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Sanrio to release own rhythm game for smartphones next January

Master Blaster Sep 24, 2026
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Hello, tired fingers.

Sometimes I wonder if there’s a corner of existence that Hello Kitty and her friends from Sanrio haven’t established a presence in. Electric guitars? Check. Gundam? Check. Haunted zombie land? Check.

But one place Hello Kitty has yet to appear is a smartphone-exclusive rhythm game (Taiko no Tatsujin doesn’t count because that cameo was on a console version). However, that small patch of reality will soon go without kawaii cats and puppies no longer as Sanrio Kawaii Me Live! is set to be released in January 2027.

In this game, a range of characters from Sanrio’s vast roster, including Hello Kitty, My Melody, Pompompurin, Cinnamoroll, Kuromi, and many more, perform on stage with your help. There are two styles of rhythm play: one involves tapping at the right time when two circles converge in a style somewhat similar to the dance-offs in Final Fantasy VII Remake or Yakuza 0. The other style requires keeping your finger along a horizontal bar and tapping or sliding it on the objects as they fall in a style like Guitar Hero or Beatmania.

The game is free to play, and you’ll get to start off with Sanrio’s own playlist of seven songs based on their characters. There will also be collaboration songs with Polkadot Stingray, Soala, Mi’Line Hearts, Yabai T-Shirts Yasan, Lienel, She’s, and Zutomayo. More songs will also be added over time.

But the real charm in Sanrio Kawaii Me Live! is to do as the title suggests and kawaii up your chosen character. Unlock new outfits and musical equipment for your character to wear and hold, while also designing the stage layout to your personal preference. It seems like any Sanrio fan would want to spend most of their time in this part of the game, but you’ll have to perform to unlock more costumes.

Also, for people in Yokohama, there will be a chance to experience the fun live at a release event on 14 January, 2027 at Yokohama Kannai Hall. There will be live performances by many of the artists mentioned above, and appearances by many of the Sanrio characters mentioned above.

In the meantime, pre-registration for the game is already underway on the App Store and Google Play Store. And to make sure no one dawdles, Sanrio Games is holding a special campaign to unlock in-game items based on how many people pre-register, starting with an energy-boosting Cosmo Soda item at 50,000 people, up to a Hello Kitty dressed in Mira Wear if one million people promise to check out the game.

▼ Mira Wear Hello Kitty

There’s still a way to go before the release of Sanrio Kawaii Me Live! and more details are sure to emerge before then. It seems to me that this title is ripe for Yoshikitty to make an appearance, either as an unlockable character or final boss where you’ll have to wear your fingers out trying to tap through “Kurenai.”

Images: © 2026 SANRIO CO., LTD
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