

The initial clothing and hair options are very limited, as Hello Kitty Online functions on the microtransaction model and players are encouraged to pursue items at the mall to customize themselves. Instead, players are asked to create their own human character, designed with the cute aesthetics of the Hello Kitty universe. Though it is a frequently requested feature, players cannot play as a character of the Sanrio universe, such as Hello Kitty. Iconic Sanrio characters are drawn with a loving attention to detail. The world of Hello Kitty is portrayed with two dimensional sprites, and is viewed from a top-down isometric perspective. Other characters from Sanrio's franchises appear, usually as quest-givers, such as Keroppi and Badtz-Maru.

The game follows the story of the a hero who helps Hello Kitty and her friends wake up from an eternal, deep sleep in order to confront a "mysterious and malevolent power". It was released in Japan first, in July '09, and in Europe in September '09. Though it takes place partially in the Hello Kitty universe, it is also set in stylized versions of real life locations. Hello Kitty Online is a PC-exclusive, free to play MMORPG developed by Sanrio Digital and published by Aeria Games in North America.
