The highly anticipated game Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley will be released on PC Steam and Nintendo Switch on 7 March 2024. Here is everything you need to know about the upcoming release, with behind-the-scenes details and commentary from its makers!
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is an engaging game for all ages built upon Tove Jansson’s Moomin stories, nature, and the free, rebellious spirit of Snufkin. The game will come out on PC Steam and Nintendo Switch on 7 March 2024, and on mobile in late 2024.
The new Snufkin game is a wholesome and atmospheric experience designed for Moomin enthusiasts and any players who seek uniquely crafted gaming experiences. With the help of Snufkin’s trusty harmonica and the inhabitants of Moominvalley, the player has to overcome obstacles through a series of musical puzzles and stealth gameplay.
“The idea for a Moomin game kicked off in 2020, after we’d been working on a project with quite a dark theme for a long time and were craving something more cheery. The idea first came to me when reading Tove Jasson’s picture book Who will comfort Toffle?, and the ball rolled quite quickly from there”, says Are Sundnes, co-founder and CEO at Hyper Games.
The core inspiration of the game’s storyline comes from the book Moominsummer Madness (1954), where Snufkin ends up in a conflict with the Park Keeper. The game is built on Snufkin’s respect for nature, as known in the original novels, but gives a bigger role to the Park Keeper and the battle between the two.
“We wrote the story together with the Moomin team – it’s completely original but inspiration was drawn from the various Moomin stories, and there are several references to them in the game”, Sundnes explains.
“Choosing Snufkin as the protagonist wasn’t an immediately obvious choice, but the team very quickly identified he had the perfect explorer character for such a game. This fascinating wanderer, who is a bit of a rebel and very independent but can also appreciate the company of others.”
A homage to Tove Jansson’s iconic art
The atmosphere of the game is rooted in honouring nature – something that is key to the original Moomin stories largely inspired by the Nordic archipelago and lifestyle.
The game is not only a love letter to nature as Tove Jansson saw it, but also her iconic art style that has impacted people worldwide.
“Tove Jansson was a wonderful artist with a distinct style. Specifically, her watercolour paintings inspired much of the game art originally. While we don’t try to mimic the style directly, it’s important to us that it feels like the ideas were born in Jansson’s hands”, Sundnes says.
Hyper Games was given permission to create a new visual style for the game by MC Oy Ltd, the family business and owner of the Moomin licence. A rigorous process started from there.
“Recreating Tove Jansson’s world and especially bringing the characters alive in their iconic traits and quirks was a daunting but hugely important task. Rather than trying to copy something specific, we needed to distil the essence of each character across all of Jansson’s work”, Sundnes adds.
“It was a delicate balancing act of crafting details and fitting them into the game’s narrative, while staying true to the spirit and high standards of the original work. We wanted the experience to feel somehow handcrafted, in both visual style and animation, to create a world that players would want to get lost in.”
Watch the new release trailer here:
Meet dozens of characters from Moominvalley
Alongside Snufkin, the game includes 50+ other characters from the Moomin stories.
Naturally, Snufkin will need the help of his dear friend, Moomintroll – but the game also introduces players to a bunch of lesser-known characters, like Teety Woo and forest creatures.
The residents of Moominvalley will all help Snufkin in his mission in various ways. Even the creatures that might feel scary at first!
Venture around Moominvalley and unlock new levels through music
The game starts with a tutorial in the “Wild Country”, the area outside Moominvalley.
The short story The Spring Tune (Tales from Moominvalley, 1962) gives insight into how Snufkin spends his time during winters – trying to find inspiration for a new melody whilst trekking through the wilderness.
Sundnes explains: “This is where Snufkin’s story in our game begins. When he arrives in the spring, he finds a soft cover of snow, with trees and flowers slowly awakening.”
After the player gets to grips with what is required, they – Snufkin – enter the game in the southwestern part of Moominvalley. This is where most of the Park Keeper’s parks, as well as the Moominhouse, are.
In the game, Snufkin also visits the deforested area of The Groke, the bathing hut and beach cave, the Hattifattener’s Island, as well as all of western Moominvalley.
Snufkin’s harmonica continues to play a big part throughout the game. The different areas and levels unlock through his musical inspiration that he gets from nature, as the player explores the surroundings with the ability to push and pull items. Upon building the inspiration, the story continues and later on, Snufkin also gets his hands on more instruments.
Along the game, the player also gets to enjoy beautiful interludes.
“We really cherish these cinematic scenes that allow the player to get closer to the characters. These gems enrich the emotional depth of our narrative, as well as pay tribute to the legacy of Tove Jansson”, says Marcus Kjeldsen, the Lead Artist of the game.
An iconic Nordic band on the soundtrack
The Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley soundtrack is its own unique piece of art put together by Sigur Rós, an iconic Icelandic post-rock band, and composer Oda Tilset, amongst others. A band from an island of volcanoes, mountains, glaciers, and sea is the perfect soundtrack collaborator to set the scene and transport players to Nordic surroundings.
“I’m a big fan of Sigur Rós, and I feel they’re the perfect partner to give the game a Nordic feel and really emphasise the different moods. Developing the audio is equally as important as the visual aspects of a game”, says Sundnes.
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley available on 7 March 2024
The vision and goal for you as a player is to truly feel like you’re stepping into Moominvalley. The game encourages you to explore everything, from the different landmarks to the trees, flowers, and inhabitants, in a whole new way.
When Snufkin returns in the spring, he notices that Moominvalley somehow sounds odd, and even the waters and the trees feel different. The melody has been disrupted. As Snufkin, you need to find out what has happened to the valley and restore its harmony!
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Pre-order on Nintendo UK & Europe
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Launch times in Steam on 7 March 2024:
8:00 AM PST (Los Angeles)
11:00 EST (New York)
13:00 PM BRT (Sáo Paolo)
16:00 PM GMT (London)
17:00 CET (Stockholm)
18:00 EET (Helsinki)
1:00 AM JST+1 (Tokyo)
3:00 AM AEDT+1 (Sydney)
5:00 AM NZDT+1 (Auckland)
“Walking had been easy, because his knapsack was nearly empty and he had no worries on his mind. He felt happy about the wood and the weather, and himself. Tomorrow and yesterday were both at a distance, and just at present the sun was shining brightly red between the birches, and the air was cool and soft.
It’s the right evening for a tune, Snufkin thought. A new tune, one part expectation, two parts spring sadness, and for the rest, just the great delight of walking alone and liking it.”
– The Spring Tune, Tales from Moominvalley (1962)
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Snufkin, the wise adventurer
Snufkin is a philosopher and a wanderer who enjoys the simple things in life – fishing, playing his harmonica and walking alone at night.
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