we hoped the game would last for years, and have enough content and story to keep it exciting long-term. As long as people are playing, we’ll keep creating.
Is there anything you think players should know before they dive into the game, either as they come over from iOS, or start fresh?
Chelsea Howe: Focus on friendship, and don’t time travel! The core of the game is building friendships, so the main story and main mechanics are all dependent on you levelling up your relationships with Hello Kitty and Friends. Make the best gifts, and you’ll be blazing ahead.
As far as time travel—folks coming from other cozy games might be used to changing their device time to “get ahead,” but in Hello Kitty Island Adventure, given we’re always releasing new things, manipulating device time can actually permanently break your save file and ability to play multiplayer and get your daily and event items. Be careful!
Any special characters we haven’t seen yet that may come to the game later?
Chelsea Howe: Let’s just say we pay a lot of attention to the annual Sanrio Character Ranking!
And just for fun, what is your favourite piece of Hello Kitty Island Adventure?
Chelsea Howe: Personally, I love breeding flowers in the meadows. I was able to make an iridescent white hibiscus, and I want to turn the blossoms into a crown I can wear. It’s fun to open the game every morning and see what new things bloomed overnight—a perfect little dose of joy with breakfast!
Hello Kitty Island Adventure comes to Nintendo Switch and PC on January 30, 2025.
- 80+ hours of heartfelt quests. Discover eight unique regions, from the ocean’s depths to an island in the clouds.
- Befriend iconic characters like cheerful Hello Kitty, mischievous Kuromi, and sweet Cinnamoroll. Bake, cook, and craft the perfect gifts to become best friends.
