Moomin: Midsummer Madness Review – Midsummer Night’s Delight

Just before Midsummer Night, a volcano erupts, causing Moominvalley to flood and forcing Moomin and his family to abandon their home. Searching for a place to wait out the flood, the iconic family of trolls finds a floating theater filled with mysteries and puzzles to solve – and maybe even a ghost or two. Help Moomintroll, his parents, Little My, Snorkmaiden and the rest figure out what’s going on and find a way to enjoy their Midsummer celebration and eventually make their way back home!

Developed by Crossbridge Game Studios and published by Shochiku Games, Moomin: Midsummer Madness is a cozy point-and-click adaptation of Moominsummer Madness, the fifth entry in Tove Jansson’s classic book series. It is a generally accurate retelling of the book’s story with a few added scenes expanding on elements like Snufkin’s confrontation with the Park Keeper and how the family eventually got home from the theater. The game is an absolute delight that will appeal to both longtime Moomin fans and those who are just getting to know Moomintroll and his friends and family for the first time.

The first thing that I have to talk about is this game’s absolutely stunning art style. Every scene looks like a hand-painted storybook, and is packed to the brim with details and hidden elements to discover. From the cozy interior of Moomintroll’s bedroom to the Park Keeper’s sign-filled domain to, of course, the lavishly decorated floating theater itself, every scene is an absolute delight to behold. I spent a lot of time simply looking around and seeing what there is to see, before even figuring out what I could interact with.

Of course, with such elaborate scenes, I am grateful that the game features the ability to highlight interactable items and locations. It can often be quite tricky to find what you’re looking for, especially as some of the puzzles are based around Moomintroll and Little My’s active imaginations. Players will definitely need to think outside the box to solve Midsummer Madness’ puzzles – when you’re asked for something like “a replacement lever” or “a shoe for a giant foot,” remember that it might not always be the obvious answer!

Puzzles are generally the standard point-and-click adventure type; you need to collect items and use them in the right places to create tools or effects you need. The first three chapters have you collecting three to five items, with later chapters adding additional rounds of puzzles. These puzzles are imaginative and clever, but occasionally require some fairly tricky leaps of logic. There were definitely a few moments where I did wish the game had a slightly more in-depth hint system.

Your journal gives you a few tips, but they tend to be on the broader side. You can talk to other characters in the scene for advice , or get Moomintroll and Little My’s thoughts on objects in your inventory, but there’s no way to ask for a more straightforward hint if you are totally stuck. I do think the game would benefit for adding a function like that, even something just telling you what room you should look at. I got pretty stuck at a few points, especially a certain puzzle which involves creating an indoor “thunderstorm” to drive away a potentially dangerous Hattifattener! However, overall the puzzles are extremely solid, and I love the consistent themes of whimsy and utilizing items in unexpected ways based on Moomintroll’s creativity.

Every so often, you will encounter a mini-game. I really loved the variety of mini-games included in Midsummer Madness – they ranged from untangling knots to drawing symbols to chasing a frog across a grid of lilypads. The variety meant that these games never felt repetitive, and, whenever I encountered one, I was delighted to discover what I would be asked to do next. Midsummer Madness also makes the very good decision to let you skip any mini-games without penalty, so there’s no chance of getting stuck and unable to progress if a game stumps you.

Midsummer Madness does not overstay its welcome – there are six chapters, and the game takes roughly five to six hours to complete. I like that none of the puzzles felt like filler. Yes, there is a bit in Chapter 2 where you have to collect the pieces of Moominmamma’s coffee set, which in a different game could have felt like padding. But here, it fits the Moomin family’s personality perfectly. They live a laid-back life, they put a lot of emphasis on food, rituals, and celebrations, and Moomintroll is a sweet child who would do absolutely anything to make his mother happy!

For newbies to the Moomin world, this game serves as a great introduction, establishing the family’s dynamic, Moomin’s friendship with Little My, and Snufkin’s personality as a wanderer with a tendency to fight against authority. For veterans, there are tons of nods to the long history of Moomin stories, including the appearance of a number of beloved side characters such as Miss Fillyjonk, Misabel, and Edward the Booble. This lovely adventure with the Moomin clan could be enjoyed by gamers of all ages and all levels of familiarty with Tove Jansson’s iconic property.

I also want to give a shout-out to the music and sound work in this game. The soundtrack is extremely relaxing and pleasant to listen to, fitting for a delightful summer adventure. I was especially fond of the songs that played while Moomin and Little My were exploring the floating theater. It was the perfect soundtrack for a location that is regal, slightly faded and past its prime, and possibly haunted. Is there a ghost in the theater? I’m not telling – you’ll have to play for yourself!

Overall, this is a lovely cozy adventure that really encapsulates everything fans love about Moomintroll and his world: Moomintroll’s creativity and love of adventure, the family’s close bond, and the peaceful world consisting mostly of low-stakes conflicts that can be resolved as long as the Moomins work together. Although this game definitely has a bit of a villain in the form of the Park Keeper, an absolutely nasty fellow who forbids noise, laughing, playing, colors, and pretty much anything fun! I loved every minute I spent with Moomintroll and the gang during their topsy-turvy Midsummer Night adventure!

Kate reviewed Moomin: Midsummer Madness on Nintendo Switch 2 with a provided review code. This review is based on the version of the game available at the time of writing, and our score will not be changed.