Over the years, I’ve caught glimpses of these small, round creatures with gentle eyes and every time I thought to myself, “That’s a Moomin. I don’t know how I know this, but I do.” I wasn’t aware of the fact they had been around since the 1940’s or that they were created as a form of escapism and fear during World War II for Finnish author and painter, Tove Jansson. While playing Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth, I felt like it was finally time to learn about the history and lore behind the Moomins. Now after doing so, every heartwarming emotion I felt playing this makes so much more sense.
The game begins with the Moomin family getting ready for their annual winter sleep. In the midst of it, Moomintroll’s sleep is disrupted and finds their Moomin parents still sleeping soundly. With this newfound responsibility, this cozy winter adventure about fending for friendship in the Moominvalley beings.
Thanks to the top down camera, moving throughout the house allows you to see the entire perimeter of whatever room or area you’re in without worrying about angles. Since I was still wandering around the house in the dark, the game introduced tools, like matches, that you’ll be using to help light up dim areas and solve other environmental puzzles. Sparkles will appear in dimmer areas, and using the matches near them will make it possible to actually pick things up. The game doesn’t let you gather things you can’t see, so it’s wise to scope out entire areas before moving on.
Moomintroll’s first lesson starts off by trying to find a squirrel causing a ruckus in the house, which leads them both outside to brave the bone-chilling season. As squirrels love to do, it runs ahead of Moomintroll, and a concerned Moomintroll follows the squirrel to try to help it seek shelter. I live for snow levels like these and this game really gives a beautiful landscape covered in frost to look at, along with everything a winter wonderland should look like. Walking through the snow leaves a trail behind Moomintroll, I assume, as a way to tell players they’ve already been here or to help retrace your steps while backtracking during puzzles.
The night is darkest just before the dawn, and I promise you, the Moom is coming.
This was a nice addition since many sections can start to look the same since everything is covered with snow. Ice ramps are also scattered around as a speedy method of traversal and serves as a shortcut. However, sometimes they can leave you stuck and needing to find a way around or back up because you’re unable to trek up ice, so tread around these carefully. Another useful tool you’ll obtain are mittens, allowing you to make snowballs while protecting your hands from the cold snow. Moomintroll can throw a snowball at giant icicles that end up filling gaps between cliffs, creating a new path to explore areas further.
So far, Mr. Squirrel is calling out, leaving air bubble messages to guide us towards him. We find him sadly frozen in the snow, unable to move him. As we dread the worst, our friend Too-Ticky approaches us, warning Moomintroll about the storm and advises them to head into their bathing house nearby. We leave the squirrel behind and wait for the harsh weather to pass. Too-Ticky uses this as a moment to give Moomintroll a bit of a life lesson, telling them that no matter how hard we try to help, sometimes the bad result still happens.
After referring to winter as “the Lady of the Cold,” Moomintroll immediately gets angry and begins talking about the season like it’s a real person. Here we see the nature of Moomintroll–very young, hopeful, naive and takes things too literally. But what more are they to know as a small troll living with mama and papa?
The Moomin books started as a comic strip for children, but the series was never afraid to shy away from serious topics like death and isolation. Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth looks like a very wholesome and cozy game (because it 100% is), but still tries to give the player and Moomintroll the opportunity for growth and understanding of life. Learning this early on made me realize this was a major theme when it comes to the overall story of the Moomintrolls, just as the original series always tried doing so for kids.
The animation in the cutscenes really let the art style shine while having that comic book feel to it. They’re saved for major story milestones and even if they are far and few in between, this hand-drawn Moomin world has so much whimsy to it, its popularity overseas is nothing to question. Are they minimal like in Elden Ring? Yes. Are they still incredible to look at? Also yes.
Are we lost in the woods?
Moomintroll’s main goal is to bring the season of spring back using the celebration of the Great Winter Bonfire, but not without a few requirements. What I thought was a simple task ended up taking up the entire game. Some of these included gathering materials and helping out a few of the locals, known as Winter Beings. These shadow figures hide in the depths of winter storms and emerge again when the time is right. They don’t talk much, but their communication is rather sweet and they get the point across enough for Moomintroll to get.
You’ll be helping them frequently with various puzzles and quests in every section of the game. I have a habit of wandering off in games and seeing what all I can see and do before continuing the story. I highly encourage investigating your surroundings to leave no stone unturned. Helping out these little guys was so rewarding that by the end, my bonfire had a full house of Winter Beings and other cute creatures.
While preparing for the Great Winter Bonfire, you’ll be helping other lovely characters within the Moomin universe. One of my favorite characters in particular is Misabel, a sad woman who feels like a bother and lives her life comparing herself to others. Moomintroll tries to help better her perspective on life and doing so you learn about how difficult her situation has been on her. It makes for a very touching story and had me horrendously empathizing with side characters like Misabel. I never thought I’d see so much of myself in this little Moomin game. With our little protagonist being so compassionate towards every living being, Moomintroll’s refusal to give up on others is probably his biggest super power.
