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Once Upon a Katamari

Keep the good times rolling with a new entry in the Katamari Damacy series! In this puzzle action-adventure game, you'll roll your Katamari through time itself. Journey through the Jurassic Period, Ice Age, historic Japan, and more eras to rebuild the starry sky.

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Very Positive

1,555 Steam reviews

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Reviews

1,555 total

≥h

Steam User 9351STEAMRecommended

玩这个游戏有一种大脑纹路被抚平的开心
新加入的简单模式比以前双摇杆开坦克模式更加顺手了
非常推荐没体验过的新玩家入手。

Mar 28, 2026·7h·Verified

Steam User 6575STEAMRecommended

played katamari damacy when i was younger and this brought me back

Mar 28, 2026·18h·Verified

Steam User 4165STEAMRecommended

ステージとかbgmとか色々豪華になってて最高！
操作性とかシステムとかも従来作より良くなってて塊を転がすのが初めての人にも優しい感じやったわ！

ただし牛熊は許さん

Mar 27, 2026·20h·Verified

Steam User 5794STEAMRecommended

It's katamari! That is my review in full, also you already bought this game.

Mar 26, 2026·3h·Verified

Steam User 9080STEAMRecommended

Great game. I've loved katamari since the first one on GameCube. I like the dash control being easier than the old control.

I love the magnet. So satisfying to use and watch everything flock to the katamari.

I liked being able to customize my character.

Highly recommend.

Mar 24, 2026·30h·Verified

Steam User 7989STEAMRecommended

Mar 23, 2026·61h·Verified

Steam User 6416STEAMRecommended

Très bon épisode avec de chouettes musiques, pas de score minimum à atteindre pour avoir accès à l'ensemble des niveaux, [spoiler]juste de récupérer tous les cousins[/spoiler].

J'ai par contre un peu la flemme de retaper les niveaux 3x pour les jetons du Roi, mais rien d'obligatoire, juste du cosmétique à priori.

À vraiment faire par petites sessions pour ne pas se dégoûter, mais très content de voir que de nouveaux jeu de la licence sortent encore aujourd'hui !

Mar 22, 2026·20h

Steam User 0633STEAMRecommended

Finally a good katamari game after so long

Mar 22, 2026·23h·2·Verified

Steam User 8556STEAMRecommended

Katamari Damacy is back with Once Upon a Katamari! It has all the silly, goofy and colorful fun you remember from previous titles, this time with even more content than ever.

Pros:
+ Refreshing premise of visiting many different levels and environments via time traveling
+ Great memorable soundtrack
+ Great writing and humor
+ Great art direction and character design
+ Great sound design
+ Plenty of modern settings
+ Lots of content, levels, customization options and different challenges
+ Temporary power-ups you can find

Cons:
- None yet!

The only thing I didn’t like so far was that the game displayed in the lowest resolution and aspect ratio possible upon first start-up. Luckily, you could change this almost instantly after the skippable intro, so I won’t add it as a con, as it didn’t force you to wait until after the tutorial like previous titles.

I highly recommend this game to fans of the series and for newcomers whom are looking for a relaxing, humorous, zen-like experience.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Mar 22, 2026·10h·1·Verified

Steam User 3250STEAMRecommended

This was my first Katamari game. I 100%-ed the game and really enjoyed it. Only thing I didn't like was how the game forces you to replay some levels over and over to unlock some of the cousins. Also the cowbear level. ♥♥♥♥ that level.

Mar 22, 2026·22h·1·Verified

Steam User 9757STEAMRecommended

Best Katamari game I played. I find it more forgiving and more pleasant to control than the Rerolls.
On the bad side, there is a big disparity in the levels between eras, most of the game being in edo japan and some eras having like 2/3 levels. Could have been cool the have the King changing outfit for each era.
Big plus for the power ups, especially the magnet and radar that makes collecting cousins and collectibles way more easily instead of starting over and over again the same level until you finally find the gift or cousin you're looking for or depending on online walkthrough.

Mar 21, 2026·16h·Verified

Steam User 7675STEAMRecommended

1回目ですんなり最高レベルまで行くわけではないけど、最適ルートを意識して何度かやればきちんとクリアできる絶妙な難易度調整で、過度にストレスを感じることなく安心して遊ぶことができる。
音楽や舞台のステージの雰囲気が多彩で、どれもよい。隙間時間に音楽を聴きながらのんびり遊ぶのにちょうどよいボリューム。

Mar 20, 2026·31h·Verified

Steam User 9625STEAMRecommended

it's just a rolling good time

Mar 19, 2026·16h·Verified

Steam User 1446STEAMRecommended

the best katamari?? might beeee

Mar 19, 2026·9h

Steam User 2480STEAMNot recommended

>Inconsistency with what you can pick up vs. what sends you flying 50 miles the other direction
>Inconsistency with what you can climb
>The King constantly yapping, with his dialogue taking up like half the screen
>Dashing being very finicky as ♥♥♥♥ and doesn't work when you want it to
>Cousins being VERY annoying to collect, making it annoying to 100% (For levels with multiple cousins, you can only collect ONE cousin at a time, and if you're too big, they despawn)

I think this game was made to be as annoying as possible.

Mar 16, 2026·21h·10·Verified

Steam User 9801STEAMNot recommended

Não fez nada que We Love Katamari já não tenha feito antes, as fases não são muito interessantes de navegar e a bola fica presa entre objetos aparentemente pequenos toda hora. Também não entendi por que o jogo precisa parar pra carregar o próximo "estágio" das fases e interromper você constantemente. No PS2 eu entendia, pra um jogo moderno faz pouco sentido e enche o saco, parece que só botaram isso porque "era assim no antigo". Fraquinho.

Mar 13, 2026·21h·Verified

Steam User 7586STEAMRecommended

bredy gud

Mar 13, 2026·9h·2·Verified

Steam User 0343STEAMRecommended

하... 똥은 지가 싸놓고 나보고 치우라네.
안되겠다. 아버지 데리고 와라. 푸닥거리 해야쓰겄다.

Mar 13, 2026·1h·Verified

Steam User 5144STEAMRecommended

Once upon a Katamari is the first original Katamari game we have had in a while. Would I say it was worth the wait? I'd say so if you are a fan of the Katamari games.

The gameplay has been improved, with power-ups in levels, such as the magnet, the rocket and also the time stop. The levels overall are well designed and there is a variety of tasks (it's not just make a big Katamari, sometimes it could be to collect a certain type of item, for example). The music is also very catchy.

However, for a game selling itself of travelling to different eras, most of the game takes place in Edo Japan, which you visit 5 times in total. Other eras, such as Ancient Egypt or Ice Age, usually only have 3 levels, which is disappointing.

The collectables in the game also tend to get quite frustrating towards the end. In most levels, there is only 1 Cousin, hidden around the map somewhere. But, in a lot of the later levels, especially Edo Japan, there are 3 Cousins. And to unlock each subsequent one, you have to replay the level. This isn't so bad on levels, such as the As Fast as Possible levels. But the As Large as Possible Levels? It's worse if you end up missing the Cousin due to being too big or cause you didn't find them. As Large as Possible 5 is the worst for this as it is a 18 minute level. At minimum, you will be playing this level for 54 minutes overall. And you do need the Cousins to unlock the last two levels, which both have crowns.

Overall, I do still recommend the game. But for completionists, be warned this may take a while and may test your sanity. Hopefully another Katamari game is made because I do think it is a fun franchise.

Oh and for those intending to play this on Steam Deck, it works flawlessly!

