The Moomins franchise, created by Finnish author Tove Jansson, is a fascinating case of being a slow burner success. For the first, say, fifty years or so of its existence, it was a hit amongst Nordic children. But come the early 90s, an animated series made in Japan made the franchise popular in other European countries, as well as the aforementioned Japan, and the franchise hadn’t lost its steam ever since. After a well-received game released in 2024, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley (which even featured music by Icelandic band Sigur Rós), a brand new title crafted by the same studio, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is finally out, with a completely different premise and setting.

Moomintroll is a lot braver than I’d ever be in such an environment.

Whilst Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley was somewhat of a music-themed adventure, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth goes for a more introspective, narrative-focused route. It’s still an adventure game with low stakes (it’s a franchise for children, for crying out loud), but its premise is actually about being able to cope with the cold and darkness of the winter months. The protagonist of the franchise as a whole, the titular Moomintroll, has woken up from hibernation before his parents, and finds himself alone in a frozen land full of snow, obstacles, and loneliness. Together with one of his best friends, Moomintroll sets off on an adventure to bring spring to the land, by creating a bonfire festival with song, dance, and friends.

A premise that is quite simple to grasp: figure out a way to set up the Finnish wholesome equivalent to Burning Man. Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth‘s pacing is quite easygoing: you start off with very few tools to help you out explore the frozen wilderness. Meet interesting side characters, solve their problems, and they’ll either guide you to the next location, give you a tool that lets you access new areas, or both. There are sidequests and MANY collectibles, but nothing too egregious. It’s meant to be a feel-good time. Soak in the sights and sounds, whilst you explore these snow-covered landscapes.

Hey hey. Love yourself a little!

Without a doubt, the most striking aspect about this game is its visuals. It’s a wonderful achievement: it manages to look gorgeous even when the gigantic majority of its backgrounds and locales are covered in a neverending pile of white snow. The characters all look like living cartoons, in a Paper Mario-esque kind of way. Animations are simplistic, making Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth feel even more like the cartoon from three and a half decades ago. The music is equally as beautiful, but there is a catch. In fact, it’s a catch that permeates through basically all of the game’s aspects, from its presentation to its story.

This is a sad game. I guess I should have done some better research before diving into the world of the Moomins, but this game’s setting, tone, music, and story, are all surprisingly sad, with the occasional heavy subject matter for a children’s franchise. I thought the Finns were the happiest people on Earth? Not even half an hour into my adventure, I was greeted with the possibility of a character passing away, and being consoled by someone else telling me that death is a natural part of life. I mean, sure, it’s treated in a beautiful tone, but damn that was a sucker punch I simply wasn’t expecting!

A good chunk of Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is set in vast, white snowy landscapes, and yet it never feels visually repetitive.

That’s not to say this is dour, or devoid of humor. The cute characters still deliver the occasional joke, and the dialogue is really well-written. There’s also the fact that, well, no matter how much you try to make an adventure set in the lonely cold of winter heartwarming or inviting, winter is rarely seen as the happiest of settings, outside of the days preceding Christmas. I didn’t feel that Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth was this cozy, even though I really liked how adorable Moomintroll was as a character. I guess Nordic kids are just brought up differently. Learning how to cope with heavier subject matters right from the getgo might be the reason why Scandinavia is such a developed place after all. Who knows…

Bro I was told you were gonna be an easygoing game, not a gut punch to the feels!

Even if the prospect of wanting to play a game about shoveling snow and dealing with the darkness of winter might not be the most interesting idea in April and May, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is a pretty game with an easygoing gameplay loop which will provide you with a good time. Granted, don’t expect it to be the coziest, most inviting children’s game in existence, with some slightly heavier subject matters being tackled every now and then (loneliness, overcoming adversities, dealing with the prospects of people dying), but it’s a beautiful, well-put adventure, still worth your time. It’s just not worth a hug.

Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is available now on PC and Switch.

Reviewed on Intel i7-12700H, 16GB RAM, RTX 3060 6GB and Asus ROG Ally.

A copy of Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth was provided by the publisher.