Summary
Stardew Valleyis often cited as the most compelling and influential ‘cozy’ game of the modern era, and its creator, Eric Barone, is looking to repeat its creative and financial success withHaunted Chocolatier. Though it’s clear thatHaunted Chocolatieris something of a spiritual successor toStardew Valley, its unique premise promises to help it stand out.
As its name suggests,Haunted Chocolatier’s biggest departure fromStardew Valleyis its focus on the supernatural and mystical aspects of its world. Anyone who has playedStardew Valleyknows that it’s not exactly a grounded game, as it contains a number of fantasy elements, including ghosts, monsters, and talking animals, though these are often used as background elements, fun Easter eggs, or are otherwise not meant to be contemplated too much. In other words, the core ofStardew Valleyis more about its slice-of-life elements, like the relationship between the player-character and townsfolk, and the mostly straightforward farming and foraging mechanics. Crucially, this balance seems to be shifted more toward the mystical inHaunted Chocolatier.
Stardew Valley’s Fleeting Alien Easter Egg
After their first in-game year,Stardew Valleyplayers may happen upon a Strange Capsuleitem, randomly appearing somewhere on their property. The large, oddly futuristic-looking device is described as being inhabited by “something fleshy,” and if players leave it alone for a few days, it will break open in the night. Following this, players will have a small chance of glimpsing a dark humanoid figure around Pelican Town. This creature’s enigmatic behavior, coupled with the stereotypical UFO sound effect that accompanies the arrival of the Strange Capsule, makes it obvious that these events are gesturing toward the existence of aliens in the game.
The Strange Capsule conundrum is one ofStardew Valley’s many random events, and like similar in-game phenomena, it doesn’t serve much purpose beyond being a fun and short-lived Easter egg that sparks discussion and speculation. WhileStardew Valleydemonstrates its connection to the supernatural through these sorts of moments, the game hardly has what anyone could call hard narrative rules surrounding its fantasy or science-fiction events. ButHaunted Chocolatiercould take a more dedicated route.
Haunted Chocolatier Seems Like a Good Chance to Double-Down On Extraterrestrial Life
Stardew Valley’s inexplicablerandom events would be a great fit forHaunted Chocolatier, whose emphasis on inexplicable and spooky antics is fertile ground for unexpected in-game happenings. WhileChocolatier’s theme certainly leans more into fantasy than science-fiction, there’s still room for some light sci-fi fare, possibly blended into its magical world-building for some science-fantasy narrative opportunities.
It would be very interesting if, rather than a one-time, unexplained Easter egg, aliens were to play a larger role inHaunted Chocolatier. Perhaps this could start as something similar toStardew Valley’s alien encounter, where players make first contact with an alien creature, but actually communicate with them in some way. There could be a whimsical exchange of culture and ideas, with the alien lending its knowledge of cosmic cooking for unique chocolate recipes, or giving the player the means to create powerful, extraterrestrial weaponry, further fleshing outHaunted Chocolatier’s combat system. Maybe the alien could even become a member of the in-game community, infusing this encounter with a sense of permanence that itsStardew Valleycounterpart lacks.
Haunted Chocolatiercould also double down onStardew Valley’s focus on player choice, as the player could decide what to do with the visiting alien.
Of course, this decision wouldn’t be without its potential complications. For one thing, injecting sci-fi elements into an ostensibly fantasy-centric game world could detract from its unique identity, leading to a less interesting experience overall. There’s also the potential of ‘jumping the shark’ and making the game too over-the-top, distracting from its more intimate, cozy aspects. But done right, it could be a satisfying, natural follow-up toStardew Valley’s tongue-in-cheek nod toward aliens.
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.
