Kirby's Epic Yarn is a hugely bright and colourful 2D platforming game, with a charming handcrafted style. In a world where everything's made from thread and wool, you play as the titular pink protagonist, Kirby, who's been sucked into the world of Patch Land, and must work together with his blue doppleganger, Prince Fluff, to defeat the evil wizard, Yin-Yarn.
What follows is a platform game that's overflowing with style and accessibility, as up to two players work together to make their way through the game's crafty levels (both in terms of visuals, and gameplay). Loose threads dangling from buildings or platforms often hint at hidden areas, and a quick tug on them reveals bonus areas, waiting to be explored. Enemies can mostly be defeated by either grabbing them (which is no more complex than a simple button press), or chucking an enemy you've already grabbed at them.
This being a co-op game, both players can work together in certain areas too, whether one player simply hitches a ride by standing on the other's head, or uses them as a makeshift platform to make reaching a higher ledge that bit easier. As an added bonus, you can actually grab the other player temporarily too, which is a fantastic way of making the game easier for younger players to get in to. If there are ever any tricky sections, all you need to do is suck up your little one's character, until you're through the challenging section. Kids will love Kirby's transformations, too, whether he's turning himself into a string car, a surfboarding penguin, or a UFO. There's even a giant co-op robot!
In terms of accessibility, there's really very little for players to worry about here. "Dying" in game doesn't actually set you back that far, as when the Kirbster runs out of health, he'll simply lose a few beads and me moved back ever so slightly through the level - no awkward checkpoint or lives system here. Similar, Kirby's incredible jump lets him leap five or six times - and then float - before he ever has to touch the ground, making your progress through the stages that little bit simpler. And, as mentioned earlier, if your child ever does get stuck, help isn't too far away, as Kirby's Epic Yarn's great co-op mode makes this the perfect game for families to play together.
With absolutely nothing in the way of violence, sex or swearing - but plenty of bright colours - Kirby's Epic Yarn is great fun for everyone.
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