Paper Mario: The Origami King

Paper Mario: The Origami King is the sixth installment in the Paper Mario series, released on the Nintendo Switch worldwide on July 17, 2020. The game follows the aesthetic style of its predecessor; Paper Mario: Color Splash, and follows Mario opposing an evil army of origami characters known as Folded Soldiers, ruled by the Origami King, King Olly; which have taken over the Mushroom Kingdom.

Prologue
The game begins with Mario and Luigi driving into Toad Town on the latter's kart, looking forward to the Origami Festival that Princess Peach has invited them to. Upon arrival, the brothers notice that the town is deserted, but continue on anyway, assuming that they arrived early. Luigi pulls up at the suspiciously empty Peach's Castle, and once he and Mario are inside, the doors lock behind them. While Luigi runs off to search for a key, Mario heads into the foyer, where he meets Peach, who has been folded into origami. Peach asks Mario if he wants to see the kingdom fold, and if he will fold himself as well, but regardless of his answers, she dismisses him by dropping him into a hidden dungeon beneath the floor, which several minions have already ended up there. There, Mario hears a noise, and by landing on a Magic Circle, he initiates the 1,000-Fold Arms for the first time, using them to peel the wall to reveal a trapped Olivia. Afterward, the duo go to a dungeon area and free a folded Bowser attached to a clothespin.

Escaping the dungeon to the upper outskirts of Peach's Castle from a secret passageway, Mario, after refusing to accept a Yellow Shy Guy's request to fold again, is ambushed by a group of Origami Goombas and Shy Guys. After defeating them, the Yellow Shy Guy next to Origami Peach reveals himself as Olivia's older brother, King Olly. He initiates the takeover of Peach's Castle by pulling the five streamers elsewhere in Mushroom Kingdom, wrapping the castle enough to have it separated from the ground. Mario, Olivia, and Bowser successfully escape via Koopa Clown Car, piloted by a Red Shy Guy. In addition to noticing Luigi's hat falling from the castle, the three on the car make a desperate attempt to reach the floating castle, but are approached by streamers. The red one inadvertently hits the car, sending the three flying out in the sky, as the Red Shy Guy rescues Bowser and heads off elsewhere.

Red streamer
Mario frees himself from a tree in a forest far from Toad Town, and after rescuing Olivia, they quickly notice that Peach's Castle has been relocated to the mountains. Both of them set out to destroy the five streamers, find Luigi, and defeat Olly. Their search begins with a trek through the Whispering Woods, where they are trapped by an angry old tree who has recently been cut down. Olivia convinces him that they mean no harm, and he tasks the two with finding a way to restore him to his former glory. Mario manages to find a Soul Seed in order to do so, and is allowed to leave the forest. Following that ordeal and the rescue of some folded-up Toads and Goombas, Mario and Olivia arrive in the ravaged and deserted Toad Town, where they encounter Paper Macho Goombas for the first time. Upon defeating them, they decide to search the remains of the castle for clues, needing to travel through the sewers in order to do so. The duo manages to find Luigi trapped within a wall, who quickly sets out to assist Mario by hunting down the castle's key.

Deciding to follow the red streamer first, they travel to Picnic Road, where they find a group of panicked Koopa Troopas who worship the Earth Vellumental. The door to his temple has been locked, and four of the five orbs required to open it have all been stolen by Folded Soldiers. Mario explores Overlook Mountain to find them, before accessing a deeper portion of the temple that has seemingly gone unnoticed. After navigating past a series of moving pillars and flames, Mario comes across the turtle-like god, who has also been turned into origami, and has no choice but to fight him; he manages to defeat him by making him tuck into his shell and attacking his stomach. Afterwards, Olivia gains the ability to transform into the Vellumental and uses her new power to access Overlook Tower. Upon arrival, the two have no choice but to use the stairs due to the elevator being broken, having to fill in some massive holes and help some Toads out along the way. At the top, the duo confronts the Colored Pencils, who is responsible for damaging the elevator, and they manage to thwart him by using his missiles against him. Following this, the red streamer is finally destroyed.

Blue streamer
With the red streamer gone, Mario and Olivia are now able to access the tram station, which can take them to Autumn Mountain, where the blue streamer seemingly is. On the way, they meet Bob-omb, an amnesiac, happy-go-lucky Bob-omb, who Olivia decides to call Bobby. They decide to let him tag along, and after a series of mishaps, they find the Water Vellumental Shrine. Defeating the corrupted dragon-like being allows Olivia to tap into its power, refilling the dried up river and allowing the crew to keep following the streamer. After finding a gondola driver, who has been folded into a monkey, they are finally able to set off, traveling through Eddy River and arriving at Shogun Studios.

Entering the park, the trio sees that it has been overrun with Folded Soldiers, and are tasked with fixing the place back up. Mario sets out to look for the staff key, which will allow him to access every part of the area; he ends up completing a trading sequence, eventually discovering the Ninja Attraction and entering it. Inside, he finds and rescues Luigi, who is convinced that he managed to find the key to the castle, but it turns out to actually be the staff key. Undeterred, Luigi sets off to try again, as Mario reopens the park and eventually gains access to Big Sho' Theater. After watching and starring in four different plays, Mario and the gang are confronted by the Rubber Band, whom they defeat by yanking its hair and flinging parts of its body out of reach. Now with the theme park saved, the gang celebrates their victory with some fireworks, which manage to reawaken Bob-omb's memories, and sets off to continue their quest.