Mar 13, 2026·19h·1·Verified

Steam User 1419STEAMRecommended

I love this game

Mar 12, 2026·2h·1·Verified

Steam User 2952STEAMRecommended

A very solid entry in the Katamari series, a game i didn't really had many hopes for that turned out to be quite the gem, albeit with some issues.

PROS:

-Lots of levels, we're talking about over 50 stages across multiple eras. You've got the classic "grow as much as you can" stages alongide all-time favourites like the eating/get fat stages, the cowbear one and many more.
The stages themselves are just filled with the classic katamari chaos and absurd humor that we all like and love
-Power Ups, especially the Radar, very useful to clear out stages you've completed before if you didn't collect all the cousins/crowns. Some stages even require you to use your poweups in a strategic way
-Soundtrack, i had high expectations for the soundtack and i wasn't disappointed, i would point out "Katamari on the Doun" and "Nothing to be afraid of" as my favourites from this title
-Lots of customization options, you can even make your own cousin with lots of body shapes, faces and colors, a nice little feature that improves the overall experience

CONS:

-As other users have said, the katamari is way slower compared to previous entries, you have to dash constantly or use the rocket power-up in order to avoid the frustratingly sluggish base speed of the katamari. Not only that, the collisions in some areas are very janky, even more than the previous titles.
-As good as the new soundtrack is, i think that the idea of selling songs from the previous entries in the series as DLC is just awful. You can't paywall classics like "Katamari On The Rocks" or "Lonely Rolling Star" and expect people to be okay with it, very scummy move on Namco's part.

Mar 12, 2026·19h

Steam User 8610STEAMRecommended

[h2] Once upon A Katamari [/h2]
Not the first entry where you travel through time and space. But Its Japan being typically Quirky.

I have beatened it once. I did enjoy it as a whole. There were a few bit's of frustration. .etc

[h3] Pros [/h3]
[list]
[*]Like most katamari games: The Songs ranges from pretty good to a bop to listen to.
You cannot deny how a good amount of songs are great in this entry.
Even for those who didnt play some Playstation exclusives and one XB360 exclusive
prior to Katamari re-roll

[*]Since Katamari Forever (PS3 Exclusive): The Powerups make a return (Even though they werent named "Power Ups" From there)
Which only a few do sound like they're not very useful there is some that do have a purpose.
The Radar powerup is mostly meant to help complete the present and Crown Collecting

Rockets are just best for some fast as possible levels IF you can even react before getting a lower rank

Out of all the powerups that has the best use

Magnet. In all honesty regards of in the main game. It should really last a bit longer than just 10 seconds
Though if you're like so used to OUAK's level design one should plan out using said Power up in certain occasions IF it feels right.
One of Edo Japan's Levels where you have to make it as big as possible. So satisfying.

[*]Opinion: Probably the few best features for UOAK: Making your own cousin!
What can I say? Each cousin you collect adds to this "Customizable Character".
You can pretty much just see your own customized cousin into pretty much in the overworld
and even play as them (Though they do not count towards your cousin collecting)

[*]Opinion: The (Multi-Player) Vs mode is fun for the most part.
Specially how in offline mode. I like how theres some of those dopples that have such names
ranging from Basic to some funky ones (Even if some sounds misspelled).

[/list]

[h3] Both [/h3]

[list]

[*]Opinion: While cousin collecting is great as theres more cousin variety.
regards of "adding more replayability". You'd have to switch to a specific cousin (like We <3 Katamari) to get the rest.
Like how certain levels doesnt always mean a full completion of it after playing it once.
Combined with Most levels that vary between how fun it is to complete and others. it's rather sometimes a chore but still fun to play as whoever you choose.

[/list]

[h3] Cons [/h3]

[list]
[*]I dont know: Why, and how the devs decided to take some steps back but
The physics are somehow just almost like the OG PS2's Katamari Damacy.
We <3 Katamari already made it so much better but why go back?
In addition to the physics. Why is the katamari slower than the others?
I may sound nitpicky but. Some things dont flow as fast contrasting to the previous games.
Even for other instances like Climbing certain parts of the level and/or objects (like ladders) you think you might make it only for you to fall of slowing down.

[*]Some of the objects (Depending where ever you're going) can be pretty annoying to either
avoid or try to collect, but your Katamari isnt big enough despite it looks bigger.
Or sometimes you have to have a specific size when collecting (In Most cases. Crowns)
Worse cases is "Cow vs Bear" Level

[*]Opinion: Some levels are rather poorly designed even if the camera does give the player a more clear view
if theres something obstructing it.
In some scenarios. (Worse cases in my view)
I failed one of the levels based on Ancient Greece: 3 times. Cause of how the level is not very well thought out: You have to make sure the on fire katamari doesnt lose its fire or touch any water.
Cause "Game over" if it does happen

[*]Opinion: I am not a fan of having to do guess work on size levels. Cause if you do go a little over the intended just right size "Game over"

[*]The practices of Bamco selling you the music tracks (Mostly cause of the complaints of "King of all sounds".)
This should've just been in with the base game.+ this entry should've gotten a bit more polish even after a few issues.
Regards of how much DLC (Should've just done other things than just re-selling you previous entries stuff and others)

[/list]

[h2] Result [/h2]

a Decade and 3ish years of no actual mainline Katamari since "Touch My Katamari". We got this.
Once Upon a Katamari is fairly favorable to play. But can have some to a few issues here and there.
Otherwise
It's not that good or really that bad. Just a fairly favorable game to enjoy.

Mar 11, 2026·22h·4·Verified

Steam User 2327STEAMRecommended

This is such a fun game, with so much content and so much character. They definitely have way too many Edo Japan levels, and could've gone a lot further with the other settings; but ultimately the game is still great despite how derivative it is.

Mar 11, 2026·8h·Verified

Steam User 7140STEAMNot recommended

Game is quite buggy on a windows PC. Cant exit levels from the tab menu (event though I am past the intro). The camera view bugs out. Honestly, I expected a lot more polish from this franchise.

Mar 10, 2026·3h·3·Verified

Steam User 6374STEAMRecommended

It was pretty fun. I had a pretty good time. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but I wish it controlled like the original We Love Katamari. Not even the remakes were able to capture its game feel for me. Besides that this game was a treat. It definitely gave me the most smiles per hour out of all the katamari games.

Mar 9, 2026·32h·Verified

Steam User 4357STEAMNot recommended

Worth about $25 CAD in my opinion. Don't buy any of the DLC if you are looking for more playable content - its only music and a couple cosmetics.

I'm increasingly disappointed to inform that "King of All Sounds" edition is, in fact, only 'King of a Couple Sounds', as none of the subsequent DLC track releases have been included in this version.

Game is entertaining, but ultimately the story is totally flat (which is not very katamari). I've 100% completed the game in search of a sense of conclusion, but there is none to be found. Would love to see a bit more content to round out the story experience like previous games.

Spend your money on a different katamari game.

Mar 9, 2026·57h·3·Verified

Steam User 9096STEAMRecommended

Keep Rollin' Rollin' Rollin' Rollin

Mar 9, 2026·8h·Verified

Steam User 4331STEAMNot recommended

This is the enshittification of katamari

Mar 9, 2026·1h·4

Steam User 8280STEAMNot recommended

Good base game but asking that much for dlc is insane greed

Mar 9, 2026·7h·4·Verified

Steam User 2244STEAMNot recommended

This is a good game but the DLC pricing is insane and really seems like they stripped a bunch of music out of the game to sell it back to you at a premium price. So you'll pay 30 to 40 dollars, then get fomo because there's a bunch of music out there that's price gated behind 44 dollars of dlc. I really hate monetization policies designed to just sell the game to a core group of superfans then gouge them. There are other issues here technically and graphics wise etc, they've followed the game freak strategy of "eh it already looks fine and people love it" but its a katamari game and every katamari game is great. Just know they've price gated most of the music behind an additional charge of 110 percent the price of the game FOR MUSIC. aka one of the best features of the series.

tl;dr here is your 40 dollar game sir, would you like to pay 44 more dollars for all the music?

