I was definitely intrigued by Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley when I first saw it announced back in 2022. Thanks to YouTube and a little bit of TikTok, I became familiar with the Moomin series, and I’m pretty sure I have seen some Moomintroll memes floating around on Twitter for a while. While I’m fairly certain I didn’t grow up with it, seeing it felt like it unlocked a memory in me, like trying to recall a faint dream.
It’s a shame that I didn’t really have any exposure to the Moomin series growing up because I think I would’ve liked it. In looking into it before starting this review, it had a fun, Ghibli-esque vibe that my younger self would have probably resonated with—like something comforting to watch on a rainy day. My hope was that Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley would finally give me a chance to experience everything I had missed, and while not perfect, it’s definitely a solid little game.
The game begins when Snufkin—a nomadic human who visits Moominvalley every spring and summer—is bidding farewell to his best friend Moomintroll as he plans to leave for the winter. However, when Snufkin returns, he finds the valley has become quite peculiar, as all the animals seem to be leaving, and his friend Moomintroll is nowhere to be found.
What’s worse, the punctilious Park Keeper has replaced several sections of the valley with parks and signs enforcing his rules—which Snufkin absolutely despises. It’s up to Snufkin to figure out what happened during his absence and where Moomintroll has disappeared to, all while helping the various creatures and characters that reside within Moominvalley.
It’s a lighthearted, innocent little fable that feels like a combination of various Moomin stories. that puts a love of nature and the importance of helping people front and center. What’s more, it really does have a lot of Ghibli vibes—it’s very calm, there’s no real “bad guy,” and even characters that seem bad or monstrous are quite sweet if given a chance. However, if I have one complaint with the story, it’s that it doesn’t really do a good job of introducing you to the Moomin world.
A lot of the story unfolds under the assumption that you are familiar with the Moomin series, so no characters are really given a proper introduction. And while I won’t say its the biggest problem since the story gives you enough of an idea of character’s quirks and personalities, I think a glossary—or even a little expositional dialogue—would have been a nice way to add a little context for newbies. After all, these characters have been around since 1945. Newcomers may need a little extra information.
The gameplay is equally as simple, but it maintains a fun, laid-back atmosphere that is consistently engaging. During Snufkin’s search for Moomintroll, players will travel through Moominvalley, assisting its residents with their problems, which usually require Snufkin to play one of his three instruments. Every creature helped and puzzle solved will reward players with Inspiration—and with every increased level of inspiration, Snufkin can tackle bigger problems.
On top of that, players will encounter Parks where they will need to evade patrolling police officers and remove signs so they have no rules to enforce. Once the police abandon the park, nature will be allowed to return—further rewarding players with Inspiration. While it’s meant to be relaxed and somewhat easy, I do wish there was some form of punishment for the one place where confrontation can happen—namely, getting caught in the parks.
No matter what you were doing, or where you were once you got caught, the game just kind of fades to black and resets you close to where you were caught. If you happen to be carrying a key for a locked gate, it’ll just drop where you were caught rather than reset at its initial point. Obviously, I’m not saying a game like this NEEDS to be difficult, but it just seems strange to have segments like this if there’s no real reason to avoid the police or utilize stealth. Then again, Snufkin absolutely despises the concept of rules in the valley, so maybe this is all part of the meta-narrative?
“The real standout of Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is the visuals, the whole game has a hand-painted, animated look that is present in every moment.”
The real standout of Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is the visuals, the whole game has a hand-painted, animated look that is present in every moment. It really brings the spirit of the comics—and also the early animated series—to life in a brilliant, colourful way. Furthermore, there are a copious amount of small details that make the world feel so enchanting and charming. From the creative and iconic characters to the way leaves dance on the trees and blades of grass sway in the wind to how river currents look like watercolours blending together, every frame of Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley exudes a beauty that is proof positive why the Moomin series has been so enduring.
The game is also backed by a quiet, ephemeral soundtrack—that was actually composed in collaboration with Sigur Rós, if you can believe it—that adds a lot to the game’s ambiance. While it does a lot to compliment the game’s visuals and make the whole thing feel jovial yet peaceful, if there was one thing missing, it was the stellar voice acting that accompanied the animated series.
All the characters in the series had voices that perfectly suited them, and no more so than Snufkin himself—who had a gentle, wise-beyond-his-years tone brought to life by amazing actors like John Chancer and Edvin Endre. While it’s not exactly a dealbreaker, I couldn’t help but feel like the game would’ve really come to life with some voice acting from the characters or even a simple narration.
However, if I have one final complaint with Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, it’s with the game’s performance—at least on the Nintendo Switch. The game frequently chugs while moving through more densely populated areas, significantly dropping the framerate and really hampering the experience. It’s particularly bad while playing in handheld mode, and while putting it on the dock doesn’t completely alleviate the issue, it does mitigate it somewhat.
I wouldn’t mind if the whole game ran at a somewhat reduced framerate, in an attempt to emulate an animation style reminiscent of the 1990 series, but the fact that the game is trying to run at a stable framerate, and consistently chugging just makes it feel amateurish. Hopefully, a patch will address this issue.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley but I enjoyed what it was. It’s a wonderful little cozy game that is never too demanding and consistently engaging. While I do wish it did a little more to introduce newcomers to the Moomin series, even newcomers will find a lot to love here—though I’m sure fans of it will likely love it more.