Yellow streamer
Destroying the blue streamer allows the trio to continue down the river to Sweetpaper Valley, where King Olly shows up to confront them. He roadblocks them with a giant boulder, which also manages to squash Olivia. Bob-omb insists that they hurry to The Great Sea, with the help of Sea Captain Toad, whom they rescued back on Autumn Mountain to free Olivia. They stumble across an ocean-liner called The Princess Peach, a place he is extremely familiar with. After restoring the ship's power and rescuing the crew, they manage to find Bob-omb's old suite, where the very item he's looking for is trapped within a lock-box. Before they can open it, Gooper Blooper arrives and snatches it away, forcing Mario to fight him by hammering his weak points. Heading back to the valley, Bob-omb discloses his tragic backstory, involving the loss of his friends, his fuse, and his memories at the hands of Gooper Blooper. He then reveals that the object he wanted to find was his friend's fuse, which he lights up in order to sacrifice his own life, blowing up the boulder and saving Olivia in the process. Olivia is disheartened by this and runs off into the Breezy Tunnel, unsure if she is able to continue with the quest. Mario manages to cheer her up by finding Bob-omb's ghost and putting on a Goomba mask.

The two are given a Boot Car, which allows them to travel at high speeds, before heading out into the "Scorching" Sandpaper Desert, which is currently shrouded in darkness. They find a series of odd temples and altars, but are unsure what they mean, so they decide to head into Snif City, a town completely run by Snifits, in order to find answers. At the hotel, they learn that one of the notable guests is Professor Toad, a wise explorer who is currently pursuing the legend of Captain T. Ode. They find him back out in the desert, having been eaten by a Paper Macho Mega Pokey, whom they promptly defeat. After the professor decides to tag along, they head back to the hotel, using the murals as clues to solve the ruins' puzzle. After awakening the Fire Vellumental Cave and defeating its phoenix-like occupant, Olivia is able to use her new abilities to light up some torches and unlock the Temple of Shrooms.

Deep inside, the gang discovers many Toads who have been kidnapped and defaced by the Hole Punch, resulting in a zombie-like demeanor. They find a DJ who is being held hostage against his will, and must hunt down some discs in order to appease the Hole Punch, while also rounding up all 40 Toads within the temple in order to make them dance. The Hole Punch finally shows himself and fights Mario, who manages to kill him by attacking his bottom half. His defeat results in all the Toads having their faces restored, prompting them to head out and repopulate the now-renamed Shroom City. It is also revealed that the desert's sun was trapped inside the disco ball, thus explaining the permanent nighttime aesthetic. The sun being out also allows the gang to open the Sun Altar, where they find Captain T. Ode, an ancient sea captain, preserved in a block of ice. Olivia frees him with her new fire powers, prompting him to scurry off in search of his old submarine, the Super Marino. Once Mario and Olivia decide to continue on in their quest, Professor Toad decides to stay behind, feeling that he is most at home in the desert.

Purple streamer
Mario and Olivia decide to explore the Great Sea properly, but find that certain parts of the map are hidden due to a thick fog. With no choice but to head back, the two find Captain T. Ode at the Musée Champignon, where his old submarine is being kept as an exhibit. The museum owner reluctantly lets them take it, attaching it to the back of Sea Captain Toad's ship and granting them the ability to salvage underwater treasures. Navigating the fog with the help of the ancient captain's Sea Chart, the gang comes across Bonehead Island, and solving a puzzle they find there clears the fog and opens up the entire ocean. The gang soon discovers the Sea Tower at the northernmost portion of the map, where the purple streamer seems to end, but finds that they cannot access it without finding three orbs located on Diamond Island.

While searching for the island, Mario finds a chest on Full Moon Island, seemingly containing a key that leads to it, only to find a note from Luigi instead, saying he finally accomplished his goal. The Mario Bros. reunite again on Mushroom Island, where Luigi once again realizes that he found the wrong key. Nonetheless, he sticks around to help his brother explore their current surroundings, eventually following him into the basement and finding a room filled with harmless origami. Olivia frees the Origami Craftsman from within the wall, who expresses shock at how she is alive. He then explains that he originally created King Olly in order to simply be part of a display he was working on, but did so with the Forbidden Folds, which thus brought him to life. Olly turned on his creator and set out to fold the world in his image, also managing to create Olivia with the same spell (before the Craftsman got the chance to), who he wanted to share his authority with.

Now more determined to stop him than ever, the gang uses their newfound key (as Luigi once again leaves to find the right key) to access Diamond Island, which is completely submerged and can only be accessed via the Marino. Mario and Olivia discover several temples leading to the Trials of Power, Wisdom, and Courage, though the latter two cannot be accessed without the Ice Vellumental's powers, which they promptly gain by traversing the nearby Ice Vellumental Mountain. After gaining the fourth and final Vellumental power, the duo complete the trials, gaining an orb from each one and using them to unlock the Sea Tower. After a long climb, involving many callback to previous Vellumental temples, the duo confronts the Tape at the top, whom they defeat by destroying his holder and then unraveling him.

