Haunted Chocolatier Could Approach a Stardew Valley Time Limit in a New Way

Haunted Chocolatier, the in-progress game from Stardew Valley developer ConcernedApe, looks to be taking heavy cues from its predecessor. This inspiration is natural, and could influence Haunted Chocolatier in many ways, but the game’s daily time limiter might need a change of tone.

Life sims like Stardew Valley have a tendency to influence each other, especially ones being made by the same solo developer. Inspiration is the lifeblood of new experiences, but innovation is important to give them meaning. The brief glimpse of Haunted Chocolatier revealed in its trailer shows a similar art style, collection system, and general tone to the indie hit that came before it, but one change to the formula should influence the game in other ways. Haunted Chocolatier is supposed to offer players a higher level of RPG gameplay focused on a combat system different from Stardew Valley’s. This change provides a perfect springboard for ConcernedApe to up the stakes at the end of the in-game day cycle.

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Stardew Valley 1.6 Makes One Haunted Chocolatier Feature Seem Inevitable

There are plenty of features that are likely to make their way over from Stardew Valley to Haunted Chocolatier, but one of them feels inevitable.

The Key Difference Between Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier

As game genres evolve, so do the mechanics that govern them. This is particularly evident in the life sim genre. Where the idea began with games focused mostly on farming and forging connections with NPCs, it has grown to include a multitude of different activities, with some games shifting the focus from farming to other main gameplay tasks. Haunted Chocolatier‘s supernatural theme is said to be joined by a focus on combat while gathering materials, rather than the player growing them on their own. That combat focus should lead to a shift in other mechanics to fully unify the game.

One way to do this is by changing what happens when the player doesn’t end their day at home. If the player doesn’t go to bed on time, they pass out and lose some of the money they’ve made, except in one incredible case where a player gained gold in Stardew Valley after passing out. A note informs them that another villager from Pelican Town found them and returned them home. With the player taking the role of a farmer in a small rural community, this makes perfect sense. Farming is exhausting, so pushing the character too hard will lead to extreme exhaustion. But this type of penalty would feel out of place in a more combat-focused game with a more isolated protagonist. Instead, the player’s penalty should be combat based as well.

How Haunted Chocolatier Could Apply its Themes to an Old Mechanic

The most unique element of Haunted Chocolatier lies in its supernatural theming. With ghosts and monsters already playing a large role in the game, enhancing their utility, like adding a new kind of reputation system, could lead to memorable moments for the player. Befriending ghosts in the daytime sets Haunted Chocolatier apart, but some players might be looking to fight some ghosts as well. Supernatural elements historically feel most at home in the dark or at nighttime. So the end of the day cycle is the perfect time for ghosts and monsters to appear in droves. While the player will be working with ghosts in their shop, maybe not all the monsters will be so friendly.

Ghost stories are full of malevolent spirits out for revenge and monsters who can’t control their rage. Leveraging that part of the folklore would lead to wonderful villains in Haunted Chocolatier. If the player stays out foraging too long, they could run into creatures more powerful than their weapons can handle. Rather than simply passing out, enhancing the horror of the ghosts and the difficulty of the combat would lead to a more unified gameplay experience. It could also encourage players to try new types of weapons in Haunted Chocolatier and find a stronger build. By finding the core of what interests players about the supernatural, Haunted Chocolatier could truly set itself apart from the offerings of the genre before it.

Haunted Chocolatier

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.