Yoshi has had one of the wildest video game runs in industry history. Incredibly, he hosted his first game in 1991, flipping puzzle pieces around on the original NES. From there, he moved to Yoshi's Cookie and Yoshi's Safari, before settling nicely into the SNES era with Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island.
At that point, he had solidified himself as more than just a mascot, and following the release of Yoshi's Island, the famous green dinosaur went on to star in Yoshi's Story, Yoshi Touch & Go, Woolly World, and Crafted World, untethering himself from the Super Mario World series. Throughout the ages, much of the same gameplay would carry over (typically centered on flinging eggs), but with its own look and feel.
This time, he's back in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, which is possibly his coziest adventure yet. Just don't go into this one expecting a ton of depth, even compared to other Yoshi games.
True to its name, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book plops the titular tome on screen very quickly and lets you know how low-key this adventure really is. Centered around Mister Encyclopedia (also known as "Mr. E"), it's up to Yoshi to dive into his pages and comb through different sandboxes to solve puzzles and discover new creatures. While Bowser Jr. (aided by Kamek) is present, they're more like light-hearted hindrances than stone-cold bosses.
"Light-hearted" can sum up the entirety of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book. It's not so much a platformer as it is a puzzle playground. The flow of Mysterious Book is dead simple: enter pages, find new creatures, and use their unique set of skills to solve puzzles. Once you've completed your task, you can name said creature (or ask Mr. E to take care of it), then it's time to meet the next one.
Throughout each stage, there are passive puzzles to solve, one of which causes a portal to appear that ends the level. For instance, one biome deals with Kirby-like creatures that expand when they interact with a specific substance. Others can cause flowers to bloom when near foliage, and another early-game critter blows bubbles that can be used to reach higher ground. It's simple stuff, and the more taxing solutions often boil down to "how can I get X item up to Y area?"
Yoshi also has his tried-and-true powers at his disposal, including a hover jump, ground stomp, egg throw, and a new button to interact (grab) critters. It's going to feel very familiar if you've played any Yoshi game before.
This loop is extremely give-and-take, and has a penchant for overstaying its welcome at times. I love the idea of running through what is essentially a platforming escape room and trying to divine all the different ways each gimmick can interact with the environment. It's never too taxing, even when it comes to some of the optional challenges that you don't need to finish the game, but it's still rewarding in its own way.
By that same token, some of the level designs started to blend together over time. Several mechanics introduce brand-new concepts, such as using bubbles to rise to the top of platforms and discover new areas. Many others essentially boil down to "finding a creature and bringing it to a location to create a trampoline-like gadget."
Rushing through levels would be highly unsatisfying, as Mysterious Book focuses on the journey. Each stage has a staggering number of interactions, many of which are optional and will be missed by most players.
It's important to understand that while you can be hindered throughout your journey, you don't "lose lives" or "die" in a traditional way within stages. There are bosses, but they're also more like puzzles.
Visually, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book sings. The level-select system is especially impressive, as you'll select from a variety of creatures directly on Mr. E's pages. These sequences remind me of old-school adventure games from the '90s, with interactive Easter eggs to click and find, each scene getting more festive and busier as more creatures are unlocked.
While sometimes shallow, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book doesn't ever sink to the point where I wanted to outright stop playing. All that said, this is definitely a "short-burst" type of game. If you're aiming to rush through it and treat it like a traditional platformer, you'll likely disappoint yourself. This lack of urgency won't appeal to everyone, especially when paired with the already whimsical nature of the Yoshi subseries.
In other words, this is a perfect game to pick up and play as a family. A parent or a kid can control Yoshi while others comment on the environment and help solve puzzles, enhancing the experience. It would also be wild to see how speedrunners handle Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, crafting new ways to solve puzzles in the fastest way possible.
It's a cozy one-two punch that will appeal to certain types of gamers, but not everyone will be on board. Like several other solo Yoshi games, Yoshi And The Mysterious Book doesn't set out to reinvent the genre. If you go in with the right expectations, you'll have a good time clearing levels now and then at a relaxing pace.
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