Green streamer
After one last puzzle involving all four Vellumental abilities, Mario and Olivia finally notice the green streamer, and see that it is heading into the clouds. A mysterious light appears on top of the Sea Tower, and stepping into it transports them all the way to Shangri-Spa, where it is revealed that Bowser's Castle had crash-landed into it, resulting in his uncorrupted minions being forced to clean the place up. Here, the duo meet Kamek, who is attempting to take back the castle, but can't due to Boss Sumo Bro. guarding its entrance. The only way to reach him is via Bowser Jr.'s Junior Clown Car; Jr. quickly arrives and attempts to attack the Sumo Bros., but is quickly shredded by the Scissors. Kamek reluctantly joins the gang and follows them to all four of the spa's hot springs (in almost any order the player chooses) so he can revive the young koopa. Though they ultimately succeed, Jr. ends up completely colorless.

Using the stamp card he was given earlier, Mario uses it to gain a VIP pass to the Spring of Rainbows, which he can only reach after navigating some windy cliffsides and playing through Shy Guys Finish Last. With Bowser Jr.'s color restored, he is able to fly the gang up to Boss Sumo Bro., whom is promptly defeated. With the castle now unguarded, Kamek rallies the remaining minions to fight, allowing he, Mario, and Olivia to search the castle. In order to find the key to the throne room, they must follow Kamek to his quarters, but he ends up mysteriously disappearing. On top of that, Luigi is revealed to have gotten there first, having found the very key they're looking for, and once again having no luck finding the one to Peach's Castle. Shortly after, Olivia is snatched up by Handaconda, who retreats to the Throne Room. Mario travels there alone, fighting through several mysterious cutout enemies, before finally confronting his partner's captor, whom he defeats by playing Rock Paper Scissors with the 1,000-Fold Arms.

Following this, the duo notices several of Bowser's minions having been cut up, before the Scissors arrive and challenge them to a fight. Before hand, though, he decides to toy with them by sending out the Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle, who is quickly dispatched. Mario manages to defeat the Scissors by attacking his handle and freezing him solid, before whaling on him with the 1,000-Fold Arms. This causes the cut-up minions to be restored, as Mario and Olivia quickly destroy the fifth and final streamer.

Origami Castle
Following the restoration of his army, Bowser, who is once again freed from a clothespin, reveals that he has an idea on how to reach Peach's relocated castle, beckoning Mario and Olivia to follow him. This idea is shown to be a new, improved version of his Airship, where many of his paper minions, as well as Bowser Jr. and Kamek, decide to venture off to the transformed Peach's Castle with Mario and Olivia. However, they soon get attacked by a Paper Plane Squadron group, and although Mario defeats them all, one of the squadron planes crashes and damages Bowser's Airship, where it lands into Hotfoot Crater. Mario, Kamek and Bowser Jr. venture off to Bowser, while being attacked by a horde of Paper Macho Goombas. Kamek attempts to hold back the horde to no avail, sacrificing himself, while Bowser Jr. stomps on a loose rock in their path to create a ditch which the horde topples onto him in, which only leaves Mario and Olivia to reach Bowser, who use the Airship's cannon to launch to Peach's Castle.

They land outside of the Castle, but cannot get inside as the door is locked. Thankfully, Luigi returns with his kart, who reveals that he has the final key. Once they enter, they are greeted by the Origami Peach. Luigi attempts to save her, but falls down the trap door. King Olly then transforms Peach's Castle into his own Origami Castle, which the heroes must navigate. After solving a series of puzzles and fighting waves of Folded Soldiers, the gang manages to corner Olly, who instead retreats and sics the Stapler on them, who acts as his guard dog. Mario manages to put him down by draining his ammunition and then attacking his sensitive mouth. Upon the Stapler's defeat, Bowser finally manages to unfold himself, and he and Mario work together to lift up Olivia's morale after she expresses concern that her brother is too far gone. With her spirits lifted, the trio then heads up one last staircase to finally confront King Olly.

The trio attempts to make him come to his senses one final time, simultaneously noticing that Peach has been folded into a mural for the throne room. Olly also reveals that the reason behind his consternation is because the Origami Craftsman scribbled on his stomach while creating him, leading to a genocidal bigotry against Toads. He reveals that he has folded 999 origami cranes, and intends to use Mario to create the final one, completing the forbidden 1,000 crane fold, and using it to turn every Toad into blank scraps of paper, which they would be unable to come back from. Olivia rebukes this by explaining how origami would be nothing without paper, but Olly refuses to listen. During the final showdown, he uses the abilities of all four Vellumentals, specifically their strongest attacks, but is ultimately beaten by Mario and Olivia. Not giving up, he then morphs into a larger, more complex origami form, which Olivia counteracts by giving Bowser an origami form as well. With the combined efforts of Bowser and Mario, who assists him with the 1,000-Fold Arms, they manage to knock King Olly off the arena, only for him to come back even stronger, complete with rising poisonous gas. Olivia summons a larger Magic Circle in order to fight him, but he scrambles it up, forcing Mario to reassemble it before turning her into a giant hammer and killing her brother off for good.

In his dying breath, Olly learns that the Craftsman only wanted him to be a kind, noble king, and that the scrawl on his body is actually a note of well-wishes. Regretfully and remorsefully, he tells Olivia to fold his body into a crane, bringing the total to 1,000 and allowing her to grant any wish she desires. With the help of the Origami Craftsman, who is escorted by Luigi, Bowser Jr., and Kamek, she manages to do this, wishing to undo everything her brother ever did, including her own creation. Everyone else lands outside the castle, including the revived Peach, who expresses shock at the fact that everyone including her enemies is nearby, before they all quickly realize what has happened.

Later that night, the Mushroom Kingdom and Bowser's army continue their truce and celebrate the Origami Festival together, where the Origami Craftsman reveals that he has built a scaled-down replica of Olly's castle, complete with thrones for the two origami siblings. Mario expresses his sadness over Olivia's sacrifice, but Peach insists that she is still with them in spirit, before everyone releases paper lanterns into the starry sky.