Mar 9, 2026·1h·17·Verified

Steam User 0606STEAMNot recommended

塊魂の新作が出ると聞き即購入。でも蓋を開けてみたら「みんな大好き塊魂」を劣化コピーした何かでした。という感じ。

シリーズ初体験であればリマスター版の「みん大」を買ったほうが楽しめるし、経験者であれば、なおさらお勧めしない。購入するなら過去作のDLCくらいの期待値でいてほしい。

障害物がやたら多くて爽快感がないし、ステージ数は少ない。最大塊サイズも過去作と比べるとかなり小さいし、アイテム集めやチャレンジも面倒。「良くも悪くもいつもの塊魂だった」というのがせめてもの救いでした。

もう「みん大」のフォーマットに縋ることでしか塊魂を作れないんだなと思い、悲しくなりました。

でも、塊魂は大好きなんです。
「無理して新作作らなくてもいいな」という気持ちと「ゾンビのように食い繋いでほしい」という気持ちが
二律背反的に混在している（こころがふたつある）状態なので、ステージ追加DLCが追加されるのを待ち続けます。
DLCで曲聞かせるんじゃなくてゲームで遊ばせてくれ。もう無理かもしれんが。

Mar 8, 2026·19h·3·Verified

Steam User 1661STEAMRecommended

Katamari ist immer geil !!!
Sieht gut aus und macht spaß + neue Zusatzfeatures.
10/10 Empfehlung !!!
Vor allem wenn man einfach mal kurz was zocken und abschalten will.

Mar 8, 2026·2h·Verified

Steam User 3666STEAMRecommended

Muy divertido, a la altura de los otros juegos de la saga

Mar 6, 2026·22h·Verified

Steam User 8898STEAMNot recommended

What started as an enjoyable game turned into a soundtrack DLC money grab fest.

Mar 6, 2026·10h·17

Steam User 7806STEAMRecommended

For me, most people seeing this as being dramatically better or worse than any other Katamari game are just projecting onto it, or judging it oddly because it's the first new game in the series in many years.

I found Once Upon a Katamari to be a very Katamari game. No more, no less.

That's exactly what I was looking for, so I'm satisfied and I hope we continue to see new additions to the franchise rather having to wait another 10,000 years or however long it was between this game and the next.

If you're looking for more of the same, I think it's an easy recommendation. If you're new to Katamari and curious, the simpler control options make this a good starting point. If you did try previous Katamari games but didn't love them, there isn't anything here that's going to make you feel any differently.

Mar 5, 2026·10h·1·Verified

Steam User 8138STEAMRecommended

You cannot go wrong with Katamari. This is one of the most consistent series of the past 20 years, and it's never disappointed me. Once upon a Katamari is great!!! Great music, great rolling. Fantastic new game modes. Yet another hit for the King of the Cosmos.

Mar 5, 2026·33h·2·Verified

Steam User 0696STEAMRecommended

Roll it up

Mar 4, 2026·11h

Steam User 6018STEAMRecommended

To me, KATAMARI means happiness. It means peace. It means whimsy, and it means love and joy. It really doesn't take much beyond the typical Katamari formula to ensnare my heart and fill me with the warm fuzzies. Love me orb, love me lonely rolling star

Mar 3, 2026·8h·14·Verified

Steam User 6199STEAMRecommended

roll it all up.
it all up roll.
all up roll it.
up roll it all.

Mar 2, 2026·29h

Steam User 9697STEAMRecommended

If you don't know Katamari Damacy this is a great entry to the franchise and you should get it right now.
If you do know Katamari Damacy you probably already bought this.
This game embodies all the whimsy you should have in your life.

Mar 1, 2026·26h·Verified

Steam User 2251STEAMRecommended

Very good and fun

Feb 26, 2026·11h

Steam User 6861STEAMRecommended

Once Upon A Katamari is hard for me to assess. The game is more Katamari, which is always good, but it isn't the best showing for the series. It sits firmly in quality between the original and We Love Katamari for me. If you haven't played We Love Katamari there is no reason to play this game over it, if you have played We Love and Enjoyed it know you are getting more, albiet slightly worse, Katamari.

Feb 25, 2026·33h·10·Verified

Steam User 9265STEAMNot recommended

Do you want me to sit here and talk about how this game is an anachronistic purgatory, a prison for artist and developers? Should I talk about how every single design choice in this game seems to venerate the original PlayStation 2 game as religious dogma, down to nonsensical "loading screens" and a King of All Cosmos who, by now, has the narrative voice of sardonic Starbucks barista who subsists more on complaining about their job than on actual pay?

Or maybe we could approach it another way: it Katamari game, many stages, good music, ball roll good

Those are your two paths here.

This is Katamari, it's a game that seems like it will always be Katamari. I wish the original games weren't treated with such reverence, everything in this game is derivative of another earlier Katamari experience and in no way improved upon or adjusted. There is no curveball, there is no intrique, the king is going through the motions. The game makes much ado about "visiting different eras" except in every era you will more or less just be rolling up a typical Japanese home or its immediate surroundings. The earlier games offer similar variety with significantly improved stage design on the whole.

If you want to play a Katamari game and don't want to play one of the ones you already own, this is a Katamari game. It does not fail at being a Katamari game, but it's also probably the worst example of a full standalone Katamari game, a shameless, soulless money grab.

There's nothing even to comment on here, they haven't improved anything. The only element that jumps out is that the "Go over here next!" tutorial camera jumps in Every. Single. Stage. are incredibly obnoxious once, and nearly game-breakingly bad on second blush. It's bad, even for a game that leans so hard into goofy physics interactions, the camera just fixed-speed no-clipping through environments and items is just jarring every time, and for some reason keeps happening after the first time.

Please do not pay $30+ for music for this game. Just mute the in-game music, open up youtube, and listen to whatever you want. Please promise me you're not buying the soundtrack DLC for this game. Please make better choices. I can only imagine how Keita Takahashi feels seeing $30 DLC selling the soundtracks from the two games that made this series popular, the ones he worked on, while he struggles to keep working in game design at all.

I do hope they keep making Katamari games, perhaps ones that iterate on the formula and do not have $40 in DLC. Ultimately I do not like the position I am put in where my sensibilities and nostalgia are abused in such a way that I feel jaded, as if I am the problem for not wholeheartedly buying into it. It can't just be me.

The earlier games are all better, there are two better versions of this specific PC-port Katamari experience ALREADY on steam, both of which are cheaper than this and come with the songs they're trying to charge you for. The one shining bright spot in this entire game experience was I rolled a 3499m Katamari and the King told me to touch grass. I wish I could refund this.

Feb 22, 2026·23h·22·Verified

Steam User 0306STEAMRecommended

I liked it. If you liked the first two games you'll like this one. If you don't like Katamari, this game doesn't necessarily reinvent the wheel. It's still roll ball make ball big (or other objectives) but it has a lot of really good variety that keeps it fresh. It's new additions in terms of content like collecting crowns and the customization collection is fun to chase. I liked replaying a level over and over again until I got everything from it. I'm writing this review just after getting the last achievements I needed for the 100%. You may notice I only have 21 hours and the game costs 40 USD. If your a dollar per hour ratio andy this may not be the game for you but I believe that each time I played the game I had a relatively good experience (besides replaying as fast as possible 5, that really took it out of me for a bit) so I think its still worth. I've never played the pvp mode so I can't comment on that but it seemed cool in the tutorial.

