The most significant reason why gaming audiences are excited forHaunted Chocolatierdespite a dearth of real info is the prestige of ConcernedApe’s previous title,Stardew Valley. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, asStardewis often cited as one of the best and most influential indie games of the past decade or so, but it means thatHaunted Chocolatierhas quite a bit to live up to.
Indeed, most discussion surroundingHaunted Chocolatiercenters on how it may relatetoStardew Valley, not in terms of narrative or sharing a universe (though that has been a subject of speculation as well), but in terms of game mechanics and structure. Naturally, players are anticipatingHaunted Chocolatierto be a sort of spiritual successor toStardew, built around pillars like social simulation, in-depth customization, and gradual, consistent progression. But the very basis ofChocolatier, that being the operation of a chocolate-manufacturing company, raises some questions about how similar the game can be to its predecessor, and what sorts of changes will need to be implemented to make its unique gameplay premise work.
Haunted Chocolatier Needs Stardew Valley’s Freedom
Stardew Valley Offers Major Flexibility
Over the years,Stardew Valleyplayers have exhibited the full spectrum of the game’s creative potential, probably even beyond what ConcernedApe himself thought was possible pre-release. Unique spins on the game, like completing a multi-year playthrough without ever leaving the grounds of the player-owned farm, or turning the farm into a city, complete with cobblestone paths and streetlights, prove how much roomStardewhas for expressive gameplay and personalization. The game never shackles players to one particular playstyle or railroads them down a linear path.
Of course, most of these cool spins on the base game’s formula can be attributed to thecreativity of individualStardew Valleyplayers, but this creativity is supported by core design choices. For example, ifStardew Valleyhad a story with stricter pacing, then it would be next to impossible to achieve some of the unique playthroughs that the community has seen, as the structure of the experience would be far more predetermined. Put another way,Stardew Valleystrikes the perfect balance between providing meaningful content and letting the player do whatever they want, andHaunted Chocolatierneeds to replicate this balance.
Why Haunted Chocolatier Could Struggle to Match Stardew Valley’s Flexibility
Similar thoughHaunted ChocolatierandStardew Valleymay be, the former will need to be fundamentally distinct in a few key ways. For one thing, owning a chocolate-making company and a customer-facing business is significantly different in nature to owning a farm, and there’s a good chance that this will translate to gameplay. For instance, while players have free range over the construction and layout of their farm inStardew, adding buildings, trees, decor, and various other structures wherever they see fit,Haunted Chocolatier’s customization will likely be limited, at least in major part, to indoor structures.
There’s also something to be said aboutHaunted Chocolatier’s added complexity. WhileStardew Valleycan certainly have some more granular and convoluted elements, especially once a player digs their teeth into its progression, the farming/foraging/mining gameplay loop is fairly straightforward, which allows for players to engage with it however they see fit. A chocolate business, on the other hand, could mean inherently restrictive gameplay, as players may be “forced” to interact with certain NPCs and engage with more synergistic gameplay systems, ushering them down more rigid paths. This is different fromStardew’s gameplay loop, which lets players pick and choose which systems to engage with. Hopefully,Haunted Chocolatiermanages to find some freedom in its distinct approach to gameplay.
Haunted Chocolatier
WHERE TO PLAY
Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming adventure game from Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe (Eric Barone). The game is currently set to feature a lush explorable world, chocolate making and cooking, a spooky theme, and more. There is currently no release date or time period for the game.
