Yoshi has been one of Nintendo's most popular characters since he first debuted in the Super Mario World on the SNES and now Nintendo has capitalized on Yoshi's popularity by making him the star of its own spin-off series of platform games, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book also happens to be one of the better Yoshi games, and another strong Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.
Going in Yoshi and the Mysterious BookI was skeptical that the game would hold my attention for long. I found developer Good-Feel's previous attempt, Princess Peach Showtimetoo repetitive and easy, and it looked like Yoshi and the Mysterious Book would suffer the same problem. But I was pleasantly surprised Yoshi and the Mysterious Book; It's not a particularly challenging game by any means, but its charm and creativity more than make up for it.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is a rewarding puzzle platformer
Instead of a traditional platform game where the goal is to scroll across the screen until you reach the end of the level, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book levels are like little puzzle boxes. Each is themed after a specific creature with their own unique abilities, and the goal is to find out everything they can do. While each level has a main objective that Yoshi must complete, players are rewarded for exploring and experimenting with stars that unlock new levels.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book levels always have something new to discover, and the joy of discovery makes the game hard to put down. Each level is something completely different from what came before, so it's always exciting to see what comes next. One level might have Yoshi zooming around on the back of a skateboard-shaped creature, while another might challenge him to save little friendly sentient flowers from spike balls that are out to kill them.
Yoshi can't die, so the stakes are low, but there's still a challenge to find every secret hidden in the levels. After completing a stage, players are prompted for other ways they could have interacted with that level's creature, and no matter how thorough I thought I was, there were always something I wasn't going to do it.
Yoshi has his usual abilities Yoshi and the Mysterious Bookwhich means the butterfly jump and egg toss are back.
This gives Yoshi and the Mysterious Book great replay value, and there are other excuses to dive back into the scenes as well. Other creatures will sometimes transition to completed levels, opening up new ways to tackle the objectives and giving Yoshi the chance to see how the creatures interact.
All of this takes place in a magical, living encyclopedia named Mr. E. Bowser Jr. and Kamek are busy searching for a mysterious creature known as the Bewilder Bird, while Yoshi and his companions simply help Mr. E to file and categorize the creatures that live inside him. The bizarre premise is an excuse for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book using an adorable aesthetic that mimics stop-motion animation. It basically looks like a children's picture book come to life.
The game also has a sense of humor, mainly stemming from its title mechanic. As Yoshi investigates the creatures in Mr. E, players are allowed to name them. These names stick with the creatures throughout the game, which can lead to hilarious moments.
$70 might be asking too much
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is good, but its major flaw is that there simply isn't enough meat on the bone. It is possible to roll in credits Yoshi and the Mysterious Book in five hours or less without much friction. Those looking to earn 100% completion can expect to spend a lot more time with the game, though Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is $70 for the physical version ($60 for the digital version), and that's a big ask for a game that you can “beat” so quickly.
There are also some levels that are more annoying than they are fun to play. Yoshi and the Mysterious Books fishing level, for example, is boring, and some other creatures have abilities that aren't particularly exciting. The good thing is that the “bad” levels are short like any other stage in the game, so players can quickly move on to greener pastures.
i hit Yoshi and the Mysterious Books main story of about five hours, but there's a lot more to do after the credits roll.
It does go wrong here and there with some bad ideas and the steep $70 price tag compared to the amount of content available, but Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is otherwise a solid puzzle-platformer that's fun more often than not. It's brimming with charm and stands out as one of the more unique and memorable Yoshi-centric adventures Nintendo has released to date. Hardcore Yoshi fans will find it delightful, and Switch 2 owners can claim another high-quality exclusive.
- Released
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May 21, 2026
- ESRB
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All / Mild Fantasy Violence
- Developer
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Nintendo
- Publisher
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Nintendo
- Charming storybook art style
- Fun puzzle-platformer that rewards creativity
- Full of secrets and reasons to revisit completed levels
- The $70 price tag feels a little too steep
- Some levels are duds
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is out now for Nintendo Switch 2.
