Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

I didn’t know what to expect when I decided to review Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley. Least of all, did I expect that it would make me a fan of the works of Tove Jansson and help me fall in love with the cozy game genre. While there are a few minor visual issues on Switch, this is still an absolutely charming and relaxing adventure with a good message for generations to come.

Snufkin Memories of Moominvalley is a wholesome adventure with a clear message of environmental protection. It gives us a fresh take on the tale of human greed as a disruptor of nature. A truly stunning homage to the work of Tove Jansson and the messages of friendship and respect in the story of Moominvalley.

I've never read any of the Moomin books, but last year or maybe the year before I did read a memoir by Jansson about a period of her life in which she settled on a little island, Klovharun. It was "a rock in the middle of nowhere", no running water or electricity and any shelter had to be constructed. The book presents a dream landscape, but it's one of those dreams in which you have so much to do. Sorting wood and fuel and things to eat and drink: Jansson loves all this, but she doesn't hide any of it or try to frame it as something that was easy. I see that same resilience, that same fortitude, when Snufkin calmly dismantles a park and pushes back the forces of order and regulation.

Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a relaxed and slow-paced adventure, and sometimes that is what you need between shooters and action games.

Presented in timeless watercolour, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a beautiful and heartwarming recreation of Moominvalley in videogame form. Being true to its source material throughout while introducing new elements like Sigur Ros’s music, elevates the experience close to definitive. If you want to share Moominvalley with anyone, or simply bask in a world we’ve collectively know for generations, this is now the best way to do it.