Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, the lovely looking musical adventure based on Tove Jansson’s classic series of children’s stories, finally has a released date and will be launching for Switch and PC via Steam on Tuesday, 7th March.
Melody of Moominvalley sees players slipping into the oversized green hat of the wanderer Snufkin, as he harnesses the power of music – and his trusty harmonica – to restore nature after the Park Keeper and his minions build hideous parks all over Moominvalley.
“As Snufkin you will distract police officers, pull out signs, and knock over misplaced statues,” explains Norweigian developer Hyper Games, “as you vigorously try to restore nature and the inhabitants’ home while putting an end to the industrious Park Keeper’s plans.”
All that plays out in the form of a “wholesome” adventure in which players explore Melody of Moominvalley’s beautifully drawn open-world locales, chatting to its charming cast of characters – each with stories to tell and quests to complete – and doing a spot of musical and environmental puzzling (with a bit of stealth thrown in) along the way.
It’s gentle stuff, then, and Eurogamer’s Robert Purchese rather liked what he saw of Melody of Mooinvalley last year. “We watch Snufkin lazing by a tent in the snow,” he wrote, “and fishing in a frozen lake, as if nothing else matters in the world. Then we watch him walk slowly back in the spring to see his moomin friend… All while the band Sigur Rós strums gently in accompaniment, and as soft panels of idyllic countryside scenery slide by. It’s a bit like Snufkin’s mission, I suppose, the opposite of what life has become for many of us now – cluttered, smoggy, heavy. It’s light and airy and simple. It’s a nice place to be.”
And if that appeals, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley will cost around £18 (with 10 percent off until release day) when it launches for Steam and Switch on 7th March.