The cosiest game of the winter may well be Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley

Was Snufkin always so rebellious in the Moomin TV show - or in the comic strip or in the books? I think I skewed a bit old for the TV show when it arrived so I never watched it on purpose. I watched it by accident and quite enjoyed it, but I can't remember anything about it now. All I remember are the doughy faces of the Moomins, with their big eyes and cuddly bodies. I don't remember Snufkin. Was he always a thorn in society's side? Because he is here, in the new game, in Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley. He's a proper nature warrior.

Snufkin has taken it upon himself to undo all the things the people-like Moomin [the hemulens, I'm told - thanks, comments!] are doing in the valley, like putting up signs saying no camping, and chopping down trees so they can make manicured gardens with hedges and statues and flower beds. Nope! Snufkin is not having it. He's ripping out the signs and demolishing the gardens to return it all to how it should be. If only our world had more people like Snufkin.

In the game, you are Snufkin, so it's your job to stop these Moomins dressed as people from messing the valley up. You do this in a kind of stealth-action way - in so much as a cheerful, flowery game can be stealth-action. I'm not talking Metal Gear Solid here, more Untitled Goose Game - and I mean that in the most positive way, by the way. Goose Game and Snufkin share similar vibes.

So, there are Police guards with cones of attention you'll have to watch and then slip between, and there are bushes to hide in and things to push and pull as you close in on your targets: statues you want to topple and signs you want to rip out. And then when you clear them, an area will return to nature and you'll move on.

Tying into this is the game's star mechanic: your harmonica. Snufkin can play a tune to nearby animals and they will help him. Some might whisk him across a body of water on their heads, others might boost him up a ledge. Or there are birds you can unleash at people like missiles. They'll fly around in a circle until you release them, and then they'll ping off in a straight line at whatever's in their way. It's quite fun.

But you can't use your harmonica on creatures that are a higher level than you. To do that, you need to collect enough magical currency by shaking bushes and completing quests - which usually involves helping animals - until you've earnt enough currency to level up.

That's it, really - that's certainly it for the demo I played - so it's all quite simple. But that also doesn't quite get at what's special about Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley, and that's the mood of it. So much about bringing a beloved property back like this lies in handling people's memories with care, because I imagine when people think back to Moomins, they don't remember specifics but feelings. They remember childhood. They remember the warm and gentle adventures of a show about nature and magical hippo folk. It feels nice, it feels safe, so that's what we're dealing with here. And on those terms, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley excels.

As if to reassure you it understands, there's an extended sequence at the beginning where we see Snufkin leave Moomin (the good Moomin) for the winter, which is quite sad, and then we watch him through all of the following seasons until he returns once more in the spring. But none of this is rushed. It plays out in a gloriously unhurried way.

We watch Snufkin lazing by a tent in the snow - rather you than me, mate - and fishing in a frozen lake, as if nothing else matters in the world. Then we watch him walk slowly back in the spring to see his Moomin friend (and upon his arrival he notices all the signs that have been put up). All while the band Sigur Rós strums gently in accompaniment, and as soft panels of idyllic countryside scenery slide by. It's a bit like Snufkin's mission, I suppose, the opposite of what life has become for many of us now - cluttered, smoggy, heavy. It's light and airy and simple. It's a nice place to be. And that's where I think so much of Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley's charm lies - in having a nice time in a nice place. A cosy time. A warm and gentle time. And I think that's a lovely thing.