I didn’t really know anything about the Moomins when I went into the adventure game Snufkin: Melody Of Moominvalley, except that their heads always seemed tasty to me – like bleached beans. Plus, the Moomin merchandise I’d seen over the years in official Moomin shops or oddball souvenir shops was delightful, so if someone had turned up at school with a pencil case decorated with Moomin heads, you can be sure I’d have been jealous.
And after finishing the game, I’m not sure I really learned anything more about the Moomins and their friends. But on the other hand, I came away thinking that it was a pleasant universe to spend a few hours in, where the wilderness is celebrated with a rebellious song. If you’re looking for the video game equivalent of a walk through the forest on a toasty afternoon, Moominvalley is the place to wander.
Everyone is welcome in Moominvalley, because its premise does not require you to have a terrifying knowledge of its history. The story begins when you, an adventurer called Snufkin, say goodbye to your buddy Moomintroll (at this point I learned that Moomins are not cows, but trolls) as winter sets in. Time passes until the snow melts, spring awakens, and Snufkin decides to return to Moominvalley to meet his buddy again. But wait! Are there signs telling people not to do something? Has the ground been trampled? And Moomintroll is missing?!
It turns out very quickly that there is a rogue Moomin called the Park Guardian, who is not only behind the sign and the trampled land, but also behind a series of guarded parks guarded by the police. Absolutely outrageous scenes! And scenes that you will put an end to during your adventure, hunting down your pal Moomin. Therein lies the overt environmental message of the game, that Moominvalley should not be confined and divided into sections to suit the foolish desires of humans. It is much nicer when it is free.
No, it’s not a nuanced approach, but one that needs to be drilled into your head no matter what. And I think respect for the environment in Moominvalley is well-taught, because Snufkin’s success is spreading joy through music. Well, specifically the harmonica, and later the flute and drum. You’ll explore a miniature, open world map, sending out sound waves of delight, to see how the kindness of your “bwees” and “bmmms” is repaid in miniature gestures that both rejuvenate the valley and assist you overcome its challenges.
Each of your instruments emits an aura of some form, and you’ll need to match that instrument with a creature that wears the “use this specific instrument on me” badge. Doing so will raise a circular bar (a bit like the stamina wheel in Breath Of The Wild) that, when maxed out, makes the creature do something. For example, the melody of the harmonica creates an AOE wave that can befriend the cute Creeps hiding in the bushes, and you can then lead them to a huge boulder, next to which you can clearly see the outline of two Creeps.
Later, the flute sends out a cone that can lull creatures like livid bees or protective crabs, while the drum can wither troublesome ferns and crumble mounds blocking your path. The only real semblance of depth lies in the paths that are blocked off in a metroidvania-style manner at the beginning, as you first have to reach a certain level or unlock a specific instrument for the job. There’s no level grind, though, don’t worry! Throughout your adventure, you’ll be collecting level juice (Inspiration) by completing miniature side quests, exploring miniature nooks, and mostly running through quivering bushes. It’s a natural process that just happens, as the map is compact enough and the optional paths are so straightforward that you’ll be leveling up without much effort.
For the most part, Moomins is a basic puzzle game with a basic solution (even I found the solutions basic, but that’s not all). Never happens) and the path forward requires little to no brainpower. You’ll be moving rocks to climb ledges, pulling logs to create makeshift bridges, and occasionally playing a flute if you need to put a snake to sleep. If Cocoon’s puzzling adventure is glossy sailing, Moominvalley is Skittles sliding across an ice rink.
People looking for a challenge won’t find it here, but I think the easy-going puzzle-solving fits the lightness of the adventure. Moominvalley is a peaceful place designed primarily for a bit of fun, and the opportunity to explore and progress in a world that doesn’t want to get you is wonderful. And even if there’s not much experimentation with musical instruments, some of the stealth sections force you to exploit your cacophonous mind in novel ways.
There are several parks in Moominvalley, all built by the annoying Park Ranger who wants to impose manicured lawns and ugly walls on the attractive soil of Moominvalley. So it’s up to you to liberate these plots of land by outsmarting the stupid police, knocking over statues and tearing down signs that show any form of order. Again, it’s very basic hiding in the bushes to avoid line of sight, but the little touches like putting walking guards to sleep with a tactical flute blast or distracting them with a drum beat are very cute indeed.
Outside of your quests and ultimate goal of finding a buddy, Moominvalley is a wonderful place to live. Oda Tilset’s soundtrack captures the mood of a ecstatic spring stroll, with slothful strings and cheerful pipes giving way to pleasant plinks and plunks. Some of the main tracks also feature Sigur Ros, giving them an extra boost of Ros dreaminess as the game’s more pivotal moments enter.
And the whole thing is truly stunning, presented as if you were reading a Snufkin story and Moominvalley was jumping off the pages. I often stopped to admire the crabs swimming in the water or to take in the views, like when the moon lit up the sky as I crossed the rickety bridge. There are even special areas marked by miniature towers, each existing solely as a place for Snufkin to relax a bit, transforming your screen into a shimmering wallpaper and transporting you straight to Snufkin’s ecstatic place.
Although Snufkin: Melody Of Moominvalley ends a bit abruptly and doesn’t quite bring the band together as efficiently as I would have liked, I can’t be too harsh. Snufkin’s adventure is all about basic fun, meeting buddies and disrupting the established order, all in the span of a single afternoon. Pair that with a cup of tea and a fluffy blanket, and This is an unforgettable holiday.
This review is based on the version of the game provided by publisher Raw Fury.