When it came down to progressing through the story, I was concerned I wasn’t going to have the time or want to complete any of the sidequests. Luckily, the game is great at sprinkling them all around to help you wrap up any Winter Being or important collecting while journeying through the main story. It does take a bit of backtracking, which I was worried would be frustrating, but they weren’t even close to cumbersome. At the end of the day, this game is supposed to be a cozy adventure, and even when I did backtrack, it was easy to follow.
Did I have any issues with this game? Hardly any. I experienced some slight stuttering at the beginning since I was playing the Switch version on my Switch 2 (for the record, a Switch 2 version of the game is available at launch, but we didn’t have review access to that one). This didn’t bother me since I really only saw it at the beginning and never again. Seeing logs everywhere did cause me to get slightly impatient because I knew an axe was coming my way, I just had to wait a little longer to get it. Again, no big deal because you have plenty to do with the tools you’re given.
Do you wanna build a snowman? Come on let’s go and moom.
The game has some 3D animation to it when involving snow, like when Moomintroll has to roll up giant snowballs out from bigger piles of snow. This was another way of filling gaps between two ledges to create a walkway. And the only time where I felt any jank was while holding down B on the giant snowball, I had to very awkwardly move it around the land. I beat the game before the Switch 2 update happened, so this also might be fixed by now.
By the time I hit credits, I had gone through a whirlwind of emotions that had me floored at the fact the developers really went there with a Moomin game. That said, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is a wonderful and whimsical tale where being together matters the most. Fun and beautifully written adventure games with philosophical lessons don’t come around too often, and this game hit me right at my core. It does a great job carrying over the same comforting feeling of hopefulness Tove Jansson conveys in her original works.
If you’re looking for the ultimate cozy game of 2026, then look no further because this gives you the “everything is going to be okay” feeling I think everyone could use right now, and that feeling is having a 20% sale on its launch day through Steam. Every fluke or twist that happens to Moomintroll was never planned, but it happened anyway, and it shows how life can be so uncertain and maybe that’s the best part about it. If anyone can still find a flicker of that kindheartedness even in the piercing cold, it’s Moomintroll.
Over the years, I’ve caught glimpses of these small, round creatures with gentle eyes and every time I’ve thought to myself, “That’s a Moomin. I don’t know how I know this, but I do.” I wasn’t aware of the fact they had been around since the 1940’s. Or that were created as a form of escapism and fear during World War 2 for Finnish author and painter, Tove Jansson. While playing Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth, I felt like it was finally time to learn about the history and lore behind the Moomin’s. Now, after doing so, every heart warming emotion I felt playing this makes so much more sense. This review will be spoiler free so you can still experience this cozy game with fresh eyes.
Over the years, I’ve caught glimpses of these small, round creatures with gentle eyes and every time I thought to myself, “That’s a Moomin. I don’t know how I know this, but I do.” I wasn’t aware of the fact they had been around since the 1940’s or that they were created as a form of escapism and fear during World War II for Finnish author and painter, Tove Jansson. While playing Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth, I felt like it was finally time to learn about the history and lore behind the Moomins. Now after doing so, every heartwarming emotion I felt playing this makes so much more sense.
The game begins with the Moomin family getting ready for their annual winter sleep. In the midst of it, Moomintroll’s sleep is disrupted and finds their Moomin parents still sleeping soundly. With this newfound responsibility, this cozy winter adventure about fending for friendship in the Moominvalley beings.
Thanks to the top down camera, moving throughout the house allows you to see the entire perimeter of whatever room or area you’re in without worrying about angles. Since I was still wandering around the house in the dark, the game introduced tools, like matches, that you’ll be using to help light up dim areas and solve other environmental puzzles. Sparkles will appear in dimmer areas, and using the matches near them will make it possible to actually pick things up. The game doesn’t let you gather things you can’t see, so it’s wise to scope out entire areas before moving on.
Moomintroll’s first lesson starts off by trying to find a squirrel causing a ruckus in the house, which leads them both outside to brave the bone-chilling season. As squirrels love to do, it runs ahead of Moomintroll, and a concerned Moomintroll follows the squirrel to try to help it seek shelter. I live for snow levels like these and this game really gives a beautiful landscape covered in frost to look at, along with everything a winter wonderland should look like. Walking through the snow leaves a trail behind Moomintroll, I assume, as a way to tell players they’ve already been here or to help retrace your steps while backtracking during puzzles.
The night is darkest just before the dawn, and I promise you, the Moom is coming.
This was a nice addition since many sections can start to look the same since everything is covered with snow. Ice ramps are also scattered around as a speedy method of traversal and serves as a shortcut. However, sometimes they can leave you stuck and needing to find a way around or back up because you’re unable to trek up ice, so tread around these carefully. Another useful tool you’ll obtain are mittens, allowing you to make snowballs while protecting your hands from the cold snow. Moomintroll can throw a snowball at giant icicles that end up filling gaps between cliffs, creating a new path to explore areas further.
