Once Upon A KATAMARI is at its best when it gives the series’ familiar, satisfying rolling loop a new historical setting and a goal that bends the rules. Its central mechanic is much the same as before, but era-themed missions, a magnet tool, customization and competitive play give this entry more ways to keep the ball rolling.
Is Once Upon A KATAMARI worth playing?
Yes, especially if the simple pleasure of turning a tiny ball into an absurdly large one still appeals to you. The Prince rolls a katamari over objects small enough to collect; as it grows, larger things become reachable. Stages put that loop under time pressure and give it specific goals, often asking you to reach a target size. Objects around the ball’s size can temporarily affect its rolling physics, adding a little unpredictability to a mechanic built around momentum and route choice.
The strongest reason to return is not a reinvention of that core. GamesRadar+ reviewer Oscar Taylor-Kent found the main rolling familiar, while praising the inventive missions tied to the game’s historical settings, along with its presentation and soundtrack. The review was played on PC with code provided by the publisher, so it is best read as one reviewer’s assessment rather than a platform-by-platform comparison. Read GamesRadar+’s review.
What is new in Once Upon A KATAMARI?
Era-hopping stages
The adventure moves through the Jurassic Era, the Ice Age, historic Japan and other periods. These settings provide more than a change of scenery: stage-specific missions use their themes to create distinct objectives and set pieces. The variety is the game’s clearest way of making a familiar rolling formula feel fresh, though it does not mean every stage will land equally well.
#1 Best Overall
- A Shiny New Katamari Damacy Adventure Awaits - Experience new stages and a fabulous new original soundtrack! Behold a fresh rolling experience, with never-before-seen power tools like the magnet that draws in nearby objects! How...attractive!
- Roll Through the Ages - The King was so well-behaved but one day, he mistakenly crushed the Earth, the Moon, and numerous other planets while fiddling with a peculiar scroll. Fix the King’s blunder by rolling your katamari through the Jurassic Era, Ice Age, historical Japan, and more eras to rebuild the sky's dazzling field of stars.
- Keep the Family Close With Cousin Customization - Play as The Prince or choose among his 68 cousins and kin to play as. Customize your character in different colors and faces to create as many original Cousin designs as there are stars in the sky.
- Compete in Celestial 4-Player KatamariBall - Conquer the game of KatamariBall, the galactic sport of choice across the Cosmos! Compete in online multiplayer against cousins around the world or hone your skills with scintillating offline play against CPU opponents.
A magnet for collecting
A new magnet tool helps draw objects toward the katamari, adding a different way to gather items alongside the usual work of steering into them. Bandai Namco also lists new stages and music among the additions. See Bandai Namco’s game details.
Choose and customize your roller
You can play as the Prince or choose from 68 cousins, a publisher-listed count. Colors and faces can be customized, giving the many available characters a more personal look.
Rank #2
![Once Upon A KATAMARI Standard Edition - Xbox Series X|S [Digital Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51xO5l6qnHL._SL160_.jpg)
- Customization parts can be obtained through normal progression | Once upon a time a katamari rolled through both past and present.
- In this story across time, the adage endures: Let The Good Times Roll!
- Now onward through new worlds to roll up thy heart's desires and to restore the stars!
KatamariBall for competitive play
KatamariBall is a four-player competitive mode. It supports online play and offline matches against CPU opponents, so you can play against others over the internet or take on computer-controlled rivals.
What is the story?
The King has accidentally destroyed the Earth and numerous other stars while fiddling with a peculiar scroll. The Prince’s task is to restore the stars, one rolling mission at a time. The premise gives the game an excuse to send you across different eras while keeping its cosmic stakes as cheerfully ridiculous as ever. Bandai Namco’s launch announcement describes the basic progression: collect smaller objects first, then grow large enough to roll up bigger ones.
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Rank #3
- Tell a tale based on random topics in your hand and try to steer the story toward your secret conclusion.
- Appeals to players of all ages.
