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In 2019, League of Legends developer Riot Games announced Riot Forge, an indie publishing label that would work with acclaimed indie game developers to release brand new experiences set in its MOBA universe. Since then, we've had complex rhythm games, detailed RPGs and slick Metroidvanias, but the latest game to come out of the Forge differs from all those thanks to a healthy dose of childlike wonder.
Song of Nunu comes from Tequila Works, a studio arguably best known for 2017's Rime. Even at a glance, there's plenty to unite these two games - just as Rime's protagonist and his animal companion explored a mysterious island, so does the titular Nunu journey with his companion, Willump the Yeti, to unlock the mysteries of the icy Freljord.
It's an exceedingly gentle experience, belying Willump's towering presence over almost everything else in this frozen world. Within the League of Legends universe, it's made clear that the Freljord is a dangerous and unforgiving place, but Nunu and Willump have long since made it clear that they'd prefer to buck that trend. The result is a gentle and surprisingly diverse puzzle experience, requiring the titular bard to work together with his yeti to traverse the cliffs, caves, and frozen lakes of this tundra in an attempt to reunite Nunu with his mother.
Some relatively standard timing and platforming puzzles seem fairly standard, but Nunu's magical flute makes for a musical change-up to the traditional puzzling formula. After a brief introduction, it's up to you to remember how to play each note, written out in runes scratched around the world. A single note might open a distant door, while two in tandem might control individual platforms, but it's not long before you're presented with entire rhythms to piece together, the gradual muscle memory and the careful combination of those runic symbols surprisingly reminiscent of learning an actual musical instrument.
Winter wonderland
Oh good, one of the year's finest Metroidvanias turned up just in time to devour my Christmas break
As with any Riot Forge game, a knowledge of the lore of League of Legends will be helpful if you're looking to get as much out of the experience as its developers put in. Song of Nunu is far from an exception, stories that cut straight to the heart of the Freljord referenced multiple times within the opening minutes of the game. From the three tribes fighting to control the region, to the triple deities that watch over it, to the existential threat hiding beneath the ice, Song of Nunu puts some of LoL's more intricate stories right to the fore.
Seen through Nunu's eyes, however, it's surprisingly easy to get swept along in those grander narratives - his child's perspective simplifies each story, not to the point of naivety, but with the addition of a sense of childlike wonder fitting the campfire mythology that underpins this setting.
And that childlike wonder is important, because Song of Nunu feels, in its innocence and enthusiasm, like the closest thing to a children's game that League of Legends has produced. That's clearly by design - immediately reminiscent of the best of the PS2 era tie-ins of children's movies and with themes of grief and friendship worn proudly, Nunu makes for a new kind of protagonist for Riot Forge. Other games have focused on far darker corners of this universe, or brought far more complexity to their gameplay - even the excitable rhythm game Hextech mayhem countered its zany tone with far more intricate combos than anything Song of Nunu hinges on.
For me, a decade-plus veteran of League of Legends, Song of Nunu is a less exciting prospect than some of those other games. But as a fan of this universe, I love it for what it represents - as the narrative world around these characters approaches 15 years, I want to see it continue to bring in new people.
Those other Riot Forge games, or adaptations like Netflix's Arcane, might widen the net for the current audience, but projects like Song of Nunu shore up the world of League of Legends for generations to come. Friendly and colorful, but neither condescending nor too complex, it's a perfect introduction to a world that often feels intimidating for new adult players, let alone the next generation.
Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story is out now on PC and Switch. For more indie recommendations, head on over to our Indie Spotlight series.
