We’re delighted to announce that Steam Next Fest has officially started, bringing you the long-awaited warm and enchanting journey of Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley. Try the brand-new demo and tune into our wonderful streams that aim at sharing stories surrounding the development of the game, as well as inviting you to experience the game together!
How to get the demo:
Bring something warm and sweet - like a blanket, hot chocolate and cookies!☕🍪
Bringing the Snufkin’s adventure to one of the largest festivals on Steam🎉
“This October 2023 Edition of the Steam Next Fest invites all to embark on a beautiful journey into the world of games, spanning several days. Here, you will have the wondrous opportunity to explore demos, engage in enchanting conversations with the very conjurers of gaming, witness the whole spectrum of live streams, and uncover the secrets of forthcoming games on Steam”.
Certainly, the enchanting tale of Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley could not stay away from a gathering like this. So, with boundless joy, we’re announcing that we shall weave our melodic adventure into the fabric of Steam Next Fest, Oct 9-16 starting at 7pm CEST!
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley demo - available worldwide🌎
The moment you've all been yearning for has finally arrived! Prepare to set out on an adventure as Snufkin and to meet whimsical characters, adorable and quirky creatures, and find yourself in the captivating Moominvalley - a world come to life in beautiful story book style for anyone seeking a heartwarming experience. Pack up your knapsacks and join Snufkin as he is returning from is winter travels to a valley waking up in the spring. You will quickly learn that something has disturbed the harmony in nature and the inhabitants will need Snufkins’ help - indulge the mischief, helping friends and playing your harmonica to solve puzzles as you head on a quest to restore the Moominvalley from the industrious Park Keeper!
Open your heart to this journey that will kindle your soul and infuse your everyday life with radiant magic. Allow it to put a smile on your face and let it swathe you in a cozy quilt of wholesomeness🎀
It’s story time! - a dev stream🎮
Within the enchanting realm of Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley the CEO of Hyper Games, Are Sundnes, and the Sr. Community Manager, Daria Driver shall embark upon a delightful journey into the origins of this wondrous odyssey. From the spark of inspiration to the blossoming of ideas, and the crafting of the ultimate voyage, they will unveil the secrets behind the creation of this snugly adventure. So, wrap yourself into the coziest of blankets, hug your plush companions, and cradle a steaming mug in your palms, as together we shall uncover the enchanting tale behind this heartwarming journey🤗
More details coming soon!
WORLDWIDE PREMIERE - streaming the Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley demo for the first time!📺
Whether you've been a lifelong fan of adorable Moomins or you simply enjoy cute wholesome adventures - this stream is for you✨ Let's all snuggle up together and set sail on this long-anticipated, utterly enchanting journey with our beloved wanderer Snufkin and his dear friends!
Our warm community can't wait to have you join us on this incredibly special day. But if you happen to arrive a tad late, don't fret - we might just be up to some sweet mischief😉.
We’re happy to announce that our magical adventure Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is joining the Story Rich Game Festival, taking place on October 2-8 on Steam - a celebration of games focused around immersive journeys and experiences in beautifully crafted digital worlds, where players and storytellers come together to celebrate the art of interactive storytelling.
Take a moment and celebrate the magic, wonder and unforgettable experiences that the deep and immersive stories in games take you on 💚- we hope that you'll enjoy them as much as we do!
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a labor of love and we are continuously sharing snippets and pieces of our journey of creating this game. As we are heading toward the launch in Q1 2024, follow us on Twitter (X), Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Discord not to miss any of the details we share surrounding these beautiful stories, and hopefully you will be as inspired as we are for strong, story rich experiences ✨
Tokyo Game Show is Starting Today!🍃
Don’t miss out on the wonderful opportunity to play the game first-hand!🌞
Get ready to embark on an enchanting journey through the world of Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley that promises to capture your heart and spread joy. Our delightful game is set to showcase its brand new demo at the prestigious Tokyo Game Show on Sep 21-24, Hall 9, Booth E89, where you will have a unique chance to experience the magic and wonder it has to offer first-hand! Apart from the demo, we’ve also prepared a few heartwarming interactions and a few adorable giveaways✨
Meet the devs🎮
Hyper Games, the passionate and imaginative team behind the game, will also be attending the show! With an unwavering commitment to crafting heartwarming and charming experiences, they have poured their creativity and love into every pixel of the game. So make sure you use this chance to meet them in person, and ask any questions, should you have any, or just say hi😊
So, if you find yourself at the Tokyo Game Show this year, be sure to seek out Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley and get ready to set sail on an unforgettable journey filled with joy, wonder, and the purest of emotions✨
Follow and tag us on social media (@hypergames on Twitter or @hyper.games.studio on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok) and get a chance to feature in our wholesome stories!☕
See you there!🤗
The Online Music Festival Save & Sound is Officially On!
