YOSHI AND THE MYSTERIOUS BOOK: A CHARMING PICTURE BOOK WITH NO TEETH
7.5 of 10 bananas. Yoshi's Switch 2 adventure trades classic platforming for discovering what strange storybook creatures can do. It is gorgeous and full of ideas. Critics split on whether the checklist format and total lack of challenge feel cozy or dull.
By the Alpha. Full review. Updated Nov 13 2026.
Honest note: This is not a fresh hands-on playtest. I built this verdict from critic reviews, player reviews, the store listing, and the official game pages linked below. If I put real hours in on stream, I will update the score and say so.
Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 only. Released May 21 2026 by Nintendo. The Amazon button is the Switch 2 Game only edition. The listing does not say whether the box holds a full game card or a game-key card, so check the box before you buy. At my Nov 13 2026 check it was sold by Amazon.com at 69.00 dollars.
Get Yoshi and the Mysterious Book for Switch 2 on AmazonStore check, Nov 13 2026: new copies sold and shipped by Amazon.com at 69.00 dollars. Prices and sellers change, so look before you pay.
Sit with me a moment. When the troop's little ones first hold a controller, I do not hand them a boss fight. I hand them something gentle and curious. Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is that game. The question is whether the grown apes in the room will stay awake.
What It Wants To Be
Yoshi explores the pages of a talking book, Mr. E, jumping into small open levels to meet odd creatures and catalogue everything they can do: ride them, lick them, carry them, or make them interact. Discoveries earn coins that unlock new chapters. The classic Yoshi moves are here, eggs and flutter jump included, but the goal is curiosity, not reaching a goal post.
What Works
Most critics smiled. Metacritic shows 80 at my check, with 98 of 122 critic reviews positive. VGC gave it full marks and said it has the kind of breathless imagination usually seen in mainline Mario games. COGconnected called it a fantastic cozy platformer that kept them hooked past seven hours, and Tom's Guide says it builds as later levels reuse what you learned. Everyone praises the storybook art and creature design. The Amazon listing showed 4.7 of 5 stars from 397 ratings at my check.
What Breaks
Listen well. There is no peril. Empire says Yoshi takes no damage and the only hazard is running out of eggs, and it calls the game more of a mildly interesting pamphlet. DualShockers calls it homework and says replaying levels for missed discoveries drags. IGN says too few moments let you combine what you learned, and that its best mechanic arrives late and then disappears. Anime News Network suggests waiting for a price drop. At 69 dollars, that advice matters.
Who Should Play
Buy it for a young or first time player, or for anyone who wants a stress free, beautiful game to poke at. Skip it, or wait for a sale, if you want Yoshi's Island style challenge or clever platforming.
STRENGTHS
- Gorgeous storybook art
- Inventive creature designs
- Perfect first game for kids
- Sold by Amazon.com at my check
HONEST COSTS
- No challenge at all
- Checklist pacing drags
- Best idea arrives too late
- 69 dollars is steep
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