Sanrio Games Announces First Smartphone Title Sanrio Kawaii Me Live! for 2027
This is Sanrio's first internally developed smartphone game, marking a shift from its previous licensing-only approach to game development and signaling a long-term investment in games as a direct channel for its character IP.
Reporting from 3 sources: GAME Watch (Impress), 4Gamer.net, Denfaminicogamer.
Sanrio Games, the in-house game brand launched by Sanrio, announced its first smartphone title, Sanrio Kawaii Me Live!, a dance and rhythm game for iOS and Android scheduled for release in 2027. The game was revealed during the results announcement stage of the 2026 Sanrio Character Ranking event at Sanrio Fest 2026 in Minato Mirai on June 28. It will be free-to-play with in-app purchases and is planned for release both domestically and internationally. Players form a team of six Sanrio characters, tap notes to songs, and can customize costumes and stages. Two modes are available: Performance Mode, with simple controls focused on watching character dances, and Technical Mode, a four-lane rhythm game for higher difficulty. A partial song list includes seven tracks, among them Kuromi's Greedy Greedy and the social media hit Purin to Muffin no Pompom Beat☆. A closed beta test for residents of Japan runs from July 15 to July 21, with lottery applications open from June 28 to July 7. Feedback from the test will be used to improve the game before launch.
The song list includes seven tracks. Three are game remixes of existing Sanrio material: "KAWAII FESTIVAL (Game Remix)" comes from the Sanrio Puroland parade "Miracle Gift Parade," which ended in November 2025; "Welcome to this World of Dream (Game Remix)" and "Manmaru Light (Game Remix)" are also included. Kuromi's "Greedy Greedy" is on the list; Kuromi made her major debut as an artist. "Purin to Muffin no Pompom Beat☆" accumulated 28 million total views on YouTube and TikTok. The remaining songs are "Meromero ♡ My Melody" and "Romantic Banana Parfait." Additional original songs are planned for the future.
Gacha items are limited to dress-up items. Wearing attribute-matched costumes boosts scores, adding strategic depth for high-score play. Some dress-up items have unique actions, and the same item can show different expressions per character. The game is free-to-play with in-app purchases and is planned for release both domestically and internationally.
The closed beta test is for residents of Japan only. Applications are accepted by lottery from June 28 at 13:00 to July 7 at 23:59. The test runs from July 15 at 13:00 to July 21 at 23:59. Feedback from participants will be used to adjust the game before launch.
Sanrio previously developed games through licensing. The company now sees games as a key pillar for delivering entertainment and aims to increase its global presence. Following these two titles, more games are planned.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.