Moomintroll: Winter's Warmth Review | Finding Family Hidden in the Snow

The beloved world and characters from Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson have come back to life again in an adorable new adventure game from developer Hyper Games. Looking at the characters from the Moomin universe, you may think that this adventure is just for children, but there’s just as much fun and laughs to be found here for adults as well. The newest title, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth tells an important story about community, tradition, kindness, and much more in a tale full of charm that you won’t want to end.

In this new installment of the Moomin game series, you play as Moomintroll after waking up during his family’s winter hibernation. To his shock, Moominpapa and Moominmama are still asleep despite the windows bursting open and the cold winter air getting into the house. As Moomintroll ventures carefully through the house, eventually he notices a squirrel and runs into the bitter snowstorm outside in order to find it and invite it back into the house. It’s there that Moomintroll gets his first real experience with winter, as well as hearing about the person in charge of it known as “The Lady of the Cold,” and he isn’t exactly her fan. 

While Moomintroll is distraught that Moominpapa and Moominmama are still asleep, thankfully there are other residents of Moominvalley around, some that offer advice and others that desperately need Moomintroll’s help. Not only that, but the annual tradition that takes place in Moominvalley, where the mysterious “winter beings” light a great bonfire, didn’t happen and it’s up to Moomintroll to find out why and try to help kickstart the tradition. 

Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth has mechanics that are super easy to pick up. At the start, he learns how to throw snowballs which can be used to knock down icicles or beat that rotten brat Little My at a snowball fight. He also finds a shovel, which turns out to be very helpful for shoveling the really large bits of snow blocking the paths to his neighbors. The more Moomintroll explores, the more he’ll pick up and learn to use. Throughout the game, you’ll also find other bits and pieces that pertain to side missions, like pieces of Moominmama’s vase that shattered in one of the gusts of biting cold winds. 

And when it comes to side missions, there’s a lot to get done! Not only do you have to find people to attend the bonfire, but you’ll need firewood, and you have to gather the winter beings, of course. And, just like real life, you’ll get distracted along the way, completing dozens of other favors that your neighbors will ask of you. It’s an adventure that will have you laughing (and maybe even crying a bit) all the way through because of just how sweet and heartwarming it can be. 

The fun mechanics, characters, and story are accompanied by a beautifully illustrated world that absolutely twinkles like a winter wonderland. And it’s a much larger map than you might think! At one point, Little My takes something from Moomintroll’s home and you’ll have to chase her up and down a huge mountain to get it back! There’s also backtracking as you find areas that are blocked off by stumps you’ll need to come back and clear out when you have the right tool for the job. Winter’s Warmth is full of so many surprises that the game will fly by. 

If I had to mention a couple of nitpicky things about the mechanics, I’d have to bring up the way that the world goes dark when the characters are having some conversations. I didn’t like the way that it briefly pulls you out of the game for these conversations, rather than allowing you to click through bubbles like you can when Moomintroll is walking around. One other thing I’ll mention is that throwing snowballs can be a bit tricky. Once you get used to it, it’s much easier. But especially on the keyboard, it is sometimes hard to aim the snowballs. That being said, the game does recommend a controller so after switching over to a controller, it was a lot better, though still occasionally awkward. 

Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is simply a joy. Despite its cold setting it is full of heart-warming moments, some genuinely laugh out loud scenes, and brilliant dialogue that teaches important, relevant lessons. The world is illustrated so beautifully, and at a few points, I honestly stopped just to take in the details for a moment. Each and every part of this new title is well thought out and brilliantly executed. And the best part is, you don’t have to play the first game, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley (though you should!) in order to enjoy it.

Breakdown

Game Name: Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth

Developer: Hyper Games

Publisher: Hyper Games, Kakehashi Games

Platforms: PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2

Game Length: 8-10 hours

Accessibility:

• Ability to toggle system cursor

• Ability to toggle large text

• Ability to toggle dyslexic font

• Ability to turn off text animation

• Ability to make speech bubbles last longer

Final Thoughts

I absolutely could not wait to play Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth, and I wasn’t disappointed. The Moomin characters are already full of adorable charm that you can’t help but fall in love with them in a game setting, too. And getting to wander around their world at your own pace, meeting new people and helping them out, just makes you happy. A few minor kinks barely do anything to take away from everything that this new title has to offer, and gamers of all ages will find its snowy adventure fantastic from start to finish.

Reviewed on PC. Key provided by popagenda.