Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, the sweet musical adventure based on Tove Jansson's classic series of children's stories, finally has a release date and launches for Switch and PC via Steam on Thursday, March 7.
Melody of Moominvalley sees players slip into Wanderer Snufkin's oversized green hat, as he harnesses the power of music – and his trusty harmonica – to restore nature after the Park Keeper and his minions build parks hideous everywhere in Moominvalley.
“As Snufkin, you'll distract police officers, take down signs, and topple misplaced statues,” explains Norwegian developer Hyper Games, “all while vigorously trying to restore nature and the locals' homes while putting an end to the plans industrious park keeper.”
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley | Available March 7 | Pre-order available!All of this plays out as a “wholesome” adventure in which players explore Melody of Moominvalley's beautifully drawn open-world locations, chatting with its charming characters – each with stories to tell and quests to complete – and doing a game of musical and environmental puzzles (with a bit of stealth) along the way.
So it's sweet stuff, 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 said. wrote“and fishing in a frozen lake, as if nothing else mattered in the world. Then we watch him slowly return in the spring to see his moumin friend… All while the band Sigur Rós gently scrapes in accompaniment, and also gently panels of idyllic countryside landscapes pass 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, airy and simple. It's a nice place to be.”
And if you're interested, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley will cost around £18 (with 10% off until release day) when it launches. Steam And To change on March 7.
