Everyone’s favorite cat-who-isn’t-a-cat, Hello Kitty, will star in the new tabletop game Hello Kitty: Day at the Park from Sanrio and Maestro Media. Designed by Roberta Taylor, the game is made for 2–4 players and 45-minute gaming sessions, which makes it ideal for all types of gamers, regardless of their affinity for the character and her deep lore.
“I sort of hate to age myself, but Hello Kitty and I are the same age. So she’s been an adorable presence pretty much my whole life,” Taylor tells The Mary Sue via email. “This game was a lot of fun to design, not only because I got to dive into the Hello Kitty universe, but also because I love making games for this type of audience, for adults and their families. I also really adore the cozy game space, both in analog and digital games I play as well as in board games I design, so this project really was right up my alley!”
Ahead of Hello Kitty: Day at the Park‘s launch on Kickstarter later this month, The Mary Sue can exclusively reveal gameplay mechanics and the launch trailer, seen below.
Taylor describes Hello Kitty: Day at the Park as “a tile-laying game where players are both creating a park, as well as exploring it as they have various adventures.”
During their turn, players will add a tile to the park, then move their character—Hello Kitty, Chococat, My Melody, Badtzmaru, Keroppi, Pompompurrin, or Tuxedo Sam—through the park and collect resources as they go. These resources can be used to complete “adventure cards,” which Taylor describes as “great park activities like flying a kite or bird watching or listening to a concert. So, cleverly placing your tiles and planning your movement will help you collect what you need to have the best day at the Park!”
For Taylor—whose favorite character, after designing the game, is Pompompurrin “because not only does he have an ice cream truck, he also takes napping very seriously, and I respect that”—working with IP for the first time was a learning experience. She was approached by Maestro Media for this project based on her game Creature Comforts, initially to help them write a pitch for Sanrio and then to design the game itself.
“Maestro were really great to work with, they were very supportive and they gave me a lot of creative freedom. Making a game like Hello Kitty: Day at the Park is very different from designing something just out of my head,” Taylor explains. “In some ways, it’s easier because I can build on what’s already there but it’s also harder because it’s really important to respect the IP, to respect the fans, and create a game that really feels like it’s for them, not one where the theme feels like an afterthought.”
To that end, she says, “I really hope that fans come away a little bit more in love with their favorite characters and that they enjoy the time spent with friends and family, being together and making memories. Hello Kitty: Day at the Park is competitive, but in a very gentle way, and I hope that this brings Hello Kitty’s sweetness to life for players.”
Maestro Media has previously published Sugar Heist and The Binding of Isaac, and the company has collectively raised more than $15 million through crowdfunding. Sanrio has previously partnered with Hasbro and Sunblink for Hello Kitty Monopoly and the new, Apple Arcade-exclusive Hello Kitty Island Adventure, among others. This new tabletop game will offer an entirely different gameplay experience (think Betrayal at House on the Hill minus the horror, or Wingspan if it had map creation).
Hello Kitty: Day at the Park launches on Tuesday, September 26 on Kickstarter. The finished game will be sent to backers first, then made available for retail in 2024.
(featured image: Sanrio/Maestro Media)
