Although it will probably be a while before it sees the light of day,Haunted Chocolatierhas caught the eye of manyStardew Valleyfans. Eric Barone’s sophomore project will likelyshare a lot of DNA withStardew Valley, as its retro art style and ‘cozy’ game mechanics, at least upon first glance, are highly reminiscent of the breakout hit that preceded it.
At the same time,Haunted Chocolatieris aiming to be its own thing, hopefully stepping out ofStardew Valley’s disproportionately large shadow. The upcoming game’s premise is perhaps the most obvious departure fromStardew, as it centers on supernatural elements and magic rather than slice-of-life appeal and small-town charm. These changes are sure to impactChocolatier’s tone and overall style, but differences in gameplay systems should be expected as well, as combat will play a bigger role, and running a chocolate workshop could be fundamentally different from owning an independent hobby farm from a mechanical standpoint.
Haunted Chocolatier Will Have to Replace Stardew Valley’s Farming
Farming May Not Be In Haunted Chocolatier At All
Haunted Chocolatier’s setting, premise, and classification as an “action RPG” by Barone all seem to set it apart fromStardew Valley, but its greatest difference could come down to its core mechanics. Stardew Valleyfollows the lead of classic games likeHarvest Moon, placing the wholesome and essential practice of farming at the center of the gameplay. But this won’t be the caseinHaunted Chocolatierwhich, per ablog post by Barone, will be designed around “gathering ingredients, making chocolate, and running a chocolate shop.”
Barone also writes that whileStardewemphasizes the importance of living off the land and connecting with the community,Haunted Chocolatierwill be more concerned with mystical and fantastical elements. Of course, this isn’t a revelation, but it implies thatHaunted Chocolatier’s core conceptwon’t be focused on “living off the land” in the way thatStardew’s is. While farming could appear—cocoa and the various fruits and nuts that could be mixed into chocolate come from the earth, after all—it seems clear that the game won’t feature it as a major mechanic.
A Lack of Farming Could Mean Good Things for Haunted Chocolatier’s Other Systems
Despite the reduction or outright removal of farming systems,Haunted Chocolatieris shaping up to be a cozy game through and through. This means that other staples of the genre, such as customization, resource management, progression creep, and crafting, are all likely to make an appearance. Thesefeatures are all present inStardew Valley, butHaunted Chocolatiermay make them a bit more complex or detailed to make up for the lack of farming mechanics.
Haunted Chocolatier’s premise serves as an easy avenue for great building customization and crafting systems. As proprietors of a customer-facing business, players may have the chance to engage in deeper personalization, with more options for decor, room composition, and the like. It may not be likeStardew’s system of home building, which is fairly predetermined and not very involved, taking the power of creation out of players' hands for the most part.
Non-farming cozy games, likeAnimal CrossingandThe Sims, may serve as helpful blueprints when it comes to more expansive or granular customization inHaunted Chocolatier.
In terms of crafting, the fact thatHaunted Chocolatieris all about making chocolatecould mean more intricate options. Crafting inStardew Valleyboils down to collecting the requisite materials and pressing a button in a menu, but perhapsChocolatiercould let players run wild with different recipes, lending crafting a sense of discovery and creativity.
Additionally or alternatively, crafting could involve some sort of mini-game, making it more interactive. Other features, like those related to social simulation and NPC interaction, could also be altered or fleshed out, making the pivot away from farming feel more worthwhile and justified.
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.