It runs great on steam deck but it is a bit power hungry (I play at capped 60 with TPD at 10, I copied the settings from one of the protondb posts and it works pretty well). Otherwise no tinkering required really. I'm not the biggest enjoyer of the more pop OST for the levels compared to the more quircky katamari-ie music of the previous games but the actual instrumental tracks and stuff that plays in menus, loading screens, over world and everywhere else is genuinely pretty great.

Feb 22, 2026·21h·Verified

Steam User 5366STEAMRecommended

There are some things this gets right and some things if gets wrong, but it's overall a great addition to the Katamari series.

Things it gets right:
- Better charge options: I use both L2 and the back and forth joystick options personally. I can see the L2 option being great for accessibility and consistency, so I like that it's there.
- Animation: Absolute joy to watch.
- COUSIN CUSTOMIZATION!!!!!: it has gotten better than just the presents you'd get in the other games. Incredible
- New game mode: The new game mode is super fun (I'm not including spoilers; just know you're in for a treat)
- New types of tasks: This isn't just essentially a reskin; there are actually new things you're going to be asked to do with the katamari, which was awesome to see (I would have been cool with a new game even without this, but am happy it's there)
- Story: it fits in super well with the series and is a blast.
- World: This is one of the most fun concepts in the entire history of the series!

Things it gets less right:
- Controls: They just aren't as smooth. The katamari gets stuck more frequently, the turning feels worse, and it just feels clunkier. It's not a game breaker by any stretch, but they could have done a better job here.
- Voice Acting (I'm playing the English version... if that wasn't obvious from the English review xD): I just miss the old voices. The actors here are fine but not as good.
- Pacing: Too many forced moves away from what you were doing, but this is probably a personal preference thing.
- The script for the King of the Cosmos: This is the only actual complaint I have. The writing is so, so much worse. The king isn't even remotely funny. I haven't made it through the entire game yet, but I feel pretty confident saying you can just skip all of the dialogue with the King and not miss anything.

Feb 22, 2026·33h·Verified

Steam User 7961STEAMRecommended

Best Katamari ever!!!

Only thing, I wish I knew what songs were on the A+B (they dont say) , bc I really wanted to play listening to my favorite katamari songs and couldnt . The A+B outside of the king of sound is wayyy to expensive (its almost the price of the full game)

Feb 21, 2026·46h·1·Verified

Steam User 8861STEAMNot recommended

100%-ed the game. I liked it, and I'm a huge Katamari fan but returning fans should wait for a big sale. This game is just too frustrating to enjoy fully, especially after playing the previous remasters.

TL;DR - It's just too frustrating to really enjoy all the cool additions at launch price, and may or may not get repetitive in terms of theming.

I would honestly only pick this up at 50% off or more. If you're itching to try Katamari for the first time, get the previous 2 remasters instead, We Love Katamari Royal Reverie or Katamari Damacy Reroll and save yourself some frustration.

I like all the new features, especially the customisation, the (underused) alternate level endings, the non-mindless levels like bear vs cow, the Pharaoh(?) and the sweet vs salty level which was SUPER cool and challenging in a good way. Frankly I feel like they really should've honed in on these cool levels, I really wanted more of them. Powerups were interesting, but I feel only the magnet was particularly fun to use mainly because it helped alleviate the horrible physics this title has, which I'll touch on later in my review. The detector was useful for the new replay-centric features like coins and challenges and the annoying cousin collecting system. The rockets were very meh, mainly because you'd be stopped by the tiniest of objects that you totally should have been able to pick up and lose all momentum + the base movement feels so sluggish it kind of ruins it when it wears off.

The physics: terrible. It's not unplayable, but it's frustrating, personally too frustrating. It seriously hinders my recommendation as I paid full price, I didn't expect to be frustrated in a Katamari game. Climbing the ladder in the Western stage only to be knocked back for no reason multiple times is just not fun. Getting stuck and losing lots of time while being surrounded by objects I should totally be able to collect is not fun, and this happens often. I cannot describe it, you really have to try the previous titles to understand how janky this game feels in comparison. Unfortunately I don't see the devs updating or improving this, so you will most likely have to just deal with the jank physics regardless of what you pay for.

There were some cool themes and concepts but dislike that so much levels take place in Japan when so much of the marketing was based around all the different eras, sights and scenes. Even the final stage did not feel particularly grand. I think the Japan themes were great, especially the Yokai one, but when you play so much of the same theme it got really stale.

Completionists will also find collecting all cousins really annoying, because you can't collect all cousins in a level in one go, you need to do a replay for every cousin unlockable in that level. If there's 3, you have to play the level 3 times. The worst part is cousins are also specific to each "size-stage" of a level, so if you get too big, they'll just despawn and will no longer be collectable if you visit their designated spot after passing the threshold. This sucks for the really long missions and I've wasted a lot more time than I'd like to admit before I realised I was supposed to unlock cousins before reaching the next size-stage of a level thinking my game was bugged, or if I missed a cousin that I had in fact already collected.

All in all, again, I liked OUAK, but I definitely regret paying the amount I did. I am honestly disappointed that the gameplay quality would taint a brand new addition to the Katamari franchise that isn't a remaster or remake of a previous title.

Feb 19, 2026·32h·70·Verified

Steam User 0148STEAMRecommended

플레이타임은 짧지만 그래도 갓겜

Feb 18, 2026·10h·Verified

Steam User 6785STEAMNot recommended

吃老本的游戏，这么多年这么多作了，操作体验还是让人不适，结算和地图的交互也一如既往地拖沓，开头几关的重复感让人很早就想弃游，还有结束前那个警告音居然还保留着……第一次玩块魂第一作的时候那种新鲜感让人以为制作组是走创新路线的，可是现在看来也沦为低成本圈钱作了。

Feb 17, 2026·2h·Verified

Steam User 7222STEAMRecommended

I don't think Namco can miss, ever, with this franchise.

Feb 16, 2026·25h·1·Verified

Steam User 2002STEAMNot recommended

I love Katamari and I love this entry too because it does everything well the previous entries did just as well! The music, the comedy, whimsy artstyle, it's all there and then some.

However, this is the first mainline entry since 2011 (not counting the remakes) and there are still loading screens within levels and smaller items become unrollable once you get to a certain size... and I know these are slight nitpicks and NOBODY in the entire cosmos plays a Katamari game to be impressed by its technical accomplishments but improving upon these with today's posibilities really wouldn't have been a technological revolution, especially considering the humbleness of the game's size and graphics.

Since the story is heavily thematic, so are the levels. I felt like most of them were "roll this type of item" or some other gimmick while As Large As Possible levels were a rarity. Aside from the magnet, none of the power-ups were fun to use and as others have mentioned, rolling feels a bit strange at times.

Overall, the game scratches the Katamari itch but leaves a lot to be desired. I also like the create-a-cousin feature despite its simplicity.

Feb 16, 2026·18h·4·Verified

Steam User 3401STEAMRecommended

Katamari is back and much more varied in level themes.
Unlike We Love Katamari, this one doesnt feel like it replaces what came before by being a much better version of Katamari Damacy, but instead is just more Katamari to play.