Afterwards, the Mario Bros. drive home as the credits roll. Photographs shown during the credits depict the Toads and the Koopa Troop engaged in normal activities following the Origami Festival:
 * Sweet Sap Loggins being decorated with flower wreaths by Toads.
 * The Earth Vellumental Temple being visited by Koopa Troopas.
 * Goombas and Toads feasting at the Overlook Tower cafe.
 * Toads riding through the Eddy River rapids, with Cheep Cheeps following them.
 * Various characters spending time at Shogun Studios, with a firework launching (presumably in honor of Bobby).
 * The Sunset Express conductor and a Snifit riding on respective Boot Cars in the desert.
 * The Toad and Snifit DJs having Toads and Snifits dance to the music.
 * Bob-ombs, Toads, and the Mega Blooper enjoying paradise at the Great Sea.
 * Bowser, Bowser Jr. and several minions refreshing in the Shangri-Spa hot spring, while repairs of Bowser's Castle are ongoing.
 * The static remains of the Legion of Stationery on the Origami Craftsman's workplace desk.

If the player manages to 100% the game before beating the final boss, miniaturized versions of Olly and Olivia can be seen in a post-credits scene.

Gameplay
The overworld exploration is quite different from the series' standard; whereas the previous three games were either sorted into individual chapters or levels, The Origami King switches to a completely open-world style of progression, with Mario being able to travel to any of the game's locales completely on foot like the first two games. The game's combat system has also been overhauled: at the start of each turn, Mario can rotate and slide rings of a circular battle arena, lining up enemies for consecutive attacks, although the number of ring moves and allotted time are limited. Mario has permanent Boots and Hammer attacks, and may equip stronger variants that break after a while. Attacking enemies on the overworld will grant Mario an extra attack in battle, and timed button presses can increase damage when attacking. Lining up the enemies successfully will increase Mario's attack power by a factor of 1.5. Coins can be spent to extend the time limit (at a rate of 10 coins per second), or call the Toads that have been saved to assist Mario in battle. Boss battles use a different system in which the player rotates and slides the rings to line up arrows, making a path for Mario to attack.

Olivia, a character new to the franchise, has a role similar to Kersti and Huey from Paper Mario: Sticker Star and Paper Mario: Color Splash respectively. Once a Vellumental is defeated, Olivia can transform into the Vellumental while standing on Magic Circles, an ability that carries over into battle. Additionally, partners return to ally with Mario and aid him in battles, including Bob-omb and Kamek. Various partners join and leave Mario's party at various points in the story.

Accessories (which seem to function similarly to Badges from the first two games) grant Mario benefits both in battle and on the overworld. Toads can be found on the overworld, folded into various shapes. Hitting these Toads with the hammer will cause them to unfold and return to Toad Town, some of which open shops. The Toads that have been saved can even help in battle if the player spends coins using the Cheer command. These Toads will fight enemies, heal Mario, give items, and solve puzzles. Mario can gain confetti by using his Hammer on trees, grass, and enemies. This confetti can be used to fill Not-Bottomless Holes torn in the landscape, revealing Coins or a Toad.

Playable

 * Mario

Primary

 * Olivia
 * Bob-omb
 * Professor Toad
 * Kamek
 * Bowser

Temporary

 * Luigi
 * Bowser Jr.
 * Spike
 * Bone Goomba
 * Feelin' Fungi

Supporting

 * Princess Peach
 * Birdo
 * Toads
 * Captain T. Ode
 * Sea Captain Toad
 * Rescue Squad
 * White-spotted Toads dressed like s
 * A riverman Toad
 * Shogun Studios staff
 * Musée Champignon owner
 * Shuriken Dojo owner
 * DJ Toad
 * Chef Kinopio
 * Sensor Lab Toads (Yellow, Red, Green, Blue, Purple, Cherub)
 * Origami Craftsman
 * Fun, Funky, and Functional shop runners (Toad, Monty Mole, Snifits)
 * Whispering Trees
 * Sap Sisters
 * Ol' Grandsappy
 * Buzzy Beetles
 * Princess
 * Dry Bones
 * Goombas
 * A Goomba wearing a
 * Hammer Bros
 * Koopa Troopas
 * A Koopa Troopa with a white mustache and goatee, hat, and staff
 * Mini Goombas
 * Monty Moles
 * Ninjis
 * Shy Guys (Red)
 * Emcee Shy Guy
 * Sledge Bro
 * Snifits (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Pink)
 * A Snifit wearing a samurai outfit
 * DJ Snifit
 * Spinies
 * Sombrero Guy
 * Spinies
 * Sombrero Guy