- Once Upon a Time is a game in which the players work together to create a new fairy tale using elements from their cards like dungeons, giants, and cauldrons. Steer the story toward the secret ending you hold.
- To win the game, play all of your story cards and steer the story to the ending card held in your hand! And they all lived happily ever after…we hope
Platforms and versions
As of October 8, 2026, Bandai Namco lists Once Upon A KATAMARI for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The original release date was October 24, 2025; Switch 2 followed on October 8, 2026. Bandai Namco’s game page lists the current platforms.
| Version | Useful details |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam | Available since the worldwide October 24, 2025 launch. Steam lists the base game, expanded digital editions and separate DLC; storefront prices and promotions can change. Check the live Steam listing. |
| Nintendo Switch | Nintendo’s US listing is for a digital edition, released October 24, 2025. It supports TV, tabletop and handheld play; one player on a single system and one to four online. The listing specifies English, French and Spanish language support. Online play requires Nintendo Switch Online. See Nintendo’s US listing. |
| Nintendo Switch 2 | Released October 8, 2026, with mouse controls, a smoother framerate and enhanced graphics, according to Bandai Namco. Switch save data can transfer only if there is no existing save data for the game on the target Switch 2 system. The Switch 2 release launched alongside Rolling LIVE Highlights DLC. Read the Switch 2 announcement. |
The Switch 2 improvements are version-specific features, not evidence that other platforms lack their own performance or presentation advantages. Nintendo’s listed play modes and player counts apply to its US Switch store listing; check the relevant platform store for current edition and online details.
Rank #4
- Included is the following: Once Upon A Katamari for PlayStatio 5 PS5, 2 pack of PremGear 2 Sizes Thumbsticks made to increase accuracy and comfort (1 High-Rise, 1 Mid-Rise), PremGear Quality Cleaning Cloth
- A SHINY NEW KATAMARI DAMACY ADVENTURE AWAITS: Experience new stages and a fabulous new original soundtrack! Behold a fresh rolling experience, with never-before-seen power tools like the magnet that draws in nearby objects! How...attractive!
- ROLL THROUGH THE AGES: The King was so well-behaved but one day, he mistakenly crushed the Earth, the Moon, and numerous other planets while fiddling with a peculiar scroll. Fix the King’s blunder by rolling your katamari through the Jurassic Era, Ice Age, historic Japan, and more eras to rebuild the sky’s dazzling field of stars
- KEEP THE FAMILY CLOSE WITH COUSIN CUSTOMIZATION: Play as The Prince, or choose among his 68 cousins and kin to play as. Customize your character in different colors and faces to create as many original Cousin designs as there are stars in the sky
- COMPETE IN CELESTIAL 4-PLAYER KATAMARI BALL: Conquer the game of KatamariBall, the galactic sport of choice across the Cosmos! Compete in online multiplayer against cousins around the world, or hone your skills with scintillating offline play against CPU opponents
Which version should you choose?
- Choose Switch if you want Nintendo’s portable, tabletop and TV play options and are comfortable with the listed digital edition. Nintendo’s US listing states that online play requires a Switch Online membership.
- Choose Switch 2 if you want the announced mouse controls, smoother framerate and enhanced graphics on Nintendo hardware. Check the save-data condition before transferring progress from Switch.
- Choose PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S or Steam based on where you prefer to play. Steam’s store page is the source for its current base-game, expanded-edition and DLC offerings.
- For KatamariBall, consider whether you want online play or offline CPU opponents; on Switch, Nintendo’s listing specifies one to four online players and requires Nintendo Switch Online for online play.
Verdict
Once Upon A KATAMARI makes a persuasive case for more rather than different. The rolling remains recognizable, but the historical settings and mission ideas give it fresh contexts, while the magnet, character customization and KatamariBall broaden the package. If you want a radical overhaul, the familiar core may feel too familiar; if you want more inventive reasons to roll, this is a welcome new outing.
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