By Makeda Byfield

Let this review serve as a warning — Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is nothing but good trouble. I sat down with the expectation of playing for about 45 minutes to an hour. Four hours later, I was still seated with no sign of putting my Nintendo Switch down anytime soon! As a new player who was unfamiliar with the Snufkin/Moomin franchise, there was still so much that drew me in. From Snufkin’s witty and sarcastic dialogue, to the calming and melodic background music, to the beautifully written narrative, Snufkin was a delight to play.

The game starts with Snufkin, an adventurer wearing a green coat and hat, and Moomintroll— a white hippo/elephant looking creature— saying an emotional goodbye. 

“I’ll miss you terribly, Snufkin.” Moomintroll says. 

“Are you sure you need to go?” 

Immediately, I have questions! Where is Snufkin going? Why? What’s the relationship between these two? And why can’t they go along with Snufkin? The players learn that Snufkin needs to leave Moominvalley for Autumn, but that he’ll return in the Spring. After the opening credits show Snufkin’s journey to wherever he goes for Fall/Winter, he says he can’t wait to reunite with Moomintroll. I get the idea that spring has come again, and that it’s time to return to the bridge where we left our old friend a few months ago. 

We’re given a few small quests on our journey back to the bridge. A small creature that says they’re too small and useless to deserve a name needs help looking for something to be called. A kangaroo gets caught in a spider web and Snufkin needs to negotiate with the spider to set it free. These quests gave me the impression that this would be a simple and easy game. Boy, was I wrong.

The game sets the foundation for conflict early on. We see wildlife running from the direction we are heading in, signs prohibiting common behaviors in the forest, and need to figure out who added these rules and signs. A creature urges us to continue in the direction of trouble to find the root of the problem and solve it (as opposed to running away with all the other forest critters.) 

Returning to the bridge, it’s clear that something is seriously wrong. The river beneath has dried up. The flowers have wilted and any sign of life seems to have shriveled up. This is a stark contrast to the woodsy feel that the forest had the last time it was traversed. Furthermore, Moomintroll is not at the bridge like they were supposed to be. What a terrible start to Spring! 

After speaking with Moominpapa, Moominmama, and a villager named Little My, Snufkin learns that Moomintroll has been pulled into the forest by a creature named Groke. This big, grayish looking blob runs toward and chases throughout the woods. It was at this point that I realized I’d actually have to work hard to get through this game. The Groke was quick, and I had some trouble maneuvering through all the obstacles like decayed tree logs.

When we’re finally free from the Groke, we encounter two parkkeepers in what appears to be a police uniform. They are setting a campfire, which Snufkin suggests they do not light because it’s too dry in the area. And just like that, the forest bursts into flames! The Groke, which is supposedly icy cold, uses its body to stop the fire.  After realizing that the creature that I thought was so scary only wanted to help me, my friend, and my community, I began to understand that things were not what they seemed. The big scary Groke was an ally. The Park Keepers, who kept going on about making improvements to the area, were actually hurting it.

I don’t want to give too many spoilers away, so I’ll just say that our journey to find Moomin brought Snufkin and Groke to every corner of the Moominvalley universe—and beyond! For example, we had to take a raft that a villager helped us make to a new island and explore their caves on the hunt for our friend. Finally, we find out Moomintroll has been arrested by the Parkkeepers. A full-town effort to put on a play titled the Melody of Moominvalley distracts the main Park Keeper and allows us to save our friend. Along the way, we get to interact with over fifty forest creatures, complete smaller quests, and destroy the new parks the Park Keepers built (which displaced the wildlife.) 

I’m not sure my words will fully capture how much I enjoyed this game! I completed it in just six hours, taking only one break to eat lunch and use the bathroom. As soon as I was done, I burst into my mom’s room and proceeded to give a 20-minute long rant about my newfound love for Snufkin and crew. This game has easily taken the slot for my second favorite game that I’ve reviewed for the NYVGCC and I hope to look more into the Moomin franchise going forward.

My feedback for this game is minimízale. Was it perfect? No. There were a lot of quests I didn’t finish on this first run because I was more focused on the main task of finding and rescuing Moomintroll. However, I can always play again to complete the other quests. They say this game is suitable for all ages (but do not to mistake it for a children’s game) and I can understand what it means. I grew frustrated at the minigames of destroying the Park Keeper’s parks, which were heavily guarded; but, the challenge made the game that much more enjoyable. I liked that there wasn’t an “easy” win. That being said, it might be a bit too hard for younger players.

Other than that, there’s only one aspect of  Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley that I’m unsure of: The Ending. It gave me the message that we should forgive those who have inflicted systemic harm and find a way to cohabitate with them. I’m not sure that I like that idea. The Park Keepers agree to stop building Parks and will guard the revised theater instead. This is nice, but I personally don’t believe that forgiveness is required in order to heal. Maybe this is just my personal beliefs clouding my judgment of the game, but I kind of wished that the Park Keepers were told to go back to wherever they came from.

With all that being said, I will be replaying Snufkin! This game was cute, the animations were adorable, and the overall gameplay was refreshing. It also gave me a depended appreciation of nature and encouraged me to cherish the few green spaces we have in NYC. As Spring brings new beginnings in my real life, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is something I’ll happily embrace and keep playing again and again. 

Makeda is a senior intern who shines in her writing, of course. But she also shines through her interviews and her Co-Hosting of the New York Game Awards.

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