Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley opens with a goodbye. The music swells and this goodbye pulls hard on the heartstrings. It’s a goodbye to a Moomin, so perhaps you’d think it’s not an important goodbye – just a Moomin, after all. But it sets up the main arc of a well-paced and imaginative musical adventure.
For the uninitiated – and we’re not exactly experts ourselves here – a Moomin looks like a cross between a snowman and a hippo. They walk upright and talk, and appear to have the ability to cultivate crops and build quite sophisticated houses. The human-like Snufkin has seemingly been accepted into their society and is called upon to assist with their various problems. These problems range from a dry garden to a lost manuscript and everything in between. “What could lie in between a dry garden and a lost manuscript?”, you might ask. Answer: a giant crab to whom Snufkin must play a flute at level 4 inspiration. But more on all that later…
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a charming adventure set in the land of the Moomins. Norwegian developer Hyper Games have absolutely picked up the license and run with it. Originating in neighbouring Finland in a series of storybooks by Tove Jansson, the easygoing Moomin characters are perfectly suited to the game’s understated art, calm atmosphere, and Scandinavian flavour. The ethereal music – a collaboration with Icelandic post-rock outfit Sigur Rós – is the icing on the Nordic cake. And it’s the deep, dreamy soundtrack that lands the game’s opening goodbye.
It’s an agonising farewell because it’s for the Moomins’ winter sleep. The land is smothered in a crunchy, white blanket; the trees are bare. Snufkin and Moomintroll have enjoyed the whole year together, but the passing of the seasons has dictated that now it’s goodbye. And that’s why this au revoir hurts: time waits for no Moomin. Sweet happy memories of the summer months are met with the bitter fact that there are only so many summers in a lifetime. The stronger the friendship, the starker the tragedy that life is so short.
So Snufkin and Moomintroll are separated, with the promise of a return in the spring, which tees up the main quest of the game. Heading back into Moominvalley amid a gorgeous watercolour rendition of budding trees and sprouting flowers is a treat for the eyes. Traversal of this lush world is smooth and engaging, with bushes to rustle through and rocks to pick up and drop, then hop on to cross streams or climb little cliffs. But from all this sweetness, a surprisingly edgy game emerges.
It’s not too edgy, but there’s just a bit more bite than we expected. While we were ready for some gentle stealth mechanics, we hadn’t anticipated that these would be built around trashing quite beautiful parks. The parks are surrounded by nicely ornamented iron railings and just-so hedges, and kept in good order by patrolling police officers. Superficially pleasant as they may be, these parks evidently don’t jibe with Snufkin’s philosophy on life. You are tasked with sneaking through them, dodging the guards’ lines of sight, and gradually toppling statues and ripping up signs prohibiting Snufkin’s favoured activities – like tea drinking or pipe smoking. Once completed, the park is wiped out altogether and Moominvalley is returned to its natural unkempt state. It’s not too complex or challenging, but it’s smoothly executed and fun to play – even for less experienced gamers.
The “melody” part of the adventure is a thematic addition more than an intricate gameplay mechanic. Icons in the world indicate where it will be effective to play an instrument — a harmonica is available at first, then a flute and drum — and this is done with simple button presses. Playing instruments affects the characters and surroundings in imaginative ways. Flying birds are temporarily commandeered, dirt mounds are blown away, ducks are encouraged to follow – the world comes to life. The presence of these instruments also serves as a prompt to appreciate the game’s ambient but stimulating soundtrack. The overall feeling is that music somehow underpins the Moomin universe, and the gorgeous art, with its hand-animated style, almost dances along.
The melodic side of Snufkin is expanded with a simple levelling system. Running through pleasingly scrunchy bushes and other environmental decorations triggers sparkling collectibles that contribute to an inspiration gauge. As this fills up through the levels, more interactions are opened up. It’s not very sophisticated but neither does it get in the way – we were never held up scouring the land for sparkles – and the sounds and feel of moving around and collecting are always enjoyable.
Alongside the park-creeping sections are the mini quests on the route to reunite with Moomintroll. These involve the friendly Moominkind of the valley dealing with little mishaps that you can rectify. While there is some fetching in there, the interactions are nicely written and stick with the gentle mood in the face of minor adversities. There’s a small amount of story reading to do if you’re bringing a little player along with you, but there’s also an option to cut non-essential dialogue, lightening the reading load.
Trekking this wonderful world is a joyful experience, albeit one that feels somehow distant. Snufkin is a visitor, helping the Moomins with their problems rather than seeking help with his own. He is up against the world at large, fighting the forces of park-ification. This gives the game a strange thread of melancholy, as if you’re a terminal outsider, defending a soothing paradise more than living in one.
Conclusion
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley opens with a goodbye. As an outsider, Snufkin doesn’t hibernate with the Moomins and must wander lonelily through the ice. The prospect of a reunion in the spring sets up a bittersweet mood, sews a seed of hope that grows throughout the game, and kicks off a quest to restore everything to its rightful place. Accomplished gameplay design and magical sounds and visuals make the whole adventure a delight.
