Hyper Games has returned with a second game within the world of the Moomins, following 2024’s Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley with Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth. Moomintroll is having to deal with winter for the first time, having been woken up at a time where  he’d normally be hibernating and finding a world that’s unrecognisable to him.
Similarly to Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, Moomintroll encounters some regulars of Moominvalley as well as some new beings – the Winter Beings that come out when the snows fall. As Moomintroll meets the different characters he gets given quests to complete, with a lot of these being based on finding things for others. To assist in this, Moomintroll gradually acquires tools which are used to open up new pathways and reach new places. These include matches to light up the way in dark areas, a shovel to clear areas of deep snow, axe to chop wood and ice, and mittens to throw snowballs.
Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is a game that looks really charming with great touches that accentuate that winter feeling. As you walk around the different areas, Moomintroll cuts paths through the snow which stay in place even when you leave and come back to an area. Not only does this work as a visually pleasing aesthetic, it also works as a practical way to show where you have already been and areas that you’ve yet to explore. There are a couple of locations where you can’t rely on this, though, and I did get a bit turnaround here without that visual guide, which can also affect areas that you criss-cross quite a few times. Handily, if you go into the map and select the location you want to go to a pointing hand compass will appear on screen, pointing you in the direction you need to go. The hard drawn cartoon look is a real positive for Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth, even with most of the locations covered in snow.
I did have a couple of issues with Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth. Towards the end, some of the character voice sounds did become a little annoying to hear. Also, some of the missions toward the end did feel a bit drawn out, as you slowly navigated areas where strong winds were blowing. A couple of minor bugs were also spotted. In one part a bird was floating next to its nest instead of sitting in it, while another a character was standing in a spot when they were supposed to be trapped in another location. I did not finish a couple of the side quests because it never became clear what I needed to find.
I did like the message of the story behind Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth. It is about coming to terms with challenges and finding ways to overcome them, helping friends when they need it, learning new skills, and coping and appreciating things that are unfamiliar. All great lessons to learn for younger gamers.