Enemies

 * Folded Soldiers
 * Red streamer
 * Goomba
 * Swoop
 * Scaredy Rat
 * Shy Guy
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Cheep Cheep
 * Spiny
 * Paragoomba
 * Blue streamer
 * Goomba
 * Swoop
 * Scaredy Rat
 * Shy Guy
 * Galoomba
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Cheep Cheep
 * Spiny
 * Paragoomba
 * Sidestepper (red)
 * Sidestepper (blue)
 * Ninji
 * Snifit
 * Mechakoopa
 * Yellow streamer
 * Goomba
 * Scaredy Rat
 * Dry Bones
 * Shy Guy
 * Black Shy Guy
 * Spiny
 * Koopa Paratroopa
 * Buzzy Beetle
 * Boo
 * Scuttlebug
 * Pokey
 * Crowber
 * Bone Goomba
 * Hammer Bro
 * Fire Bro
 * Shoe Goomba
 * Mechakoopa
 * Purple streamer
 * Goomba
 * Shy Guy
 * Fly Guy
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Cheep Cheep
 * Spiny
 * Paragoomba
 * Koopa Paratroopa
 * Buzzy Beetle
 * Sidestepper (red)
 * Sidestepper (blue)
 * Nipper Plant
 * Snifit
 * Scuttlebug
 * Blooper
 * Crowber
 * Bone Goomba
 * Hammer Bro
 * Boomerang Bro
 * Fire Bro
 * Ice Bro
 * Spike
 * Snow Spike
 * Stone Spike
 * Spike Top
 * Sledge Bro
 * Mechakoopa
 * Green streamer
 * Goomba
 * Shy Guy
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Spiny
 * Koopa Paratroopa
 * Buzzy Beetle
 * Ninji (grass)
 * Nipper Plant
 * Snifit
 * Jumping Piranha Plant
 * Hammer Bro
 * Fire Bro
 * Spike
 * Rocky Wrench
 * Spike Top
 * Snow Spike
 * Stone Spike
 * Stingby
 * Chargin' Chuck
 * Piranha Plant
 * Ptooie
 * Mechakoopa
 * Sumo Bro
 * Big Cutout Soldier
 * Li'l Cutout Soldier
 * Origami Castle
 * Goomba
 * Koopa Troopa
 * Hammer Bro
 * Boomerang Bro
 * Fire Bro
 * Ice Bro
 * Sledge Bro
 * Sumo Bro
 * Paper Macho Soldiers:
 * Paper Macho Boos
 * Paper Macho Buzzy Beetles
 * Paper Mistake Buzzy Beetle
 * Paper Macho Chain Chomps
 * Paper Macho Goombas
 * Paper Macho Goomba Outlaw
 * Paper Macho Gooper Blooper
 * Paper Macho Koopa Paratroopas
 * Paper Macho Koopa Troopas
 * Paper Macho Lava Bubbles
 * Paper Macho Mummy Goombas
 * Paper Macho Parabombs
 * Paper Macho Piranha Plant
 * Mega Paper Macho Pokey
 * Paper Macho Shy Guys
 * Paper Macho Snifit Outlaw
 * Paper Macho Spike Outlaw
 * Paper Macho Stone Spikes

Bosses

 * The Vellumentals:
 * Earth Vellumental, a giant quadrupedal turtle that can spew sand and manipulate earth, similar to
 * Water Vellumental, a water-spouting dragon similar to
 * Fire Vellumental, a giant similar to
 * Ice Vellumental, a giant polar bear with large claws similar to
 * Legion of Stationery:
 * Colored Pencils
 * Rubber Band
 * Hole Punch
 * Tape
 * Scissors
 * Stapler
 * Boss Sumo Bro and 2 Sumo Bros
 * Handaconda
 * King Olly

Other

 * Cheep Cheeps
 * Big Cheep Cheeps
 * Bloopers
 * Mega Bloopers
 * Dino Rhino
 * Thwomp
 * Whales

Locations

 * Red streamer
 * Whispering Woods:  A lush, green forest in the mountains, which contains sentient trees.
 * Toad Town: The main hub of the game, which is ravaged and deserted in the aftermath of King Olly's attack. It contains several shops, which can be reopened as Mario rescues more Toads, Peach's Castle, the Battle Lab, and the Musée Champignon.
 * Graffiti Underground: An underground sewer that has graffiti and a valve that controls the drain. It is used to reach Peach's Castle from Toad Town.
 * Picnic Road: A mountain road that connects Toad Town, Overlook Mountain and the Earth Vellumental Temple.
 * Overlook Mountain: A mountain road full of greenery.
 * Earth Vellumental Temple: An underground temple that houses the Earth Vellumental.
 * Overlook Tower: A tall tower located on Overlook Mountain. The Colored Pencils is battled here.
 * Blue streamer
 * Autumn Mountain: A forest filled with autumn-colored trees and tall, grassy fields.
 * Chestnut Valley: An area containing rolling chestnuts that damage Mario and Bob-omb.
 * Water Vellumental Shrine: A water shrine containing sliding puzzles and the Water Vellumental.
 * Eddy River: Rapids where Mario, Olivia, and Bob-omb ride a canoe.
 * Shogun Studios: An Asian-inspired, mountaintop theme park with a large castle as its main attraction.
 * Ninja Attraction: An area of Shogun Studios in which Mario has to find cutouts of ninja Toads.
 * Big Sho' Theater: A four-story castle where stage productions are held. Rubber Band is battled here.
 * Yellow streamer
 * Sweetpaper Valley
 * Breezy Tunnel: A mining tunnel that contains rocks and Monty Moles.
 * Scorching Sandpaper Desert: A desert that has been shrouded in darkness. A large hole is visible in the sky where the sun used to be.
 * Scorching Sandpaper Minor: A secondary area of Scorching Sandpaper Desert that connects the main desert area to Shroom City.
 * Scorching Sandpaper West
 * Scorching Sandpaper East
 * Shroom City: A desert town occupied by Snifits with an oasis and a large hotel.
 * Scorching Sandpaper Far West
 * Scorching Sandpaper Far East
 * Fire Vellumental Cave: A cave where the Fire Vellumental is found.
 * Temple of Shrooms: King Shroomses' temple, and where Hole Punch is fought.
 * Purple streamer
 * The Great Sea: An open sea that Mario can explore by boat.
 * The Princess Peach: A cruise ship named after Princess Peach.
 * Bonehead Island: An island with a large, white skull head.
 * Mushroom Island: An island in the shape of a mushroom that contains a Toad house. The Origami Craftsman resides here.
 * Heart Island
 * Spade Island
 * Club Island
 * Crescent Moon Island / Full Moon Island
 * ? Island: An island in the shape of a question mark that contains several ? Blocks.
 * Hammer Island
 * Scuffle Island: An island where Mario must battle seven Paper Macho soldiers.
 * Diamond Island: A secret underwater island with three trials.
 * Ice Vellumental Mountain: An icy mountain where the Ice Vellumental resides.
 * Sea Tower: A large tower at the northern end of the Great Sea honoring the four Vellumentals. The Tape is battled here.
 * Green streamer
 * Shangri-Spa: A sky-spa area that contains several hot springs.
 * Spring of Jungle Mist: A large jungle area that contains a hot spring at the other end.
 * Spring of Rainbows: A hot spring that can only be accessed once the other four springs in Shangri-Spa have been visited. The Shy Guys Finish Last game show is encountered here, on the way to the hot spring.
 * Bowser's Castle: Bowser's castle that has crash-landed into the Shangri-Spa banquet hall. The Scissors is battled here.
 * Origami Castle
 * Hotfoot Crater: A volcano found below Peach's Castle.
 * Origami Castle: Peach's Castle that has been folded into origami by King Olly. The Stapler and King Olly himself are battled here.

