I like to joke that, being from Minnesota, with my Norwegian heritage, and the fact that I was born during a blizzard, means the frosty season just courses through my veins, but I feel I would have fallen in love with the world of Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth very quickly. There’s something magical about the first winter snow of the year; for a time, it’s quiet, and the world just seems to sparkle, even with the impending hour you’ll spend shoveling. Winter’s Warmth sparkles.
Moomintroll, however, is usually hibernating with his Moominmama and Moominpapa during this season, so he has no idea what to make of it when he’s woken up in the middle of the night to cold, howling winds and a squirrel that’s taken refuge in the house.
The squirrel gets scared off, and Moomintroll feels terrible about it, leading him outside to face winter and the Lady of the Cold head-on. Hyper Games pulls no punches about the reality of cold weather here, but I had to have a good laugh at the reality of some of Moomintroll’s dialogue as he searched for the animal. (As someone who meets a lot of people experiencing a Midwest winter for the first time, it was spot on.)
Even though his best friend Snufkin has left for the winter, there’s still a colorful cast of friends enjoying the snow. Too Ticky gets you gloves, tells you more about the Lady of the Cold, and teaches you how to throw a snowball, essential for reaching some areas of the Valley. Little My, while stubborn, helps you eventually find the fun in your wintery surroundings. Fillyjonk and her kids mean well, but, you know, kids will be kids in the snow!
Some characters will even help you earn more tools in the game, like The Hemulen, who reunites you with your father’s axe, allowing you to chop fallen trees and, later on, blocks of ice. The acquisition of more skills and tools feels natural, as does the reflection in Moomintroll’s dialogue as he gets more proficient in the tools and his feelings about winter as well.
Your main objective is to gather firewood, invite residents and winter beings of the valley to a celebration that should usher in the end of winter. In true (Midwest) fashion, though, your neighbors need helping, the winter beings need helping, and you’re not one to say no, so there are lots of things to gather and much mischief to be had. And what’s winter without a snowball fight or four?
For those who want a challenging game full of high-stakes situations, this isn’t it. About the worst thing that can happen to you is getting pushed backward or down an ice slide because of the wind. Between my Steam Deck and desktop, the game played beautifully, aside from a few moments near the end when Moomintroll would get stuck in a gust of wind. Sometimes waiting a moment would resolve the issue, but other times I needed to back out to the menu and reload. With the robust auto-save system, I was never sent very far back when I loaded back in. I would recommend heeding the developers’ advice and playing with a controller when you do play.
Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth didn’t need to reinvent or overcomplicate the cozy genre, and they didn’t. What the game does is capture something those who love winter know well, the quiet and the sparkle. Through exploring in the snow, conversations with your friends, and the delight of helping others, Hyper Games created a world that’s comforting even in the coldest moments. By the time I lit the bonfire near the end, winter didn’t feel harsh or lonely, but alive and full of community.
Really, it’s everything I love about living in the Midwest.
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