While there are loads of action-oriented and intense shooters on the Switch, the library isn’t exactly full of ones that are more friendly to casual players. So how do you make a genre better known for either over-the-top violence, blistering intensity, or both approachable to the normies? Why not make the main characters cats and make their weapon of choice a ball of yarn? As you may have guessed, that’s how Yarn Guardians rolls, and if you keep an open mind even more hardened genre vets may find it at least amusing.

You’ll start out playing as Rudy, a pretty lazy feline who’s also none too bright, but at least has heart. When his grandmother’s house is nearly destroyed, he discovers that she’s been hiding a powerful ball of yarn in her attic tied to the legendary Yarn Guardians. Setting off to subdue his grandmother’s attackers, he ends up on an adventure that will take him all over, running into some dangerous foes, new friends, and a variety of other yarn balls that each have their own given uses and powers.

You’ll be able to tackle this journey solo, with CPU controlled allies you meet backing you up, or you can also choose to play with up to 3 friends. While perhaps the boss battles could be tougher for genre novices, the majority of the time if you don’t push through areas too quickly you shouldn’t have too much trouble. You’ll need to cycle through the different balls to utilize their specific properties, whether in combat situations or to solve puzzles, and it’s nice how the game combines quite a lot of exploration into the mix to complement the combat. While it may not be too amazing a time, I do at least appreciate the diversity it helps to add to the space in the eShop.