Why I’m Still Rooting for Hello Kitty Island Adventure Despite the Paid DLC Backlash

I’ve been playing Hello Kitty Island Adventure since the day it arrived on Apple Arcade in July 2023. Initially I thought that it was a kids game, that is until I started playing and got hooked on it. It has quietly become my daily comfort game, something I return to almost every day. You are stuck on a beautiful deserted island, it's your responsibility to make it into a cosy paradise. At its heart, the gameplay is about collecting things around the island: gathering materials, crafting items, gifting friends, and decorating cabins so that you can welcome new visitors and make them permanent residents.

But here’s the thing: I don’t really decorate the cabins. I’ve done only the basics. Every now and then I browse Reddit and see other players sharing their stunning cabin interiors: themed rooms, pastel perfection, mini cafés and I’m genuinely in awe of what they’ve created. But that part isn’t my cup of tea. My focus has always been the storylines, the quests, and the evolving narrative of the island. That’s what keeps me hooked. After playing for about a year and half, I had gone through all of the storyline and there wasn't much to do. Sure, there are always events and event specific material you have to gather so that you can decorate the cabins with those and get more visitors but without any storyline or quests, I wasn't that interested and stopped playing for a while, until a new update pulled me back in.

If you’ve played the game from the beginning, you’ll know how far it has come. The developers kept adding things and improving everything. Back then, the island felt smaller and quieter. There weren't that many visitors and the ones we had mostly stood outside their cabin, now there are more than sixty with more being added. We got Merry Meadow and The Moon! They added weather systems: first rain, then starfall, and later the snow and steam updates that changed the island’s entire atmosphere. Walking around the island in rain is ASMR to me. Snow and Starfall is the perfect opportunity to accompany your favourite Sanrio character and get selfies. Cabins can be upgraded to have multiple visitors, which finally let me place My Melody's entire family in a cabin, the visitors no longer just stand still outside the cabin, they now go in their cabins and also walk around the island. It's great to run into Pam or Hello Kitty's Grandpa when you are running around, the island feels inhabited, a living, breathing space, not just a collection of pretty scenes anymore.

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City Town was the game’s first major expansion, and I was genuinely excited to finally explore a place beyond the island. It brought a refreshing change of scenery — an urban-style area glowing with neon lights, tall buildings, and a cozy café, all set against a mellow city soundtrack. It felt like the polar opposite of Friendship Island’s sunny beaches and forests. But even though it looks stunning, it still feels a little empty, much like the island did in its early days. You can walk through these beautifully crafted streets and manage your own café, but there isn’t much to do yet.

That said, it’s slowly coming to life. My Sweet Piano’s Plush Pal Shop, Pekkle’s Music Shop, and the Theatre (which I’m currently unlocking) are hints of what’s ahead. Recently, the developers announced that City Town’s release on other platforms has been delayed to 2026 and that it will be a paid DLC. The news caused an uproar on Reddit, with many players feeling disappointed or even betrayed. I understand where that reaction comes from, but I don’t agree with it.

City Town isn’t complete yet, and releasing it in its current form would only hurt the game’s reputation. There’s clearly more planned, and I’d rather see Sunblink take their time to fully flesh it out so it feels as rich and alive as the island we’ve grown to love. Sometimes it’s better to wait for something great than rush into something half-baked.

Another issue I want to call out is people speed running the game, leveling up friendship by using Friendship Blossom, Bouquet and changing the system clock to get quests early. This is a cozy game, not something you burn through in a weekend. It’s meant to be enjoyed slowly, an hour at a time. Those who rush through every quest or change their system clock to unlock features early often miss what makes it special. The charm lies in returning to the island day after day, watching it change, and noticing the small details that make it feel alive.

For anyone frustrated, I’d say this: remember how much it has already grown in two years. If it can evolve from a tiny island with a handful of visitors into a thriving world with weather systems, companion mechanics, and sprawling new regions, then I have no doubt it’ll keep surprising us in the years ahead.