Feb 15, 2026·10h

Steam User 5858STEAMRecommended

シリーズプレイヤーです。
みんな大好き(2作目)以降過去作の焼き増しが目立った本シリーズですが、ついに正統続編が出たか、という印象です。

「塊を転がして大きくする」というルールに一貫しているものの、
ステージ毎の目的によって新しい遊び方を提案されるため飽きずに進められました。

ボリュームもシリーズ他作品と比べて少ない、ということはないように感じます。
クリアするだけであれば10時間掛かりませんが、ステージ数そのものは過去作より多いと思います。

特にBGMのクオリティが素晴らしかったです。
個人的にビューティフル以降はあんまりパっとしない曲ばかりだと感じていたのですが、
本作のBGMはOSTを購入するくらい刺さるものが多かったです。

---

以降は強いて言うなら、くらいの話です。

・王様が甘い
もっと突き放したような口調が目立っていたような気がするのですが、今作の王様は優しいです。そこに手を入れるのは、キャラの魅力を捨てるようなものかな、と。

・ステージのノルマが甘い
今作は各ステージにランク評価が導入されていますが、特に何も考えずとも初プレイでSランクを取れるくらいノルマ設定が甘いです。
なんというか、良くない感じでキャラゲーに寄ってっているようで寂しいものがありました。

・エンディングのタイミングが謎
まだやっていないステージがいくつか残っている状態で、突然エンディングが始まったように感じました。
しかもご丁寧に [spoiler]「これ以上やってもイイことない」[/spoiler] と言われてしまうので、ボリューム不足を誤認させるような作りになってしまっているのかな、と思います。

・ゲーム全体を通した爽快感が薄い
過去作はステージを進めるにつれて、少しずつ塊の初期サイズと最終的な到達サイズが大きくなっていく流れでした。
そのため、過去数ステージに渡って邪魔に感じていた人や車を巻き込めるステージに到達したときの快感は強いものでした。
今作は幅広いルールで塊を転がすため、必然的にステージ毎の初期サイズがバラバラに進んでいきます。
（5cm→1ｍ→3m→10cm、みたいな感じ）
かと思えば突然4桁mくらいの塊を転がすことになったりで、ゲーム全体を通した成長、みたいなものは感じづらいデザインになっている印象です。

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とにかく、PS2からXbox360、PSPやVitaを入れれば結構な本数がリリースされている塊魂シリーズですが、今Steamで購入できる3作(アンコール2作+今作)だけをプレイすれば十分シリーズを堪能できる状態になったと思います。

Feb 15, 2026·8h·Verified

Steam User 8785STEAMRecommended

It's a Katamari Damacy game! What else is there to say? Something about it feels a little off compared to the original two... There's something about the controls that feels more sluggish than I remember, and I sometimes got stuck somewhere, all of which combine into a less-than-perfect experience. The concept of traveling through time is fun, though, and hey! Did I mention it's a new Katamari Damacy game? Still totally worth your time if you're into that.

Feb 15, 2026·20h·2·Verified

Steam User 4394STEAMRecommended

gaming

Feb 15, 2026·20h·Verified

Steam User 0152STEAMRecommended

Katarai kasanari
Katamari karamari

Feb 14, 2026·24h·Verified

Steam User 7160STEAMRecommended

Kind of a weird place to be in, though I do feel that OUAK could end up rolling into the same rut of repetition that the franchise hit after Keita Takahashi left after We Love Katamari. Fine enough game, don't get me wrong, though after all's said and done looking back after playing the first two games, it's easy to think "Wait, what's new here that isn't just a rehash of previous levels?" Also generally speaking some gimmick levels felt worse than in the first two games (both on PS2 and Rerolled), the underwater and fire coming to mind with the latter feeling the most like "♥♥♥♥ it, here's something you'll recognize" with none of the interesting challenges that came with the original idea and level. It felt like it was wearing out its welcome as it was nearing the end just because it can't match that level of innovation that was originally there. It especially felt that way with the powerups because they don't really organically fit with the gameplay, the Magnet circumventing the joy of rolling things up by automatically doing it for you and everything else being too dull to use in-game to really comment on. The game even lets you bring power ups into other levels if you keep them on completion, which can absolutely kill any challenge in "As Fast as Possible" levels.

Again, don't get me wrong, because there are WAY, WAY worse Katamari games in the franchise far before this; I just don't see it was anything more than "here's more of the same stuff" but with different eras and things to pick up. A "expansion"-type sequel, except the only reruns of variety levels from We Love Katamari is done a little bit worse. I can't say it's a "No" from me because it isn't bad from an objective standpoint, but I can't give it glowing praise either. Fantastic music, though.

Oh also, for the love of God, just ignore the bit with replaying the levels for coins. It's sheer busy work for the sake of busy work, not even as interesting to do as S-ranking the levels or collecting every item. The rewards aren't much worth it either, just save yourself the headache and enjoy the game.

Feb 14, 2026·30h

Steam User 9340STEAMRecommended

crazy weird cousin collector I like ^^

Feb 12, 2026·21h·Verified

Steam User 7983STEAMRecommended

I got it for free because my boyfriend gifted it to me. I'm not like sponsored or anything.

This game is awesome! If you like other Katamari games, you'll of course like this one too! If you haven't tried a Katamari game before, then you're in for a treat! I think there is also an option for like easier controls now? I didn't try the new controls because I'm used to how older versions have played in the past, but specifically the older controls might take some getting used to if you are a first time player (think like how Metal Gear Solid games feel unusual until you've played a bunch of them, but MGS games are just very uncomfortable to me and Katamari is much, much easier to get used to. Katamari is like steering a car, but with two sticks). It's a very, very fun series all around and they knocked it out of the park with this one. The difficulty is challenging, but fair. Much like with Celeste, for example, you can sort of choose how much you would prefer to do. It's the same here. So, you can 100% it and that's a challenge, or you can run through casually for fun and it's a great chill out game. It's a very colorful, fun, and silly game. One of my favorite series by far <3

Feb 11, 2026·33h·4

Steam User 3941STEAMNot recommended

katamari games have always felt lacking, this one is unfortunately no different.

what is exceptional, unique, and its own thing is the music, art, playstyle and story.

Feb 10, 2026·7h·Verified

Steam User 7662STEAMNot recommended

it feels slow, the music dlc is the price of the game and nobody plays the online mode and no local co-op so good luck getting a friend to pay 40$

Feb 8, 2026·9h·4

Steam User 5410STEAMRecommended

i find the levels to be entertaining and full of variety. recommended to katamari fans looking for a unique experience, unlike the past two games, this is a brand new game. very fun.

Feb 8, 2026·22h·1·Verified

Steam User 3024STEAMRecommended

Bandai makes a Katamari game. I play the Katamari game.
This formula has been great from the first game back on the PS2.
Highly recommended to anyone who has not played it.
The series is creative, silly, insanely fun, and sort of wholesome moral boost.
All Bandai needs to do it is keep the same team intact and make more.
Keep them coming and don't destroy the formula or add DLC (Outside of soundtracks)
I will rack up hours on this awesome addition to the series until the next game comes out.
Thank you Bandai and the whole team that worked on Once Upon a Katamari !

Feb 8, 2026·27h·Verified

Steam User 9733STEAMRecommended

It’s Katamari. You roll stuff up. Nothing has changed from previous games except the level design and therefore it is perfect.

