Nearly two months after its debut, Nintendo has finally uploaded a demo for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book to the eShop. Playable exclusively on Switch 2, the demo will give you a sampling of Yoshi’s latest adventure that includes the first chapter of the game. If you like what you play, you can even carry over your save data to the full game when you purchase it.
The general reception to Mysterious Book was very positive when it released in May 2026. While short on traditional challenge, critics enjoyed the exploratory nature of the game and how interactive the world was. Nintendo has struggled with ideas for where to take Yoshi games ever since Yoshi’s Island on the SNES, so it’s nice to see that a new entry has recaptured some of the same magic.
Digital and physical
One other notable aspect of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book is that it is the first game in which Nintendo has split the pricing between digital and physical. The physical version retails for $70, but the digital version goes for $60 on the eShop. While that’s still a little steep for me, it does mean you can get it at a brief discount if you’re fine with digital.
Check out more content about Yoshi
Nintendo identifies game-breaking bug in Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, is working on a patch
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book campaign in Japan features exclusive merchandise lottery
Super Mario Galaxy Movie ‘Hatchin’ Yoshi’ toy will pop out of an egg and into your heart
Leave a Comment
Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