Weapons
Mario's attacks are now weapons that can be bought or found alongside items. The player can also find stronger variants of weapons.


 * Boots
 * Shiny Boots
 * Flashy Boots
 * Legendary Boots
 * Gold Boots
 * Hammer
 * Shiny Hammer
 * Flashy Hammer
 * Legendary Hammer
 * Gold Hammer
 * Fire Hammer
 * Ice Hammer
 * Iron Boots
 * Shiny Iron Boots
 * Flashy Iron Boots
 * Legendary Iron Boots
 * Hurlhammer
 * Shiny Hurlhammer

Battle items

 * Fire Flower
 * Shiny Fire Flower
 * Ice Flower
 * Shiny Ice Flower
 * Tail
 * Shiny Tail
 * POW Block : Deals damage to the entire board and stuns enemies. Mario can only hold three POW Blocks at a time.
 * Mushroom
 * Shiny Mushroom
 * Flashy Mushroom
 * 1-Up Mushroom: Automatically and fully restores Mario's HP if he dies in battle. Only one can be carried at a time.

Accessories
Accessories act in the same manner as badges from the first two games, where Mario has to wear them in order to gain their power. These are sold at the Fun, Funky, and Functional chain, found throughout the world. After a certain point in the game, all accessories will be sold at an 80% discount.
 * Heart Plus
 * Silver Heart Plus
 * Gold Heart Plus
 * Guard Plus
 * Silver Guard Plus
 * Gold Guard Plus
 * Time Plus
 * Silver Time Plus
 * Gold Time Plus
 * Membership Card
 * Silver Membership Card
 * Gold Membership Card
 * Confetti Vacuum
 * Petal Bag
 * Ally Tambourine
 * Coin Step Counter
 * Retro Soundbox
 * Toad Alert
 * Hidden Block Alert
 * Treasure Alert

Overworld objects

 * Confetti
 * Coin
 * 10-Coin
 * Giant coin
 * Brick Block
 * ? Block
 * Super Star
 * Save Block
 * Heart
 * Warp Pipe
 * Boot Car

Useful Items

 * Baseball
 * Bibliofolds
 * Big Shell
 * Bone
 * Canned Heart
 * Commoner Pass
 * Courage Orb
 * "Deep, Deep Vibes"
 * Diamond Jewel
 * Diamond Key
 * Faded Fire Flower
 * Goomba Mask
 * Groovy Panel
 * Groovier Panel
 * "Heartbeat Skipper"
 * Heavy Bag
 * Jungle King Mask
 * Key to Bowser's Castle
 * Key to Peach's Castle
 * Lever
 * Manhole Hook
 * "M-A-X Power!"
 * Mushroom Handle
 * Power Orb
 * Professor's Room Key
 * Red Gem
 * Round Jewel
 * Royalty Pass
 * Shell Stones
 * Purple Shell Stone
 * Green Shell Stone
 * Yellow Shell Stone
 * Blue Shell Stone
 * Red Shell Stone
 * Shogun Studios Master Key
 * Shriveled MAX UP Heart
 * Shriveled Mushroom
 * Shriveled Seed
 * Shroom Hotel Key
 * Shurikens
 * Soul Seed
 * Space Warrior Mask
 * Square Jewel
 * Stamp Card
 * Straw
 * Suite Key
 * "Thrills at Night"
 * Triangle Jewel
 * Wisdom Orb

Nintendo eShop description
 The kingdom has been ravaged by an origami menace! Join Mario and his new partner, Olivia, as they battle evil Folded Soldiers, repair the damaged landscape, and try to free Princess Peach's castle from the clutches of King Olly in this comedy-filled adventure, only on the Nintendo Switch system.