Feb 7, 2026·9h·Verified

Steam User 1516STEAMRecommended

amazing <3

Feb 7, 2026·8h·Verified

Steam User 4590STEAMRecommended

같이 할 사람이 있으면 재미가 좋아
혼자는 별루

Feb 7, 2026·12h·Verified

Steam User 3569STEAMRecommended

yAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaassssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSsss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!! !!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Feb 6, 2026·25h

Steam User 2027STEAMRecommended

새로운 시스템에 도전하느니 하던거 해서 욕을 안먹기로 했다
님들 어차피 새로운 시스템 대거 도입했으면 이게 괴혼이냐 하면서 지랄했을 거잖음 ㅋㅋ

Feb 6, 2026·13h·2

Steam User 1490STEAMRecommended

fun

Feb 6, 2026·18h·Verified

Steam User 0924STEAMRecommended

Just got S Rank in "Get as Big as Possible 5" on my second try.

The King then literally told me to touch grass.

Feb 5, 2026·28h·Verified

Steam User 6678STEAMRecommended

katamari so cute

Feb 3, 2026·25h

Steam User 0556STEAMRecommended

It's Katamari. It's wonderful. Anyone who has played it knows the joy that comes from rolling up a big ball of items in a strange and absurd world. I had read some concerns that the controls did not feel the same as previous entries in the series but I did not notice that at all.

Feb 3, 2026·5h·Verified

Steam User 9260STEAMRecommended

yes

Feb 2, 2026·9h·Verified

Steam User 3915STEAMRecommended

I adore this game and I'm so grateful they released it! I still play the past Katamari games but what I love the most about this game is 1) the music continues to be stellar, 2) you get to see a percentage and a letter grade for how well you did in a specific level so it's easier to keep challenging yourself to keep doing better, 3) there are additional quests to find the three crowns and meet other goals for volume of things rolled up, 4) You can get big enough to roll up the King, Queen, and your grandpa!, and 5) there are loads of 'themed' levels where you roll up specific things and some of them are tricky but they are all so fun and satisfying! I downloaded about a week ago and I've already played 19 hours! If you enjoyed Katamari of the past, you will LOVE this game. Happy rolling!!

Feb 1, 2026·20h·Verified

Steam User 8372STEAMRecommended

Definitely not the best Katamari game out there, but it'll scratch the itch if you're hankering for more of the gameplay

Feb 1, 2026·21h·Verified

Steam User 0899STEAMRecommended

垂直入坑，什么叫阳光又可爱的游戏——这就是

Feb 1, 2026·Verified

Steam User 0460STEAMRecommended

like a lot of the reviews say, the acceleration is slow and icy in a lot of levels which can be frustrating. the music isnt quite on par with the games that had the original devs. not the worst entry but it doesnt make me want to play it for longer than a level or two. lost the spark

Jan 31, 2026·2h·1·Verified

Steam User 1379STEAMRecommended

Oh, The Prince, it's you. What were you doing on earth? Rolling a katamari across time periods? We have no idea what you're talking about.

Jan 31, 2026·17h

Steam User 8795STEAMNot recommended

At the time of writing, I have all achievements in both this game and Katamari Damacy Reroll.

I really want to be able to recommend this game but I just can't when the original exists.

To start, I DID end up enjoying:
-The music
-The amount of content
-The modern QOL additions
-Some of the unique level objectives

The number one problem with OUAK is the physics. They absolutely murdered how it feels to roll the katamari. Rolling everywhere feels sluggish and tedious and doesn't even keep up with the rolling animation of the katamari itself, it looks like you're just sliding along the ground at some sizes. In some levels you have to constantly be dashing to make any progress. There's no momentum and it's extremely hard to knock off items, so if you get stuck, you either restart the level or lose up to 20 seconds trying to wiggle free.

Collecting items with the katamari feels off as well. Possibly to save resources, the items that you roll up unload from the katamari so fast that in 90% of levels you can see the base katamari ball underneath the thin top later of items. This isn't cosmetic, either, you'll find that the katamari is almost constantly a plain sphere, with very little impact of rolling up long, thin objects. It feels like each object just adds an arbitrary number to your size instead of actually growing it, especially with how unusual the "size to roll" requirements on some items are.

Another casualty of poor resource management is the fact that levels now have loading intermissions that interrupt the game every other time that you size-up in many levels (keep in mind this game still uses low poly models and low resolution textures for everything). You're constantly getting stopped in your tracks by the king both in and out of levels when you make any progress. Also, whenever the king pans away to show you that you meet the size threshold to cross a new barrier, the game unpauses before it can finish panning back to you, meaning that if you actually use the powerups wisely to gain lots of size fast, you lose 25% of them to this camera panning animation every time.

On the powerups, only the magnet is fun to use. The rockets are only useful when there's some hidden force pushing you like wind or water currents, and otherwise just makes it feel like you're actually playing a katamari game at full speed for a few seconds. I would've preferred a suction cup powerup or something that also lets you scale walls easier. The radar is either completely necessary or completely useless depending on the level and I wish that the crown finding function was restricted until the postgame. The clock is fine, it helps with like 2 level hazards and otherwise just gives you 10 free seconds. Nothing crazy.

Every level has a goal and collectibles. The collectibles award achievements, unlock more levels for you, and grant you cosmetics. There is absolutely no reward for getting a good score on each level, aside from the basic score needed to clear the level. This would mostly be fine if the game didn't give you a free collectible finder option in every level, guaranteed by the second playthrough.

To unlock all the levels, you need to collect every cousin. However, when a stage has more than one cousin, you need to play the level an additional time to actually have the next cousin spawn in. This is especially taxing on the final levels where you spend a combined hour playing through the same 20 minute level three times to get all three cousins. What's more is that the radar only shows one cousin at a time, so if you can't find a new cousin, you're required to remember where the first one is so that your radar isn't honing in on them instead.

The pacing of this game is super awkward and annoying. Like 40% of the levels are in ancient Japan and the other 9 or so eras get about 4 levels each, so the game has you constantly pinging back and forth between Japan an whatever other era the king decodes to drop you in. And every single time, the king comes to interrupt you like a designated tour guide and waste more of your time explaining some cosmetic function you unlocked. I wish it worked more like Mario Odyssey where you could freely explore and measure your progress.

There are other small nitpicks - the localization is weird, with spongebob references in level titles and the most out of touch character in the series using current lingo like "touch grass", the inclusion of day 1 dlc that is just more cosmetics and music choices is lame, the online is apparently bad, etc.

Overall, I would recommend this on sale if you're itching for new katamari content, but otherwise just replay the remasters of the original two.

Jan 29, 2026·17h·37·Verified

Steam User 0981STEAMRecommended

i wish that i liked it as much as one and two but the physics are slightly off in a way that becomes increasingly irritating if youre a long time fan of the series, going from the rerolls to this makes you feel like youre going slightly insane, that said, its still somewhat decent and worth it on sale if you crave more katamari,
makes me really wish steam had a "Mixed" option instead of just purely negative and positive
it is Farking Okay

Jan 29, 2026·35h·3·Verified

Steam User 1151STEAMRecommended

Everyone needs to play Katamari at least once in their life

Jan 28, 2026·13h·1·Verified

Steam User 7956STEAMRecommended

赶紧出新的吧真的不够玩。童年的回忆真的太喜欢了，价格贵一倍都行只要体量足够，本座内容已经被之前大了不少，但是还是25h左右就可以做到白金了，还是差点意思，赶紧出新作吧，太期待了

Jan 27, 2026·30h·Verified

Steam User 6974STEAMRecommended

I adore the Katamari games, and this one adds new gameplay.

Jan 27, 2026·6h

Steam User 9652STEAMRecommended

ii love katamari

Jan 26, 2026·25h·Verified

Steam User 7467STEAMRecommended

It's fine.
I'm just happy that katamari games aren't over and there's a new game.
However, my biggest turn off was the music, almost all of them doesn't give the katamari vibe that's unique to the game!
They kinda just sound like modern Japanese pop music (which isn't my favorite so I could be a bit bias) .
But the game is fun, I liked it.
I hope they make a reroll of beautiful katamari next! (My favorite (*^^*) )

Jan 25, 2026·20h·Verified

Steam User 6891STEAMRecommended

This is one of, if not the, best "turn off your brain and just have fun" game I've played. And considering I've played several other 'Katamari' games, that is saying something!

