Hello Kitty Party Land comes out on Thursday, October 29, 2026, on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The digital Standard Edition costs $49.99 on the US Nintendo eShop for either system. Bandai Namco publishes it, and it’s the first game from Sanrio’s new Sanrio Games label. Pre-orders are open now, and the US eShop already lets pre-purchasers download the game ahead of launch.
Bandai Namco hasn’t announced a specific unlock hour. Nintendo’s own rule for pre-purchased eShop games points to midnight Eastern on October 29, which is 9 PM Pacific on October 28. The table below converts that into other time zones.
Board Game Mode, where four players race to collect flowers over a set number of days. Image: Bandai Namco Entertainment
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Hello Kitty Party Land release date and time
Nintendo’s support page on pre-purchases says a pre-loaded game becomes playable after a small update “beginning at 12:00 AM Eastern Time on the game’s release date”. The same page warns that some third-party games don’t unlock until 12:00 PM Pacific. Hello Kitty Party Land is a third-party game, and neither Bandai Namco nor Nintendo has said which rule applies, so treat these times as the expected unlock rather than a confirmed one.
| Time zone | Expected unlock (midnight ET rule) | If it uses the 12 PM PT rule |
|---|---|---|
| Pacific (PT) | 9:00 PM, Wed Oct 28 | 12:00 PM, Thu Oct 29 |
| Mountain (MT) | 10:00 PM, Wed Oct 28 | 1:00 PM, Thu Oct 29 |
| Central (CT) | 11:00 PM, Wed Oct 28 | 2:00 PM, Thu Oct 29 |
| Eastern (ET) | 12:00 AM, Thu Oct 29 | 3:00 PM, Thu Oct 29 |
| UTC / UK (GMT) | 4:00 AM, Thu Oct 29 | 7:00 PM, Thu Oct 29 |
The UK is back on GMT since October 25, so UK times match UTC. Nintendo UK also lists October 29, priced at £44.99 for each version, but gives no time. European eShop unlocks are set per region, so the US conversion above doesn’t apply there.
Switch or Switch 2: which version should you buy?
This matters more than usual. The Switch 2 listing says the two versions are sold separately, that there is no Switch 2 Edition upgrade pack, and that save data can’t be shared between them. The Switch 2 version doesn’t run on an original Switch. If you own a Switch 2, buy the Switch 2 version from the start. The Switch version runs on Switch 2 too, but you can’t upgrade it later.
| Nintendo Switch | Nintendo Switch 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| US digital price | $49.99 | $49.99 |
| Estimated download size | 3.4 GB | 5.9 GB |
| Players | 1-4, local or online | 1-4, local or online |
| Upgrade path | None; separate purchases, saves don’t carry over | |
| Rating | ESRB Everyone (Comic Mischief) | |
Online play needs a Nintendo Switch Online membership, as with other Switch games.
One of the 45+ minigames, built around Pompompurin and a pudding stage. Image: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Hello Kitty Party Land editions and pre-order bonus
The official site lists three editions. Every pre-order comes with Bonus Avatar T-shirts. The eShop describes this as one in-game T-shirt for your avatar, picked from 80 character designs.
- Standard Edition: the base game plus the pre-order T-shirt. $49.99 digital.
- Day 1 Edition (physical): adds a coloring book and a sticker pack.
- Premium Edition (physical): adds a sticker pack, coloring book, hologram cards and a plush keychain. US retailer listings, including GameStop’s, price it at $69.99.
Bandai Namco’s site doesn’t show a price for the Day 1 Edition, so check your retailer.
What’s in the game
Based on Bandai Namco’s descriptions, Party Land is a board-game-style party game in a town full of Sanrio characters. It has more than 45 minigames themed around sports, food, music and more, plus a Board Game Mode with quick “Petit Games” to play while you wait for your turn. You can meet over 145 Sanrio characters and collect their stickers. Sixteen of them are playable, and you can also play as a custom avatar. Nintendo’s screenshots show Hello Kitty, Pompompurin, Chococat and Cinnamoroll as teammates. Bandai Namco’s pre-order announcement pitches it at newcomers and families, with simple controls and solo, local or online play. G-Style Co. Ltd. developed the game.
The sticker book tracks the 145+ Sanrio characters you meet in Party Land. Image: Bandai Namco Entertainment
If you want something to play with friends while you wait, see our best cozy co-op games and best cozy games on Switch 2. Party Land is also in our list of new Switch 2 games this week, and more releases are coming in new cozy games for November 2026.
What’s next
Pre-purchasers can download the game now and play once it unlocks on October 29. We’ll update this post if Bandai Namco or Nintendo confirms an exact unlock hour or announces a day-one patch. Prices and listings were checked on October 26, 2026 at 19:00 UTC.
Sources: Nintendo eShop (Switch 2), Nintendo eShop (Switch), Nintendo Support, Nintendo UK, Bandai Namco official site, Bandai Namco pre-order announcement, GameStop.
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Featured image: Bandai Namco Entertainment / Sanrio
