Haunted Chocolatierhas already gained the scrutiny of fans as a follow-up toStardew Valley, but that comparison might be a double-edged sword. IfHaunted Chocolatierwants to stand out fromStardew Valley, developer ConscernedApe might need to cut familiar content in favor of new innovations.
Stardew Valleyhas become one of the most beloved games in the life sim genre, so it’s natural that expectations for its successor are high. Without much information revealed, not even having a release window yet,Haunted Chocolatierhas already caught the eye of many players. While this is sure to boost initial sales numbers,Haunted Chocolatierneeds to be careful with its content when it releases. It might be easy to fall into a familiar development cycle, but it’s important that the game not be too similar toStardew Valley. In particular, it might be in the game’s next interest to cut buildings like the blacksmith, which upgrades weapons, andcarpenter’s shop, where players can upgrade their farmhouse, in favor of new buildings to serve a similar purpose.
Haunted Chocolatier Must Set Itself Apart From Stardew Valley
Stardew Valleystruck a chord with players in a way that few games do, leading to a success that surprised even the game’s creator. In some ways,Stardew Valley’s success might be a hurdle forHaunted Chocolatierto overcome. The game is taking a slightly different approach, embracing the supernatural and focusing on combat, but there’s no certainty that those elements will be enough to set it apart. One area that hasn’t been heavily showcased is the town where the game will take place. This setting, and the important locations within, could be the key to differentiatingHaunted Chocolatier’s city life fromStardew Valley’s rural lifestyle.
How Haunted Chocolatier Can Give Players a New Experience
Beyond the tonal and gameplay differences,Haunted Chocolatier’s more urban setting is one of the largest departures fromStardew Valley. This furthers the need to cut more classic types of buildings, like a carpenter and blacksmith, which wouldn’t feel at home outside their idyllic country setting. PerhapsHaunted Chocolatier’s city will feature more urban stand-ins for these locations, such as a factory or department store where players could buy or upgrade their equipment. These locations could also play host to the newNPCs who will be important toHaunted Chocolatier’s success.
Another routeHaunted Chocolatiercould take is scrapping the idea of upgrade-based buildings completely. With a more combat-focused experience,Haunted Chocolatiermight want to adopt a more RPG-like leveling system rather than including weapon upgrades. Including animmersive progression system inHaunted Chocolatierwould allow players to enhance their stats during combat rather than having to wait to return to town. A healthy mixture of these strategies could also work, with the player’s character maintaining stats for certain combat types, or even their chocolate-making abilities, yet still needing to find better equipment for a stronger build. That way, they have an excuse to return to the city and interact with NPCs.
From what has been revealed so far, it seems thatHaunted Chocolatierwill share inspirations withStardew Valley, but also build upon the systems created for it. That is probably the best option for a solo developer who may not have the staff to build something completely new from the ground up. By reusing game systems,Haunted Chocolatiercan take the best of whatStardew Valleygave players and then offer even more. For example,Stardew Valley’s luck system should be included inHaunted Chocolatier, but maybe used for different possible item drops or interactions. With this type of strategy,Haunted Chocolatiercould become an even greater game than its predecessor.