So for those who don't know, the premise is simple: Roll a ball around. Anything smaller than the ball that the ball touches becomes part of the ball, and so the ball gets bigger. You grow the ball until you've accomplished a goal or time runs out. It's simple and honestly pretty addicting.

It doesn't take much to make a good 'Katamari' game. You don't need to expand much on that premise. But 'Once Upon a Katamari' manages to do so in a way that feels natural. The Freebies (power ups) feel right and are actually really fun. The crown collecting is a cool and enjoyable challenge only because there's a freebie that tells you where they are, leaving the challenge being how to get to them and get big enough to roll them up. Without that it'd be frustrating, but because these elements work together well it's actually kinda awesome!

They even added a multiplayer mode which I'd assume is fun to play with friends. (I haven't tried it with friends, but I'd love to.) Nobody needed this, but I'm glad it's in here all the same!

And of course I'm a sucker for character customization so being able to recolor all of the Cousins (the playable characters) to suite your own style is awesome! Particularly because there's a multiplayer component, this allows you to show off your style and see that of your friends.

'Katamari Damaci' is not a game that was yearning to be more. It's not a game that [i]needed[/i] to be more. It was awesome just being what it was.

But 'Once Upon a Katamari' looked at that simple and fun premise and dared to tinker with it in a way that absolutely works perfectly for the series! This is now the new definitive 'Katamari' game, in my opinion. I hope that you give it a try.

Jan 24, 2026·28h·Verified

Steam User 7884STEAMRecommended

Despite this game being my introduction into the series, I had a lot more fun than I thought I was going to. Some of the physics felt a little jarring at times, but it didn't feel unplayable at all. I wish there were more levels in some of the other time periods as there's usually only a maximum of 3 levels per time period with the exception of Edo Japan. Other than that, I really loved this game.

Jan 24, 2026·29h·Verified

Steam User 3608STEAMRecommended

Nice Katamari game. Having a different control scheme available is cool even if I do prefer the normal one.
The Achievements dont require collecting everything like in the other katamari game but getting the princes and crowns can still get a tiny bit tedious.

Jan 23, 2026·16h·Verified

Steam User 7982STEAMRecommended

If this team never receives another opportunity to make an original Katamari game, then at least they put everything they had into this entry. Releasing 20 years after [i]We Love Katamari[/i], and nearly 15 years since the last original entry in the franchise, [i]Once Upon A Katamari[/i] feels like a sincere love letter to the franchise from those who grew up playing it on the PS2. Much in the way [i]We Love Katamari[/i] was developed for the fans, this latest entry feels like it tries to recapture much of that same magic that made that sequel so special.

At the worst of times, it ends up feeling like a hollow imitation, with some levels and ideas feeling much too reminiscent of its primary source of influence. But in an era where legacy sequels are a dime a dozen, I like to think [i]Once Upon A Katamari[/i] has more in common with [i]Top Gun: Maverick[/i] than it does with [i]Ghostbusters: Afterlife[/i]. Hitting many of the same highs with a new coat of paint in the form of this game's main gimmick, rolling through different historical eras. It's largely because of this gimmick that this entry can so confidently wear its influence on its sleeve, simply because even when small moments or entire levels feel directly ripped out of [i]We Love Katamari[/i], there's enough paint here for it to still feel fresh in a franchise that's been dormant for such a long time.

Speaking of that new coat of paint, the music in this game includes some songs that are franchise bests. While nothing here can top [b]Lonely Rolling Star[/b] or [b]Katamari on the Swing[/b], songs like [b]skyscraper(s)[/b] and [b]ICE CUBE SOUL[/b] have become instant favs. However, there are also a fair few songs on the OST that, while not bad per se, don't hit my ears as something I'd listen to casually beyond when I'm simply playing the game. While this is the case for most games I imagine, the soundtracks from the first two games in the series can be listened to pretty easily outside of their original contexts, while this soundtrack often feels too game-y to ever really latch on for me personally.

As far as actual gameplay is concerned, things are as polished as ever. With simplified controls for new players and some much appreciated quality of life changes for long-time fans of the series (which can also be toggled for anyone seeking a "pure" Katamari experience), this is easily the best feeling modern entry in the series. On top of that, the levels feel like they're crafted with a fair bit of love and care, which was my biggest worry coming into this game. While much of that is likely due from taking influence from the first two entries in the series once again, there's enough "new" here for me to comfortably say that this dev "gets" how difficult it can be to create a level that is as much a puzzle as it is a fun time to roll around. Too much of a puzzle, players can become easily frustrated and could have a negative impression of the series. Too many items thrown about, and you risk the game turning into a bore. While I do think this game manages to find a very balanced middle-ground, there is one new change which can make this entry lean all the way into bore territory for me, and that's the new items.

While I would say I appreciate shaking things up a bit with the items instead of simply doing the same thing again, I'm afraid some veterans of the series may feel like they're a total whiff. Out of the four new items, only one of them gets a pass from me since functionally it's just a temporary boost. The other three each have their own issues for me personally, least of which being the stopwatch. It's supposed to be used to stop moving objects so that you can either avoid them or possibly roll them up, but in practice, I can only think of one instance where I actually used it for this purpose. Every other time I saw this item, I'd typically pop it immediately since 1) you can only hold a single item at a time, with no way to discard them if you want to pick up a different item, and 2) you can't pick up new items until you've fully used your current item, so if you wait to pop it until after you've found a new item then you'll still be waiting an extra ten seconds before you're able to pick up that new item. Still, it's the lowest on my list of gripes since unlike the next two items, it's not completely game-breaking and it does serve a purpose in stopping your in-game timer as well. The next most broken item is the magnet, which feels a bit weird to complain about. It is skill-based in theory and should at least take some level or situational knowledge to get the most use out of, but more often than not, I was one-shotting otherwise well-designed levels simply because I'd find a magnet and wait for a good opportunity to use it. It takes away so much of the challenge I enjoyed in previous games where half the fun is sucking at a level initially and replaying it two, three, six, ten times before you finally achieve a satisfactory result. That replayability feels like it's completely disappeared in favor of providing an item which zaps away whatever challenge was in front of you. Only two minutes left and not sure if you'll even hit the target size? just find a magnet and you'll hit S-rank with over a minute to go. Truthfully, the magnet is likely the worst item of the bunch, but for me personally it has to be the radar scanner. While it doesn't even come close to breaking the game like the magnet does, this item is directly tied to my absolute least favorite aspect of this game: the mind-numbing replayability.

Instead of addressing the issue of the magnet, the devs decided to instead compensate by making replaying stages an absolute chore. The first part of this are the crowns, which I think may be the only well-implemented aspect of this whole mess. Each level you play has three royal crowns hidden somewhere in the stage, usually fairly easy to find but some can be well-hidden. My biggest gripe with those is that on stages where you progress through gated zones (namely the "As Big As Possible" stages), any crowns which may be hiding in one area will disappear completely the moment you grow big enough to roll through the gates. I can mostly forgive this as a little quirk since it hasn't made collecting them too difficult, though as someone going for a 100% save file, it is daunting having to go after the crowns on "As Big As Possible" 4 and 5. And I say 100% save file because thankfully for anyone who simply wishes to get all the Steam achievements, all you need is to collect all the crowns in each level to complete that challenge. For masochists like myself, there exists the cousins.

