Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is a rolling, dashing and jumping game where you draw rainbow ropes for Kirby to follow. You journey through the clay world on a mission to restore the colour that has been drained by a mysterious force. You are guided along by your paintbrush friend, fighting enemies, destroying bosses and avoid hazards.

Unlike other platform games, you use the stylus and the Wii U GamePad touchscreen to progress through the levels. You draw lines that determine which direction Kirby will roll, fall and dash. These ink lines can also block lasers, enemies and other hazards. However, you need to be careful how you draw as the ink runs out if you use too much in a short period of time.

As you progress you collect stars. These are strategically placed in rows which you can guide Kirby to dash along with your ink. Collect enough of the stars and you can use the StarDash power-up which temporarily increases your size, your speed and strength.

There are hidden treasure chests in the levels which contain music tracks and clay figures of classic Kirby characters. For certain levels, you can use specific Amiibo characters which will give you abilities or power-ups such as more health bars or increased speed.

This game has a playing style similar to one of the previous Kirby games, Kirby Canvas Curse (2005) for the Nintendo DS, where you also had to use a stylus to draw a path for Kirby. Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is unique, however, because of its clay-like visuals and longer levels. It is suitable for the family to play together or as a solo adventure.