Just like in Canvas Curse , Kirby moves around in ball form. Each world consists of several levels and Kirby still cannot be controlled directly. Instead, the player has to help him by drawing rainbow coloured lines/ropes as platforms, slides and loops quickly in succession to help him get around. These are drawn on the Game Pad's touch screen and appear permanently on the screen. Drawing is limited through a rainbow gauge in the top left corner that regenerates slowly. A spinning attack to defeat enemies or gain some extra speed while moving is triggered by touching Kirby. Copying abilities by hitting enemies does not return in this game. Levels are filled with stars and for every 100 stars collected, a star dash can be performed, a charged attack with more power, speed and range as Kirby grows. These star dashes, shown through a cyan ring orbiting Kirby, do not need to be used right away, but can be saved for later.
The game's visual style resembles a claymation look. Unlockables include clay figures, music tracks and pages of Elline's diary. The main story mode consists of 28 levels and the challenge mode (short challenges to earn medals) has more than 40. The game is compatible with the amibo figures King Dedede, Kirby and Meta Knight.