BODY: Switch Online subscribers looking for a splash of color before summer have a new reason to log in: Poppucom, the pop-art co-op adventure from the studio behind Arknights, is joining Nintendo's "Game Trial" (いっせいトライアル) program.
Nintendo confirmed that the multiplayer cooperative adventure will be fully playable at no extra cost for Switch Online members from 12:00 p.m. on June 17 through 5:59 p.m. on June 23 (JST). During that window, subscribers can download and play the complete game, with progress carrying over should they decide to purchase it afterward.
Poppucom comes from Hypergryph, the Chinese developer best known globally for the mobile tactical hit Arknights. The title marks a notable tonal pivot for the studio—trading Arknights' moody, dystopian tower-defense aesthetic for a bright, toy-like world built squarely around cooperative play. It is a multiplayer-only experience, designed for groups rather than solo runs.
A key detail in Nintendo's announcement: the game now supports up to four players, expanding beyond its original two-player co-op framing. That bump makes the trial especially appealing for families and friend groups looking for a low-commitment couch or online session during the trial week.
The insider take
For Hypergryph, the "Game Trial" slot is a savvy bit of positioning. Arknights enjoys a devoted following in Japan, but the studio's console ambitions remain largely unproven here—and a console-only, multiplayer-only title is a hard sell without hands-on exposure. Nintendo's trial program is one of the most effective discovery tools on the platform, regularly converting curious subscribers into buyers. Expanding to four-player support right before the trial reads as a deliberate move to maximize word-of-mouth: get a full group hooked, and you've sold more than one copy. Expect Japanese gaming media to watch the conversion closely as a barometer for how Arknights' brand power translates beyond mobile.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).