The festival of tunes, sounds, melodies… and all things music🎼
This time Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is participating in the Save & Sound music festival, bringing you joyous melodies, intricate sound designs and heart-warming tracks. Listen in on how the music for the game was composed and how the collaboration with the icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós came to be. If you haven’t done so yet, have a look through our previous post to find out more about the Snufkin’s musical journey🌿
Wonderful surprises we’ve prepared for you on this melodic adventure🎁
Mark your calendar for 9pm CEST on the 11th of September as the day when you step into the world of wonder as we make an appearance on the festival's official stream! Choose your preferred platform and tune into this unique opportunity to delve into the inner workings of the game's intricate sound design, where the Hyper Games' meticulous craftsmanship brings every sound (and croak!) within the game to life. Join the developers as they reveal the art behind their creations and share their deepest insights and inspirations. In addition, you get to hear from Kjartan Sveinsson, from Sigur Rós, explaining how the band intertwine their music with the game's very essence as well as shed light on the inspirations that fuel their artistry. Prepare to embark on an enchanting adventure into the realms of sound and imagination, where magic and music unite for an unforgettable experience✨
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley wanders to Tokyo Game Show!
“As fellow wanderers ourselves, we are journeying through thick forests, raging seas and snowy valleys all the way from the Nordics to Japan, bringing you a brand new look on our game - Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley. We’re excited to world premiere a demo for our fans and community at Tokyo Game Show – sharing the happiness and enchanting world of Moomin with visitors of the event…”
We’re happy to announce that Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is coming to Tokyo Game Show, Hall 9 Booth E89, with a brand new demo! If you happen to adventure around the event, don’t miss out on this magical opportunity to play it - as it’s filled with wonderful and mischievous characters of Moomin. You’ll have a unique chance to feel first-hand what it’s like to be playing as the vagabond wanderer and philosopher Snufkin, experience the beauty of the Wild Country, go on soulful quests and explore areas never seen before!✨
So, get into your comfy clothes, pack your soft backpack and come find us at the Tokyo Game Show running from Thursday, September 21, to Sunday, September 24. It would warm our hearts to see you there 🌞
And while you’re preparing for the adventure, don’t forget to visit our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Discord – we have blankets, cookies and wholesome stories☕
Our Journey Continues to the Save & Sound Festival🎵
Let’s tune in to wonderful melodies🎼
Save & Sound is a music festival taking place online. It sets up a beautiful celebration of inspiring soundtracks as well as one-of-a-kind audio and music design in games. On top of that, the festival offers wonderful deals and demos on Steam.
Snufkin’s adventures are music adventures🍃
Snufkin is a famous vagabond and adventurer, but only few know that he never ventures anywhere without his harmonica. His friends enjoy listening to the Snufkin’s melodies greatly and find comfort and fascination in the way the vagabond plays. Music is said to bring people together, and this is precisely the case for Snufkin - especially when he uses his harmonica to brighten up someone’s mood, make new friends or find help on his challenging journey.
What contributed to the immersion into the Snufkin’s musical journey is not just his masterful skill in playing harmonica but also the magnificent soundtrack created in collaboration with the Icelandic band Sigur Rós. Inspired by Iceland’s harsh weathers and unique stunning views of nature and wilderness, the melodies born in the hands and hearts of Sigur Rós contribute to the Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley’s magical appeal and atmosphere that touch the soul itself and wrap into a warm blanket, full of love and tenderness.
Join us in this beautiful celebration of tunes and melodies✨
“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
In the heart of a beautiful realm, you find Snufkin wandering old paths through the thick canopy of ancient trees where rays of sun cast a mesmerising dance of shadow and light. The air is alive with a symphony of harmony and a welcoming, serene feeling that Snufkin is familiar with. We have entered the outskirts of Moominvalley, the Wild Country.
“The Wild Country“ (or Ödemarken in Swedish) is what Tove Jansson called the wild and nameless area across Moominvalley’s surrounding mountains. While we don’t know exactly what Snufkin is doing all winter, the short story “The Spring Tune” gives a few clues, as it follows Snufkin on a walk through the wilderness, in search of inspiration for a new melody.
This is where Snufkin’s story in our game begins. When he arrives in spring, you find a soft cover of snow, like a blanket covering parts of the landscape, with trees and flowers slowly awakening.
