With little news to go by, fans are still uncertain about just what might be in store forHaunted Chocolatier’smain premise, but there might be some hints to be found in ConcernedApe’s other hit.Stardew Valleyhas many excellent mechanics, and one in particular might be the key toHaunted Chocolatier’s success.
Almost no updates have been made public sinceHaunted Chocolatier’s reveal. Some expect that it will share similarities withStardew Valleywhile bringing new elements into the picture. As another life sim title by the same solo developer, it’s natural that players might expect some overlap. Features like yearly events and romanceable characters are practically unavoidable given their success in the past, but new elements are also likely to change the experience from the existing game. ConcernedApe has already confirmed thatcombat will play a larger role inHaunted Chocolatier, but other changes might be coming as well. As a game that focuses partially on creating goods to sell,Stardew Valley’s cooking mechanic is bound to be the basis ofHaunted Chocolatier’s gameplay.
Stardew Valley’s Cooking Provides a Foundation for Haunted Chocolatier
Though sometimes overlooked, cooking is becoming a much more frequent element in games of all genres. Of course, there have always been games that focus around preparing or serving food, even since early arcade machines, but the level of detail and frequency of cooking mechanics has been evolving rapidly. This is in no small part thanks togames likeCooking MamaorOvercookedthat brought food prep into the mainstream gaming market. While those games feature food as a focus, it has also begun to show up frequently as a side activity. Heavy hitters likeMinecraft,Breath of the Wild, and, of course,Stardew Valleyall have some type of mechanic where players can create dishes based on the ingredients at hand.
Life sim games in particular feature recipe creation almost across the board. This makes some sense as a large majority of life sims are also farming simulators, likeStardew Valley. While selling crops is typically the main goal of these games, giving players something else to do with them only increases their drive to grow better produce. While games likeStardew ValleyorAnimal Crossinghave recipes and cooking included, their systems are fairly basic.Tales of the Shire’s cooking mechanic looks like it could be a standoutin the genre, taking the spotlight by giving players more freedom over their dishes than any other game. With its heavy emphasis on creating chocolate to sell,Haunted Chocolatiershould takeStardew Valley’s basic mechanic and enhance it to approach the level of detail inTales of the Shire.
Haunted Chocolatier’s Cooking Mechanic Could Make or Break its Success
Haunted Chocolatierneeds to differentiate itself fromStardew Valleyin order to stand on its own two feet, and a robust cooking system is the perfect way to do that.Stardew Valley’s system works fine for its purposes, but that game is primarily centered around farming. BecauseHaunted Chocolatieris more about creating chocolate and selling it, it needs robust cooking mechanics to work well. UsingStardew Valley’s system as a basis is a start, but other sim games have proven there’s room for growth. Not to diminishStardew Valley’s cooking – after all,its cookbook may inspire a sequel based onHaunted Chocolatier’s success– but it simply isn’t enough for this game to keep it the way it works now.
TheHaunted Chocolatierwebsite’s last development update was on June 20, 2025, but ConcernedApe has shared some tidbits and images of the game on social media since then.
Branching out in game mechanics is a good thing. It leads to growth in the industry, which the life sim genre sorely needs. It’s no secret that life sim games have a heavy focus on farming, but some fans are beginning to feel fatigued by that.Haunted Chocolatieris the perfect game to break the farming sim overloadby emphasizing a different lifestyle where cooking ingredients is more important than growing them. If the new mechanics work,Haunted Chocolatiermight even set a new standard for the genre.
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.
