Yoshi returns in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, a Switch 2 title that reimagines the green dino's formula with a storybook twist. Pre-orders are live now ahead of the May 21 launch, priced at $70 for physical copies and $60 digitally. Unlike previous Yoshi platformers, this one ditches linear stage progression entirely.

The game plays more like a choose-your-own-adventure than a traditional side-scroller. Players select levels by choosing which character they want to meet next, then explore, experiment and backtrack to discover secrets. A new tail flick mechanic lets Yoshi toss enemies onto his back and use them to interact with stage elements—flick a Crayzee Dayzee into his saddle and you can make plants bloom to earn stars.

The visual design abandons the textile aesthetic of Woolly World and Crafted World for something resembling a hand-drawn bedtime story with cell-shaded characters and a stop-motion flipbook effect. One significant departure: Yoshi takes no damage and is essentially invincible throughout the adventure, making it forgiving for younger players while still offering challenging objectives for everyone else.