Bringing the characteristics of the landscape to life
Your travels as Snufkin will take you from breathtaking vistas to dark caves. The landscape with its rocky faces, rugged slopes, and paths… and even the sun itself feels alive, as if you can reach out and touch it, and then it will suddenly smile back at you, or give another meaningful response. Tove Jansson was a wonderful artist and seemed to enjoy painting large natural landscapes and vistas with her distinct visual style. While we don’t try to mimic the style directly, it’s important to us that the game has a similar vibe - and that everything feels like it was Jansson’s hands where the ideas were born.
Nordic harmony
What’s guiding and inspiring us to create and realise these amazing stories and places is the place from which Tove Jansson also drew inspiration - the beauty of the Nordic landscape. The Finnish archipelago was one of her favourite destinations, and together with her partner Tuulikki Pietilä they spent nearly 30 summers on the island of Klovharu. The island life was inspirational for the artists and the way of living in Moominvalley is a lot influenced by the harsh Finnish nature and the life the couple lived close to the sea.
"He thought about how much he loved everything, the forest, the sea, the rain and the wind, the sunshine, the grass and the moss, and how impossible it would be to live without them all..." - Comet in Moominland
Step into Moominvalley and close your eyes. You might hear a river running between the sea and the mountain. You might hear the leaves in the trees, the birds chirp in the distance, or maybe a noise from a creature or two making their way through the forests. Whatever it is you hear, this is the symphony of nature, the Melody of Moominvalley.
It is a sense of harmony and contentment that creates peace and balance. This place is home for many inhabitants, almost all of whom possess a deep love and respect for nature. From the towering peaks of the Lonely Mountains to the lush green slopes and clear waters of the bordering sea, the valley offers a dramatic vista that feels both familiar and mysterious.
When shaping the world for the beloved characters, Tove Jansson drew inspiration from her Nordic roots and experiences, spending over 30 summers on the island of Klovharu in the Finnish Archipelago with her partner Tuulikki Pietilä. While not all parts of nature are conventionally pretty, Jansson recognised that there is beauty to be found in it nonetheless if you simply look closely enough.
The environment in Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley
To have Tove Janssons’ world come to life, it was important for us to go into the details of every element when we were creating the environment for the players to explore– from the trees, to the flowers, and the grass itself. Jansson’s colourful and storybook style is cherished by people around the world who have come to love the Moomins, drawn by the distinct and whimsical art. When designing for the game, our artists at Hyper Games have spent a great deal of time making sure we honour and stay true to the vision of Moomin’s beautiful respect for nature.
The process starts with looking at much of the original work, then moving to concept art, figuring out how each aspect will look in the game whilst honouring and recreating the inspirations of the comics and books. This means that we have created very many concepts, then handdrawn and crafted them into place in the environments in the game. We wanted to create a world that players would want to get lost in.
Our vision and goal for you as a player is to truly feel like you’re stepping into Moominvalley. We want you to explore everything, from the different landmarks to the different trees, flowers, and inhabitants in a never-before-done way. When Snufkin returns to Moominvalley in the spring, he notes that some of the noises, the river’s waters, and even the leaves on the trees are…different. The melody has been disturbed. As Snufkin, you’ll have to find out what has happened to the valley, and how Moomintroll is involved – if you can find him!
One more thing before we wrap up: As a Nordic tradition, we will be off on vacation throughout July and we wish you all a happy summer. You’ll still see Snufkin online, but we’ll see you back in August!
/Are CEO of Hyper Games
Snufkin is wandering back to Moominvalley!
“Don’t worry we shall have wonderful dreams, and when we wake up it’ll be spring.” - Snufkin, from the book Finn Family Moomintroll
Snufkin has made his way back to Moominvalley! To celebrate the return, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley was featured in Wholesome Direct 2023, where we shared a little background on the beloved character, created by the cherished author Tove Jansson.
In our brand new trailer we get a peek into the history, locations and characters that combine to create the inspiration for the world of Moomin characters – and how we’re bringing Snufkin to life in Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley.
Watch it below to see new gameplay footage as well as teasers for one of several never-before-seen cinematics beautifully crafted for the game, bringing Snufkin to the screen in a delightful new way.
With our Wholesome Direct feature also comes a new release window announcement. We hope you can see that Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a labour of love and craftsmanship from a small team dedicated to bringing these characters to screen with the uptmost care. As such, the game is now set to release in Q1 2024.
Thank you for understanding and for your patience, we can’t wait to get you into Moominvalley!
That was it for now, thank you so much for following our development! Don’t forget you can find us on Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, or wishlist on steam and sign up for our newsletter for updates about the game, the world of Moomin, and upcoming events.
