Yoshi's Woolly World

Yoshi's Woolly World transplants Yoshi's adventures into a world knitted entirely from yarn, fabric, and felt. It's more than a visual gimmick: the material is part of the gameplay. Yoshi swallows enemies and turns them into yarn balls, which he then throws at obstacles; a hit can unravel a platform, reveal a hidden pattern, or knit threads together into a new bridge. Enemies unravel into individual loops, clouds are made of cotton tufts, and the background is stitched with seams and buttons, so at every step you can see that the whole world is only held together by pins and tacks.

The gameplay follows the classic Yoshi school: slower-paced, high-jump-driven platforming with a leg-flutter in midair, precise yarn-ball aiming, and above all careful searching of every level. Each one hides skeins, flowers, and hearts, and finding everything is considerably harder than simply reaching the goal. Good-Feel, the studio that previously made the similarly conceived Kirby's Epic Yarn, gives every level its own idea, whether it's transforming into an umbrella, a wheel, or a mole. A co-op mode for two players is included, in which you swallow and toss each other across chasms.

The game also offers a Mellow Mode, in which Yoshi gains wings and can practically never die, so even the youngest players can get through it without missing out on the visual side. The music is calm, playfully orchestral, and matches the overall relaxed mood that's never in a hurry. Reviews were favorable and most often praised the wonderful craftsmanship of the look and the well-hidden collectibles. Some critics, on the other hand, criticized the low difficulty of the main path. Today, Woolly World is one of the gentlest games in the whole catalog, ideal for playing with kids, and at the same time a surprisingly substantial challenge for anyone who wants to find everything. Collected skeins also unlock further Yoshi designs, from patterned ones to those inspired by other Nintendo franchises, so collecting comes with a visible reward.