Mario and Luigi receive an invitation from Princess Peach to attend an origami festival and excitedly hurry to Toad Town...but something's amiss. After investigating the eerily empty town, the duo finds a fearsome (and folded) Princess Peach-she's been turned into origami by King Olly, ruler of the Origami Kingdom! With five giant streamers under his control, King Olly binds Princess Peach's Castle and transports it to a distant mountain as part of his plan to re-fold the world.

On his journey to liberate Peach's Castle and repair the ravaged paper landscape, Mario meets Olivia, King Olly's sister, and the two join forces to put a stop to Olly's origami onslaught. Even Bowser falls victim to Olly's plot when his minions are turned into origami Folded Soldiers and betray their Koopa king, forcing him to ally with Mario and Olivia!

Battle the Folded Soldiers in ring-based battles the challenge you to strategically line up enemies to maximize damage! Out of battle, Mario can use the arm-extending 1,000-Fold Arms ability in specific spots to interact with the landscape to pull, peel, hit, and more! Join Mario, Olivia, and their companions on a journey of laughter and emotion, thrills, and a whole lot of folding. 

Pre-release and unused content
Before entering Peach's Castle for the first time, the player was originally going to have a 360-degree view of the castle as well as some models of Princess Peach, which appear unused in the game's files with different hair and jewels on her crown. Some leftovers from Paper Mario: Color Splash in the game's code include Mario swinging his hammer, which is 2D, even though in the game it is 3D. The accessory-selling Monty Mole originally had walking animations.

References to other games

 * Donkey Kong: When Mario is equipped with the Retro Soundbox, he makes the walking sound effect from this game.
 * Super Mario Bros.: When Mario grabs the top of the Goal Pole and slides down it for the first time at Picnic Road, a firework shoots into the sky while an arrangement of the "course cleared" fanfare plays, similar to when the player clears a level with the timer's last digit at 1, 3, or 6 in this game. One of Colored Pencil's drawings is of Mario's death sprite from this game.
 * The Legend of Zelda series: Ol' Grandsappy is similar to The Great Deku Tree, even sharing similar names in the Japanese version.
 * Metroid series: Mario can obtain a Space Warrior Mask in the staff room at Shogun Studios, which is a papier-mâché version of Samus's helmet. When Mario tries it on, a variation of the fanfare for when Samus appears in Metroid plays, and Bob-omb tells Olivia it does not suit Mario's style and remarks, "It'd probably look perfect on some other kind of M, though." Its description reads, "An otherworldly mask. Sadly, it won't allow you to roll into a ball," a reference to the Morph Ball ability.
 * Yume Kōjō: Doki Doki Panic: When trying to recall the term "amnesia", Bob-omb mentions "Thinky Thinky Panic", a reference to this game's title.
 * Super Mario Bros. 2: After Mario rescues Birdo in Big Sho' Theater, she says that she has "Mario madness." The English cover for Super Mario Bros. 2 features the subtitle "Mario Madness," and the game was Birdo's first appearance. Additionally, the Musée Champignon description for the Black Shy Guy states that it throws turnip-like objects, referencing the throwing mechanic from this game.
 * Super Mario Bros. 3: Olivia mentions the sun being angry in Scorching Sandpaper Desert.
 * Super Mario World: The fireball and spin jump sounds are reused from this game.
 * Paper Mario: Peach's castle's interior looks similar to the one used in this game, and Peach's design from this game appears as a photo.
 * The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker: The purple streamer chapter has many references to this game. The Great Sea is a reference to the overworld with the same name, their mechanics also share many similarities. The player needs to collect three pearls in order to open Sea Tower, similar to how they need to collect the Goddess Pearls to reach Tower of the Gods, the colors of the pearls are also the same as them. When the player goes to Diamond Island to get the three pearls, the game refers the trial as "the trial of power, courage and wisdom", which is a reference to the Triforce and the Golden Goddesses. Some of the rooms of the Sea Tower are based on the four Vellumental temples, similar to the four areas of Ganon's Tower that take on the theme of the four main dungeons.
 * Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: Peach's design from this game appears as a photo.
 * Super Paper Mario: Peach appears in a photo with her parasol and a background resembling Lineland.
 * Mario Kart Wii: A slow-paced arrangement of Maple Treeway's music plays in the Tranquil Pipes Teahouse at Shogun Studios.
 * New Super Mario Bros. Wii: Some of Bowser Jr.'s voice clips are reused from this game.
 * Paper Mario: Sticker Star: When the player completes Bonehead Island, a fan that has the same appearance as the Fan Thing from this game emerges from the sea and blows the mist away, similar to the Fan's animation in battle. Shiny and flashy attacks return from this game. In addition, Peach appears in a photo, surrounded by stickers. Additionally, the Scissors boss and the basin used in the Trial of Courage resemble their respective Things in the game.
 * Super Mario 3D World: Some of the voice clips are recycled from this game. The Goomba Mask returns from this game. Luigi's running pose and Peach's floating pose in the ending are based on their respective animations from this game.
 * Mario Kart 8: Like in Paper Mario: Color Splash, Luigi drives a Standard Kart resembling the ones in this game.
 * Paper Mario: Color Splash: The Origami King runs on a very similar graphical engine to Color Splash. Princess Peach's design from that game also appears as a photo in the game. The Rescue Squads return in the Battle Lab. The Emerald Circus and the Violet Passage captain's pirate ship appear in paintings in Overlook Tower. When Captain T. Ode introduces himself after being thawed out by Olivia in her Fire Vellumental form, the Fortune Island music is reused, lacking the intro and bell quips of the tune. Additionally, steaks identical to the one fought in Tangerino Grill are found when T. Ode is freed. Bonehead Island looks very similar to Fortune Island, and includes multiple design similarities. The music on Bonehead Island is very similar to the Violet Passage theme. The realistic fan that blows the fog away is a reference to one that gets the ship to set sail in Violet Passage. A Slurp Guy appears in the Tranquil Pipes Teahouse and gives Mario his straw. The Spring of Rainbows bears a resemblance to Prisma Fountain, although in a more papercraft-like appearance. The way Bowser Jr. restores his colors from it also resembles the paint mechanic in this game. One Toad in Toad Town mentions that he needs to find "an expert on bridge experts", referencing the bridge builder and the bridge builder expert that appear in Port Prisma. Two Whistle Snifits are found in the Spring of Rainbows's cafe. The way the basin crushes Mario in the Trial of Courage is similar to how the Basin Thing crushes him at Fort Cobalt.
 * The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: A Toad that is trying to climb a cliff in the Autumn Mountain references the climbing mechanic where it is harder to climb when it is raining by saying, "But hey, at least it isn't raining."

