Yoshi’s Crafted World – Review

Yoshi’s Crafted World is ac classic around our house. We love this game so much because it’s cute, sweet and easy to just sit down and play. In my review for the game you’ll find out more.

Why Yoshi’s Crafted World?

Yoshi’s Crafted World is a charming platform adventure that brings the lovable green dinosaur Yoshi into a world made entirely of arts and crafts. Designed with creativity and accessibility in mind, the game focuses on exploration, gentle platforming, and collectible hunting rather than fast-paced action. The result is a relaxing and visually delightful experience that appeals to players of all ages, especially younger audiences and families.

The story begins when Yoshi and his friends discover a magical artifact that grants wishes. When trouble arises and the artifact’s pieces scatter across the world, the Yoshis must travel through different handcrafted environments to recover them. The story is simple and lighthearted, acting mostly as a reason to explore the imaginative levels rather than driving a dramatic narrative.

The gameplay follows classic side-scrolling platform mechanics. Players guide Yoshi through colorful stages, jumping across platforms, defeating enemies, and collecting items. Yoshi’s signature abilities return, including swallowing enemies and turning them into eggs, which can then be thrown to hit targets, defeat enemies, or collect hidden objects.

One of the most distinctive features of the game is its craft-inspired visual design. Every level looks like it was built from everyday materials such as cardboard, paper cups, yarn, and tape. Enemies might appear as cutout shapes, platforms may look like folded cardboard, and backgrounds often include clever details made from simple craft supplies. This artistic approach gives the game a unique personality that stands out from many other platformers.

Another creative feature is the ability to explore levels from two perspectives. After completing a stage normally, players can replay it while traveling through the level in reverse. This flips the camera to reveal the back side of the environment, where new paths, secrets, and collectibles become visible. This design encourages replaying stages and discovering details that were hidden during the first run.

Collectibles play a major role in the experience. Players can gather coins, flowers, red coins, and other hidden items scattered throughout each level. Some collectibles require careful observation or creative use of Yoshi’s egg-throwing ability. This encourages players to explore thoroughly rather than simply rushing to the end of each stage.

The game also supports local cooperative play, allowing two players to control Yoshis at the same time. Cooperative gameplay can make the adventure more enjoyable and accessible, especially for younger players. Teammates can help each other reach platforms, defeat enemies, and find secrets together.

The music and sound design contribute to the relaxing atmosphere. The soundtrack features cheerful and gentle tunes that match the arts-and-crafts theme. Sound effects are playful and satisfying, helping the world feel lively without becoming overwhelming.

Despite its many strengths, the game does have some limitations.

The platforming challenges are relatively easy compared to other games in the genre. While this makes the game welcoming for younger players, experienced platform fans may find the difficulty level low. Even the later levels rarely require precise timing or advanced skills.

Another potential drawback is that the game encourages a lot of replaying stages to collect everything. While this adds replay value, some players may find it repetitive to revisit the same levels multiple times in search of hidden items.

Additionally, the pacing is slower than many modern platformers. The focus on exploration and collectibles means the game is less about speed and more about careful observation. Players expecting fast action might feel the gameplay moves at a relaxed pace.

Even so, these design choices align with the game’s goal of creating a friendly and accessible experience.

How We Test Games

For testing games we use a Nintendo Switch firmware version 2H. Hardware includes Joy-con and Pro controller on a large screen TV. Tests are done with up to 5 players. We take turns playing and evaluating games.

Whenever possible we play multiple players. We also use a Nintendo 2DS, DS XL, and for PC games we use a Ryzen 7 1700x CPU, AMD RX580, running on Win 10. This game is up to 4-players on one Nintendo Switch.

Pros

Beautiful arts-and-crafts visual style.

Relaxing and accessible gameplay.

Creative level design with hidden secrets.

Unique reverse-level perspective feature.

Cooperative multiplayer for two players.

Charming music and cheerful atmosphere.

Cons

The difficulty level is fairly low for experienced players.

Collecting everything requires replaying levels multiple times.

The pacing is slower than many platform games.

Some players may find the focus on collectibles repetitive.

Summary

Overall, Yoshi’s Crafted World is a delightful and imaginative platform adventure that emphasizes creativity, exploration, and charm. While it may not be the most challenging game in the genre, its beautiful handcrafted world and welcoming design make it an enjoyable experience for families, younger players, and anyone who appreciates relaxing and visually creative games.