I’m going to make a very controversial statement with this review. If you told me that Sanrio would crack the code to making an actual competitor to Animal Crossing, I’d have told you that you were crazy. However, aside from Disney Dreamlight Valley, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is the best casual life sim I’ve played in a long time.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure lets you create your own Sanrio-esque character as you join Hello Kitty and her friends on a trip to an island getaway. After the plane crashes due to a faulty oven, it is up to you to help Hello Kitty and friends reconnect. However, there is more to the game than just rescuing the other members of the flight crew.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure (currently) spans 8 large regions, with puzzles, secrets, and fun characters. Whether you are helping Kuromi investigate a haunted mansion, or helping Chococat find hidden ruins, there are always things to do and see. That’s one reason why I think Island Adventure has improved on the Animal Crossing formula.

The game is much more than decorating and building an island community. While there are elements such as fishing, bug catching, crafting, and other staples, you also get to do a variety of fun things that change up gameplay. Searching for Gudetama to take different photographs is a highlight of the experience, for example.

With a DLC expansion called Wheatflour Wonderland coming soon, the island is more than just a place for you to live. You’ll interact with the Sanrio characters you know and love, from Retsuko (from Aggretsuko) to Keroppi, and even Hello Kitty’s boyfriend, Dear Daniel. By decorating visitor cabins, you’ll even be able to bring in other Sanrio favorites as well.

There is no time constraint, and you can enjoy playing Hello Kitty Island Adventure at any hour without having to deal with stores being closed or villagers being asleep. In truth, the development team took the concept and improved on everything Animal Crossing has stagnated with over the years. The control scheme is a little fiddly, but compared to the amount of fun I’ve had with the game, it’s a small complaint.

If you are an Animal Crossing fan, Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a perfect game for you. I would also recommend it if you are looking for something to play with kids, or just a nice wind-down game before bed. Sanrio fans are also in luck, but I can see Island Adventure being considered a classic years from now.

A Nintendo Switch Review Copy of Hello Kitty Island Adventure was provided by Sunblink Games for the purposes of this review.

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Hello Kitty Island Adventure

$39.99

10

Score

10.0/10

Pros

• Fun Characters
• Lots of puzzles and things to do
• Cute story and quests
• Lots of character customization
• Easy, Accessible gameplay