References in later games

 * : The 15th Maximus Cup has a special theme based on this game. Music from this game is also used in the theme.

Similarities to other Paper Mario games

 * Like the original game and its sequel, Mario and Luigi receive an invitation from Princess Peach.
 * Although Peach gives Mario a letter in Color Splash, said letter is actually a color-drained Toad.
 * In combat, Mario's basic jump and hammer attacks are permanent, like in the first two games.
 * Partners return from the first three games.
 * Just like in the second and third games, Bowser is not the primary villain. Rather, Mario and Bowser team up, as they do in Super Paper Mario.
 * Just like in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Peach is turned evil by the main antagonist, similarly to the Shadow Queen.
 * Like the previous five games, there is a part that plays like a game show.
 * NPCs based on enemy species return from the first two games.
 * Mario can use confetti to fill in Non-Bottomless Holes, similarly to using paint to fill in colorless spots in Color Splash. Like paint, confetti is limited.
 * Like the previous two games, there is a performance starring Birdo.
 * Like the first game, Peach's Castle gets taken over by the main antagonist.
 * Like in the first four games, Mario fights a Blooper as a boss.
 * Like in all of the previous games, there is a quiz show, in this case, Shy Guys Finish Last.
 * Like in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, battles take place in front of an audience, and the audience can interact with Mario.
 * However, the audience only consists of Toads, the number of audience members depends on the rescued Toads, they need to be paid in order to influence the battle, and they do not attack Mario for a bad "performance".
 * Like in the previous three games, Mario has a permanent travelling companion who can float, in this case, Olivia.
 * Like in Super Paper Mario, the main antagonist has taken control of some of Bowser's minions.
 * Shiny and Flashy variants of attacks return from Paper Mario: Sticker Star.
 * Like the previous three games, in-game materials show the logos for Nintendo and Intelligent Systems.
 * Like Sticker Star and Color Splash, MAX UP Hearts are used as a level-up mechanic.
 * Bowser's Castle floats like it does in the original game and the previous two games.
 * Individual save files return from the previous four games.
 * However, they cannot be copied or deleted, and are tied to each user profile of the Nintendo Switch. Since the Switch can have up to eight user profiles, this translates to eight save files, compared to four from the first three games and three from the fourth installment.

Differences from other Paper Mario games

 * This is the first game in the series in which Bowser is not fought in any way, shape, or form.
 * It is also the first Mario role-playing game overall in which Bowser is never fought.
 * This is the first game in the series where the overall objective does not involve finding any major collectibles (e.g. the Crystal Stars or Pure Hearts), rather to destroy giant streamers blocking Peach's Castle.
 * Save prompts now have a distinctive look, separate from normal textboxes.
 * When getting a Game Over, an option to restart from the last save (or in the case for minigames and the final boss, to try again) is now available.
 * When Mario gets hit by a First Strike, he can no longer block the attack.
 * The text "The End" does not show up at all in the credits.
 * Unlike most other installments, the game does not end with a parade, but rather a series of screenshots can be seen during the credits, like in Super Paper Mario. Unlike in that game, though, these photos take place after the events of the story, rather than during them.
 * Character artwork is more based off of in-game sprites, similar to the first three games.

Staff
The game was directed by Masahiko Nagaya, who was the art director of the previous installment, the game's art was directed by Isamu Kamikokuryo, ex-Square art director of the Final Fantasy series, and produced by Kensuke Tanabe and Atsushi Ikuno.

Critical response
Paper Mario: The Origami King received positive reviews from critics, who praised the expansive overworld, graphics, writing, and plot, but criticized the battling system for being repetitive, frustrating, and unrewarding.

Wave battle glitch
If a wave battle is supposed to start, but only one enemy is alive and another is in their death animation, it will still initiate a wave battle and consider both enemies alive.

Sumo Bro glitch
During the second phase of the Boss Sumo Bro rematch in the Battle Lab, defeating the Boss Sumo Bro with a POW Block without defeating the two Sumo Bros beforehand will cause the game to softlock.

VIP pass glitch
In Shangri-Spa, after obtaining the VIP pass to access the Spring of Rainbows, if the player leaves the path to the Spring of Rainbows after entering, the VIP pass will be gone from the menu. If the player then speaks to the Toad at the reception, they will not have the stamp card and there is no way to get another one. Saving after this point will brick the save file.