Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth Review

Since the first published Moomin story in 1945, Tove Jansson's loveable hippopotamus shaped trolls and the rest of the residents living in Moominvalley have captivated children and adults alike, through novels, comics and TV shows - a whimsical world perfect for the interactive medium of video games.

With a big worldwide fan base, especially in the Nordic region, Norwegian studio Hyper Games first made the well-received Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, and after a few years, they're back with Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth, a story-driven, third-person, top down, adventure game with light puzzles and a wholesome tone, inspired by the story, Moominland Midwinter.

You play as the titular Moomintroll, the best friend of Snufkin and son of Moominmama and Moominpapa, as the family of Moomins get into bed to hibernate through the winter until the blanket of snow melts and the fresh fields of spring can be seen.

Unfortunately, Moomintroll startles awake in the midst of a cold and relentless winter. Unable to wake his parents from their hibernation, he is scared and alone. He quickly realises he's going to have to face his fears if he wants to warm the house and survive the winter. But when he accidentally scares an unexpected visitor into the blizzard outside, Moomintroll feels guilty and follows the little squirrel, to find winter's warden, the Lady of the Cold has already done her job. So, Moomintroll vows to find a way to get rid of winter, overcome his fears and insecurities, and help save his community in Moominvalley along the way.

As we pass the 80th anniversary of Moomin, Hyper Games continue Tove Jansson's storytelling themes that first released in 1945 during the final months of World War Two, to bring a slither of comfort in the darkest of times. Themes as relevant then as they still are now. Hyper Games, like Tove Jansson, continue displaying a joyful grandness in the small mundane moments and gestures. Even when her eccentric characters disagree, they are tolerant of each others' individualism and accept non-conformity to be able to listen to differing viewpoints and learn from them - a warm sense of community togetherness, in a world often focused on tearing people apart.

Hyper Games tells Moomintroll's story by including a number of high-quality animated cutscenes, expressive 2D portraits during dialogue, and delivering character arcs through our direct control of Moomintroll's emotional journey.

Every piece of dialogue respects the ensemble's original personalities and genuinely deepens your understanding of the characters. Moomintroll is quietly courageous whilst battling his insecurities; Little My is direct and mischievous, constantly trying to help Moomintroll relax and enjoy life; Sorry-oo is a timid dog who doesn't want to accept that he isn't a wolf because he dearly wants to fit into a found family. The ensemble each go through a character arc that impacts Moomintroll's outlook, whilst respecting the lore of the Moomin universe.

However, Hyper Games have made the creative decision to not include voice acting beyond grunts and noises during dialogue. Ordinarily, I would lament the absence of voice work in a story-driven game, but I didn't feel the choice negatively impacted the delivery of the narrative. Instead, it emphasises the whimsical fantasy world, as if you're reading and becoming lost in a new Moomin illustrated book. Each character is written so well and summons every feeling from humour to fear and anxiety - a real accomplishment to a achieve a childlke wonder focused on honesty and compassion.

The only downside to the exclusion of voice work is accessibility. As voiced characters could help certain people better experience the story, and help younger players stay engrossed. Although, I believe Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth is the perfect game for a parent to play with their children.

But as with any game, the gameplay loop is another significant factor. Hyper Games have created an approachable gameplay experience that puts you at the heart of Moomintroll's story - to balance simplicity and engagement suitable for a wide age range, from children to adults.

After Moomintroll's unfortunate encounter with a squirrel, his friend Too-ticky explains how Moomintroll can put an end to the Lady of the Cold's freezing winter, by assisting his friends and the other residents of Moominvalley and collect the key objects to construct a massive bonfire.

Moomintroll trudges through the snow, leaving tracks that can be reused to walk faster on his return trip. Then, you arrive at an objective and accept either a main quest to further the story, or a side quest to complete as you unlock new areas to explore. Main and side quests can vary from fetch quests, to locating something by completing a light environmental puzzles, and some require Moomintroll to guide a friend home by timing his walk past environmental hazards like severe winds.

Every main objective guides you to another part of the world map. Places filled with inaccessible paths that require the use of tools you unlock throughout the story. This tool progression creates a backtracking that doesn't feel tedious. Due to the smaller scale of the world, it never feels like you're walking a long way from point to point during an enjoyable six plus hour journey. And if you ever get lost, you can put the map on screen and activate a handy waypoint system, that puts a tiny hand with a pointed finger on screen to guide the way. It's a helpful tool while you return to quest givers and explore previously inaccessible areas, in search of the key collectibles, the broken shards of Moominmama's vase and the firewood required to build the bonfire.

Over time, Moomintroll's exploration of his home and Moominvalley leads to helpful tools that can be upgraded by Too-ticky. You're first given a pair of red mittens to match Moomintroll's red scarf that can be customised in the menu. With this, Moomintroll can make snowballs of varying sizes. You switch to the mittens and use snowballs to solve environmental obstacles like knocking down large icicles to form a path, rolling a huge snow boulder to fill a hole, and winning a snowball fight against Little My.

Other tools, like the axe and shovel, allow Moomintroll to explore more of the map and complete side quests for the Winter Beings that weren't previously doable. As the game advances and the world opens up, you combine all of these tools to create a simple but engaging enough exploration through a heartwarming narrative.

Each tool isn't just used to progress the game. They're used to develop Moomintroll's character. He shovels his friend's garden in an act of kindness, he uses a dash to smash through snow blanketed shrubs to assist someone in need, and he pushes through his own fears to light a match so his friend isn't afraid of the dark.

A simple gameplay loop that evolves just enough to remain engaging and fully focused on the narrative and life lessons. But I also imagine the relaxing pace and wholesome atmosphere will not be for everyone. Although, it worked for me and never strayed into being boring or a too saccharine of a story.

However, Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth's mechanics wouldn't feel as suitable if they weren't supported by such strong direction. Both story and gameplay are enriched by a flawless visual and audio presentation. Somehow, Hyper Games have improved upon the visual identity of their previous title, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley. The accurate recreation of characters and landscapes are now textured with details, like blustery winds, falling snowflakes, and diamond-like glints in the snow - a continuation of how Tove Jansson placed nature as a central theme in Moomin.

Pinpoint animations also make you feel like you're playing a cartoon or picture book, as Moomintroll's determination to assist his friends is shown in his purposeful walk as his scarf flaps around in the wind. Every action breathes life into the littlest of things: fire crackling, snow being shovelled and more. All energetically moving like a picture book given life.

The score is also equally enchanting, complimenting the painterly style of the beautiful natural landscapes and the game's relaxing tone. Skilfully knowing when to embolden the tranquility, when to add impetus to emotional story beats, and when to supply energy to the smallest of acts, like cheering someone up. Priceless actions that can mean the world to someone.

During my playthrough, I collected almost everything and only experienced a few minor technical hiccups. Such as the first swing of the axe not registering on contact with a log, and every now and then, the dash would get stuck in the slide animation for a prolonged period of time.

Otherwise, everything else is down to personal preference. As I would've preferred a few more gameplay elements and deeper puzzles. But I can understand why those elements would've caused friction with their creative vision and the approachability for Moomin's wide ranging audience.

Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth might be considered mechanically shallow by some players, but I found everything from story to gameplay to serve a purpose. It's a charming and important game that respectfully honours it's direct inspiration, the book, Moominland Midwinter and proudly continues Tove Jansson's legacy with a story unafraid to veer into the darker, melancholic side of surviving a harsh winter.

If anyone wants to spend time in a wonderful layered world, with a kind, humanistically flawed and introspective character, Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth is the game to play. It's a reminder of the power of video games as an interactive medium, and a rare game that can be enjoyed as a family.