Summary
ConcernedApe’s cozy farm life simStardew Valleyis undeniably one of the most successful indie games of the last decade, and its multiplayer co-op mode has only served to reinforce that success by adding plenty of replay value on top of the dozens of hours of gameplay it already offers in single-player. Now, ConcernedApe has been hard at work developing another cozy sim,Haunted Chocolatier, which sees players managing their own chocolate confectionery store in a town where ghosts are as numerous as the locals. Unfortunately, unlikeStardew Valley,Haunted Chocolatierhas been confirmed to be a single-player game only, which could affect its longevity.
Without multiplayer,Haunted Chocolatiermay have to devise another way to increase its replay value. While it will more than likely be a lengthy experience, just asStardew Valleyis essentially endless, single-playerHaunted Chocolatierstill needs to ensure it has plenty of tricks up its sleeve for convincing players to stick around long term, as evenStardewcan grow stale over time without the accompaniment of friends around.
Ways Haunted Chocolatier Could Incorporate Plenty of Replay Value
Haunted Chocolatier Could Have Multiple ‘Endings’ Driven By Player Choice
One way thatHaunted Chocolatiercould provide plenty of replay value is by having multiple endings.Stardew Valleydoesn’t have traditional endings like most narrative-driven games, but there are two narrative milestones players can achieve based on their performance throughout the game. However, if players happen to getStardew’s “bad ending,“they can simply keep playing the game until they get the “good ending.” This provides only the illusion of replay value, rather than giving the incentive to play through the game again and make different choices.
Haunted Chocolatiercould take a different approach by having more traditional endings that can only be achieved by players making certain pivotal choices throughout its narrative. Player agency is something ConcernedApe has implemented more and more intoStardew Valleywith each update, but it has yet to show itself on a large scale. As the developer already has a system in place for it forStardew, perhaps it could serveHaunted Chocolatiereven more if its choices were directly tied to the outcome of its narrative.
Haunted Chocolatier Could Have More Romance Options With an Extended Family System
Romance and family is one ofStardew Valley’s most beloved features, and ConcernedApe has confirmed that it will be back once again inHaunted Chocolatier. When players bond with one of thetwelve romanceable characters inStardew Valley, they can eventually marry them and have children that grow up to be toddlers. Unfortunately, that’s largely where this feature peaks, andHaunted Chocolatiercould do more with it to increase the game’s replay value.
For starters,Haunted Chocolatiercould have more romance optionsthanStardewto extend the time players spend with the game. While the twelve options inStardewprovide plenty of variety in terms of character,Haunted Chocolatierhaving even more would give players more reason to play through the game multiple times. Additionally,Haunted Chocolatiercould extend its family system to see kids grow into adults, perhaps even assisting with or inheriting the shop once they’re old enough. Then, players could assume control of their previous character’s child and continue playing from there.
This could all increaseHaunted Chocolatier’s replay value by incentivizing players to start a new playthrough if they want to see what sort of child they might produce with a different romanceable companion.
There are likely many more waysHaunted Chocolatiercould increase its replay value, and it could be that ConcernedApe has already made plans to eventually give the chocolate confectionery store sim a multiplayer mode, barring the game succeeding. Still, there’s no denying how features like multiple endings driven by player choice and more romance options with an extended family system could benefitHaunted Chocolatier’s longevity.
