The success ofStardew Valleyhas been huge, so it has to be followed up with something special. The 2016 farming simulator exceeded all expectations, which meant that the second game fromsolo developer ConcernedApewas already going to skyrocket up many people’s most anticipated lists. When it was revealed, promotional material felt immediately familiar, with an art style reminiscent of what has come before, but the new spin of owning a chocolate shop and factory seems to be a departure from the honest profession of farming.
Haunted Chocolatieris in the difficult position of adhering to the desires of fans, while also not feeling like a half-baked successor to an instant classic. Its visuals and gameplay elements are going to be known toStardew Valleyfans, and other familiar inclusions are surely going to feature, also. One of the highlights ofStardew Valleythat massively helped keep the game fresh are the unique and interesting takes on popular holidays and seasonal events, andHaunted Chocolatieris in an excellent spot to conjure some fun ideas of its own.
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Festivals Added to Stardew Valley’s Variety
Though there are plenty of things to do both on the farm and inPelican Town inStardew Valley, the Gameplay loop relies on a steady stream of in-game days that players have to manage. Waking up, watering the crops, feeding animals, and dropping in on the chosen romance option with gifts are all essential chores to be done over and over again. Though there are always new things to explore and achieve, if set into a routine,Stardew Valleydoes run the risk of getting stale quite quickly.
However, seasonal events like the Egg Festival, Spirit’s Eve, Dance of the Moonlight Jellies, and the Night Market do well to break up the repetition while offering new visual flourishes and gameplay quirks that players can get excited for. Making sure a romance option has enough hearts to be a partner atthe Flower Danceis an important task to do in the run-up to the big day. Similarly, finding unique items or seeing what other town residents have to say is a wonderful inclusion in a game that is so reliant on repetition.
Haunted Chocolatier Could Get Creative
While it has a litany of things to do beyond tending to livestock and harvesting crops,Stardew Valleyis still fundamentally a farming simulator. Such eclectic seasonal events are an addition to an already great idea, butHaunted Chocolatiercould be in a far better spot to really conjure some unique and interesting events that take place through the year. Using Easter, Christmas, andValentine’s Day inHaunted Chocolatierto provoke new festivals would seem like a far more seamless fit than even the ones inStardew Valley. The latter makes it work very well, and ConcernedApe’s next game leaning into them more would reap the same benefits.
Little is known aboutHaunted Chocolatiersave for a few things that the developer has shared with fans. It’s still a big question mark, and the assumption is that it will use a day-by-day format, when this isn’t necessarily the case. However, the project should still look atStardew Valley’s festivalsand all the good that they bring to it, and replicate them in a way that helps keep the experience from feeling too stale, too quickly.Haunted Chocolatier’ssetting and progression idea could be the perfect catalyst for fun events to occur, and could giveStardew Valleyfans something familiar to love.
Haunted Chocolatieris in development.
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