Yoshi's Woolly World is a 2.5D side-scrolling platformer starring the anthropomorphic dinosaur Yoshi , known from many Mario games. The game uses a visual style where all characters and the environment look as if they are made out of cloth or yarn, similar to Kirby's Epic Yarn by the same developer. Many Yoshis live together peacefully on Craft Island in the Handmade Ocean. One day the evil wizard Kamek arrives on his broom and turns all the Yoshis into bundles of yarn. Only two are able to hide and they need to rescue their friends.
The gameplay is quite varied, with Yoshi typically attacking using his tongue to swallow enemies and produce balls of yarn , which have various uses. Players can carry up to six balls of yarn at a time, using them to launch at enemies, interact with the environment, or reach and grab items that are far away. Yoshi also has the ability to use a flutter jump for a short while to reach platforms while hovering.
Players are encouraged to find all the collectibles in each level, which include hidden areas, jewels, Wonder Whools, smiley flowers, and stamp patches. These can be used to buy power-ups, unlock new levels, new
The game features 48 levels grouped into eight worlds, with each world having a mini-boss and a world boss. There are also two main modes: classic mode and mellow mode, which allows Yoshi to fly through levels without having to land. The game also supports Amiibo, providing new skins and power-ups.
The Yoshi's Woolly World game was released on the Wii U in 2015 and later ported to the Nintendo 3DS in 2017, with extra stages added and features such as designing custom Yoshi patterns.