Gimmick!

is a platform game that places the player in control of a small green youkai (Oni) named
Yumetaro[b].[1] The story begins during an unnamed young girl's birthday. Her father is normally
busy with work, but he is able to spend time with her family for the special occasion. Earlier, he had
gone to the store to purchase a new toy for his daughter. Yumetaro had been wandering the toy
store and became confused when her father came in. He hid with stuffed toys that looked like him,
but was picked up by the girl's father. When the girl opens the Yumetaro gift, she is delighted.
Yumetaro becomes the girl's favorite, and so her other toys no longer feel loved. One night, the toys
come alive and take the girl to another dimension. The only one left is Yumetaro, who follows the
toys in search of her.[2]

The player, as Yumetaro, must venture into the alternate dimension to rescue his new owner. The
player character can jump and spawn stars above the horn on his head. The star is a central
mechanic to the game, being necessary to defeat enemies found while also doubling as a platform,
capable of being ridden to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. The player must make their way
through six stages and six bosses to complete the game. Once the sixth boss is defeated, it is
revealed that the girl is still missing and the game restarts from the beginning. To truly complete
Gimmick!, the player must find a hidden area in each stage where a magic item resides. If one can
obtain all the magic items without losing every life (i.e. using no continues), a secret stage would
appear in which an extra boss must be beaten. Only after this boss is defeated is the game
completed in full, with a cutscene showing Yumetaro rescuing his owner and leading her back to the
real world.[1]