Nintendo Switch Online members can download Hello Kitty Island Adventure and play the whole game for free from October 9 at 10:00 PT (17:00 UTC) until October 15 at 23:59 PT (October 16, 06:59 UTC). Anyone who wants to keep playing can buy the digital Switch version for $21.99 in the US, 45 percent off its $39.99 price, until October 18 at 23:59 PT.
How the Game Trial works
A Game Trial is a free, time-limited download of a complete game for people with an active Nintendo Switch Online membership. This one covers the original Nintendo Switch version of Hello Kitty Island Adventure, which is the edition Nintendo's announcement lists. The trial window is just under seven days: from Friday morning in the Pacific time zone to Thursday night, a little over six and a half days in total.
Nintendo's terms add two practical points. A Nintendo Account is needed for the online features, and the trial is not available in every country, so check that it appears on your own eShop before planning around it. If you buy the game during or after the trial, your save data carries over, so nothing you did in the trial is lost.
Nintendo also offers a small bonus: members who complete a mission during the trial can earn 100 My Nintendo Platinum Points, which need a Nintendo Account to receive and redeem.
What you are trying
The game came out on January 30, 2025, and Sunblink is both developer and publisher. Nintendo's store page describes it as a cozy adventure where you restore an abandoned island, with free-roaming exploration, character customisation and online multiplayer for up to two players. It is closer to a relaxed life-sim than an action game, so a week is enough to tell whether the pace suits you.
Multiplayer is capped at two players, so a couple or a parent and child can use the trial to try it before sharing a copy. If you plan to try the co-op side, the online features rely on the same Switch Online membership that unlocks the trial.
The discount after the trial
Nintendo's store page lists the digital Switch version at $21.99. The announcement puts the cut at 45 percent against a regular price of $39.99, which is an $18.00 saving. The listing says the sale ends at 06:59 UTC on October 19, the same instant as 23:59 PT on October 18, so the price stays available for three days after the trial closes.
That gap helps if you want a full week of testing and a short decision window afterwards. The discount is on the eShop and the Nintendo Store, and it applies to the digital copy only. Nintendo has not said anything about a physical-copy discount in the announcement.
Time zone conversions
Pacific daylight time is UTC-7 until November 1, and the UK and Europe stay on summer time until October 25, so all the conversions below hold through the offer. The trial starts at 18:00 in London and 19:00 in central Europe on October 9. It ends at 07:59 in London, 08:59 in central Europe and 15:59 in Tokyo on October 16. The sale ends at 07:59 in London, 08:59 in central Europe and 15:59 in Tokyo on October 19.
Prices in this post are the US figures. Other regions price the game differently, and the trial may not appear in every country, so the in-store listing is the final check.
Other things to do with Switch Online this month
Switch Online also covers the online tournaments Nintendo runs in its racing and sports games. The Mario Kart World Open qualifier for October 2026 and the Mario Tennis Fever Open are both listed on Nintendo's news page and use the same membership as the trial.
Frequently asked questions
Who can play the Hello Kitty Island Adventure Game Trial?
Nintendo Switch Online members. The trial is not available in all countries, and a Nintendo Account is needed for the online features.
When does the trial end?
October 15 at 23:59 PT, which is October 16 at 06:59 UTC.
Do I keep my progress if I buy the game?
Yes. Nintendo says save data carries over if you buy during or after the trial.
How much is the game on sale?
$21.99 in the US store, 45 percent off $39.99, until October 18 at 23:59 PT (October 19, 06:59 UTC).