This is what all my complaining has been leading up to.

In order to see everything this game has to offer, players have to collect all the cousins across each of the stages in order to unlock some of the final levels. While this wouldn't be too bad in theory if each level only had one cousin, [h3][u]there is an egregious, infuriating design flaw at play here.[/u][/h3] Some of the the levels have two or even three cousins, no big deal right? So you'd think, but each level only allows you to find one new cousin per stage, meaning you have to replay the stage multiple times in order to find the other cousins. And for some forsaken reason, the devs decided players shouldn't be able to leave levels early (despite the tutorial giving you the option to "leave whenever you're ready," I've yet to find how to end my run early without quitting, which will result in any new collectables you've found being disregarded). Keep in mind, most of these levels are 6-8 minutes long, some reaching nearly 20 minutes. When you already have an S rank, and have all the presents and crowns, the radar does absolute squat when you're waiting for a timer to tick down so that you may play the same level again to grab another cousin.

(Hit txt limit, good game, get it on sale or pick up the better We Love Katamari instead)

Jan 23, 2026·15h

Steam User 7358STEAMNot recommended

It's super weird to say it but this is a very good Katamari game that is simultaneously the worst Katamari game you can buy on Steam. Everything about Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari Reroll is just lovingly done and paced so well, this game has a lot of levels that feel more like filler than progression, some strange progression/pacing through levels, and waaaay too much interaction/talking with the King during and in-between levels, to the point that I was actively frustrated during levels because he'd start four lines of dialogue at once when I roll over four things, then they would skip through each other.

Also...is there a multiplayer hub aspect of this game that just isn't available at the start? The cousin customization and inclusion of emotes makes it seem like that's something in this game, but I truly don't know.

I'm basically playing this because I love Katamari and it's been a very long time since we've gotten a great sequel (and this might just be the best follow-up to the first two games we've ever gotten). If you're new to the series, do yourself a favor and pick up the Reroll games instead. If you're a Katamari fan, this is more rolling, so that may just be what you're craving.

Jan 22, 2026·9h·6

Steam User 6591STEAMRecommended

This is just how I expected the katamari series to evolve, you roll around the ball and all that, the levels are more dense, and the soundtrack is fun. Although it feels like they went quantity over quality for a lot of parts of the game, there are a lot of ages but ancient japan gets the most levels. You can also collect 3 crowns in every level, and you need to get a set amount to unlock levels, which is kinda pointless, finishing the objective of a level should be enough.
It's easy to recommend to katamari fans because it's more katamari, but it doesn't do enough interesting new things for me to recommend it to newcomers, just get katamari damacy reroll if you're not into the series already.

Jan 22, 2026·6h·1·Verified

Steam User 9276STEAMRecommended

Rolling fun

Jan 21, 2026·10h

Steam User 7316STEAMRecommended

Solid Katamari game. For being the first wholly new Katamari game in 20 years (since WLK, and not a remix game like Beautiful or Forever), its a good swing at the concept, bringing in power-ups to change things up a bit. The scenario revolving around time travel and rolling within different eras is also a good idea.

Unfortunately, its pretty underutilized. While there are 9 different eras, Edo Japan gets about 1/3 of the games total levels, and all of the "get really big" levels are there. So if you were hoping to roll up all over earth during the ice age, you'll instead be stuck with relatively small, narrow task objective stages. A bummer!

The biggest elephant in the room however, is the game's soundtrack, one of the weakest in the series. It especially leaves a bad impression early on, but does grow to have better tracks deeper in the game. Graphically, its nice to have a modern entry that can scale quite well on PC. You can play this game on mid-range hardware and hit 4k 120 no problem (I ran this on a bazzite system).

Overall, WLK I think is still the best entry, but good for a first timer. Just maybe consider getting the extra OST version on discount.

Jan 21, 2026·23h·Verified

Steam User 2531STEAMRecommended

It ain't perfect but it's more Katamari and for some of us... that's enough.

I just wish they'd add the object wobble if I'm close to being able to pick something up. It ruins the vibe when everything just sits lifeless like a brick when I can't pick it up / bounce off it.

Jan 20, 2026·24h·Verified

Steam User 5901STEAMNot recommended

I've played all the Katamari games and love them but this is a bad... This games should be listed as a 3rd party spin off.
1: EZ mode controls with one stick movement & one button dash RUINS the fundamental game. This taints the new players and is legit HALF the reason why these games are fun. Their crazy fun controls and being forced to learn them makes this game what it is.
2: Powerups take away instead of adding to the fun and difficulty of Katamari.
My gripes:
A) The magnetic power up takes away the experience of finding new objects, learning the map, and making the game easier.
B) Rocket booster ruins map exploration and prevents the player from noticing objects
C) Timer ruins the whole point about having a time limit on a mission. If you are going to disregard the core game then might as well just remove time limits....
D) Radar just simply makes the game way easier and makes the player forget they should be learning the map for the next mission.
E) Not going to mention the online Powerups as no one cares.
3: The Hub is a Horrible rats nest of multiple layers and is extremely confusing to new players. Progression has been completely changed in a bad way. Forcing your players to repeat each map 3 or 4 times on each "timeline" is unbelievably boring with every objective being around the same.
4: Online sucks balls. Scrap everything. Not even worth talking about and I bet zero people play it. It's that forgettable.

Overall I want this game to be good but the inner Katamari fan really took a beating after seeing this release. This game will destroy the perception of all new players when they realize all other Katamari games are NO WHERE NEAR like this. Remove the EZ baby mode of this game and make a normal Katamari.

Jan 20, 2026·4h·2

Steam User 2863STEAMRecommended

I liked it quite a bit! As someone who has only played the "Rerolls" of the first two Katamari Damacy games, I think this was a fun expansion of it. It's also a very, very large game, there are a surprising amount of levels in it!

I'm not a huge fan of how the "challenges" require you to go through them one-by-one, instead of being able to do all of them at once, but that's a small issue.

I think if you like the previous Katamari Damacy games, you'll like this one, too! I know I did.

The dragons in this game get a rating of 9/10. There's a large funny dragon in As Large/Fast as Possible 5 and it really rocks. I like it!

Jan 19, 2026·31h·6

Steam User 2853STEAMNot recommended

Got stuck in a position where I was unable to move for most/all of the round 3 times in 2 hours. Game spends just as long telling me about cosmetics as letting me play the game. Music is nothing to write home about - well of course, that way they can sell you DLC that COSTS ALMOST AS MUCH AS THIS GAME just to let you play the better music from previous games in the series.
If you haven't played a Katamari game before, play one of the earlier games in the series, they are great. If you have, playing this one will leave you disappointed.

Jan 19, 2026·2h·3·Verified

Steam User 5825STEAMRecommended

Found all the cousins and crowns ( ˃ᴗ˂)ᕤ

What a delightful game! It's colorful, silly, kinetic, and hectic; all great ingredients for a world-weary person who wants to play a game.

I didn't think the game was too easy at all, and in fact, found the addition of the power-ups and level scaling incredibly helpful. It felt like it built in challenge for people who wanted it while still giving more casual players and opportunity to just have a fun time. I think the way they clearly laid out the metrics needed for different ranks was excellent. Even though I am not much of a score-chaser, it still felt good to know what I did or did not hit certain metrics.

The cut-scenes and random loading screens in the middle were quite cumbersome at times. I understand why they exist, for the most part, but it did really take me out of it whenever it happened.

Overall, though, I definitely recommend this. It's Katamari doing it's Katamari thing- hard to complain about that.