So far, Mr. Squirrel is calling out, leaving air bubble messages to guide us towards him. We find him sadly frozen in the snow, unable to move him. As we dread the worst, our friend Too-Ticky approaches us, warning Moomintroll about the storm and advises them to head into their bathing house nearby. We leave the squirrel behind and wait for the harsh weather to pass. Too-Ticky uses this as a moment to give Moomintroll a bit of a life lesson, telling them that no matter how hard we try to help, sometimes the bad result still happens.
After referring to winter as “the Lady of the Cold,” Moomintroll immediately gets angry and begins talking about the season like it’s a real person. Here we see the nature of Moomintroll–very young, hopeful, naive and takes things too literally. But what more are they to know as a small troll living with mama and papa?
The Moomin books started as a comic strip for children, but the series was never afraid to shy away from serious topics like death and isolation. Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth looks like a very wholesome and cozy game (because it 100% is), but still tries to give the player and Moomintroll the opportunity for growth and understanding of life. Learning this early on made me realize this was a major theme when it comes to the overall story of the Moomintrolls, just as the original series always tried doing so for kids.
The animation in the cutscenes really let the art style shine while having that comic book feel to it. They’re saved for major story milestones and even if they are far and few in between, this hand-drawn Moomin world has so much whimsy to it, its popularity overseas is nothing to question. Are they minimal like in Elden Ring? Yes. Are they still incredible to look at? Also yes.
Are we lost in the woods?
Moomintroll’s main goal is to bring the season of spring back using the celebration of the Great Winter Bonfire, but not without a few requirements. What I thought was a simple task ended up taking up the entire game. Some of these included gathering materials and helping out a few of the locals, known as Winter Beings. These shadow figures hide in the depths of winter storms and emerge again when the time is right. They don’t talk much, but their communication is rather sweet and they get the point across enough for Moomintroll to get.
You’ll be helping them frequently with various puzzles and quests in every section of the game. I have a habit of wandering off in games and seeing what all I can see and do before continuing the story. I highly encourage investigating your surroundings to leave no stone unturned. Helping out these little guys was so rewarding that by the end, my bonfire had a full house of Winter Beings and other cute creatures.
While preparing for the Great Winter Bonfire, you’ll be helping other lovely characters within the Moomin universe. One of my favorite characters in particular is Misabel, a sad woman who feels like a bother and lives her life comparing herself to others. Moomintroll tries to help better her perspective on life and doing so you learn about how difficult her situation has been on her. It makes for a very touching story and had me horrendously empathizing with side characters like Misabel. I never thought I’d see so much of myself in this little Moomin game. With our little protagonist being so compassionate towards every living being, Moomintroll’s refusal to give up on others is probably his biggest super power.
When it came down to progressing through the story, I was concerned I wasn’t going to have the time or want to complete any of the sidequests. Luckily, the game is great at sprinkling them all around to help you wrap up any Winter Being or important collecting while journeying through the main story. It does take a bit of backtracking, which I was worried would be frustrating, but they weren’t even close to cumbersome. At the end of the day, this game is supposed to be a cozy adventure, and even when I did backtrack, it was easy to follow.
Did I have any issues with this game? Hardly any. I experienced some slight stuttering at the beginning since I was playing the Switch version on my Switch 2 (for the record, a Switch 2 version of the game is available at launch, but we didn’t have review access to that one). This didn’t bother me since I really only saw it at the beginning and never again. Seeing logs everywhere did cause me to get slightly impatient because I knew an axe was coming my way, I just had to wait a little longer to get it. Again, no big deal because you have plenty to do with the tools you’re given.
Do you wanna build a snowman? Come on let’s go and moom.
The game has some 3D animation to it when involving snow, like when Moomintroll has to roll up giant snowballs out from bigger piles of snow. This was another way of filling gaps between two ledges to create a walkway. And the only time where I felt any jank was while holding down B on the giant snowball, I had to very awkwardly move it around the land. I beat the game before the Switch 2 update happened, so this also might be fixed by now.
By the time I hit credits, I had gone through a whirlwind of emotions that had me floored at the fact the developers really went there with a Moomin game. That said, Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth is a wonderful and whimsical tale where being together matters the most. Fun and beautifully written adventure games with philosophical lessons don’t come around too often, and this game hit me right at my core. It does a great job carrying over the same comforting feeling of hopefulness Tove Jansson conveys in her original works.
If you’re looking for the ultimate cozy game of 2026, then look no further because this gives you the “everything is going to be okay” feeling I think everyone could use right now, and that feeling is having a 20% sale on its launch day through Steam. Every fluke or twist that happens to Moomintroll was never planned, but it happened anyway, and it shows how life can be so uncertain and maybe that’s the best part about it. If anyone can still find a flicker of that kindheartedness even in the piercing cold, it’s Moomintroll.
by Adriana Rodriguez
