Summary
Stardew Valleytook the cozy game world by storm when it was released in 2016. While farming games were far from new, one had never truly caught widespread attention.Rune FactoryandStory of Seasonswere seeing success with their niche audiences, butAnimal Crossing, which was also lesser known at the time, was the poster boy for the cozy genre.Stardew Valleyreleased, and its cute art style, likable cast, and addicting life-sim elements gave it a wider audience than anyone could have anticipated and created a massive boom in the genre. Now its developer, ConcernedApe, is working on a new game,Haunted Chocolatier, and it needs to learn from the games thatStardewValleyinspired.
Haunted Chocolatieris ConcernedApe’s follow-up to its smash hitStardew Valley,which remains one of thecoziest farming gamesavailable. Not much is known aboutHaunted Chocolatierat this time. Eric Barone, the lone wolf developer behind ConcernedApe, shares screenshots of the game on social media from time to time, but hasn’t spoken much about what the game will entail. Based on what has been revealed, though, the new title appears to be leaning into the more fantastical elements ofStardew Valley, and it is possible that the two games exist in a shared universe. Barone has said that the game will be done when it’s done and released accordingly, meaning it is likely still a few years away.
RELATED:Haunted Chocolatier Could Have Bigger Connection to Stardew Valley Than Previously Thought
Haunted Chocolatier Needs Beefier Multiplayer
Stardew Valleyadded multiplayerabout two years after its launch. One player is the main host and has the save file, while the other players are farmhands with less freedom in the world and are, in essence, not permanent residents. While the ability to play with friends is nice, and it can be used to maximize productivity, other games in the cozy genre have come a long way sinceStardew Valley.Haunted Chocolatiercould learn much fromPaliaandAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, which both feature more fleshed-out multiplayer offerings.
Paliais a cozy life sim MMO that features farming and resource gathering, not unlike that ofStardew Valley.Palia, however, has built more substantial systems around multiplayer. One of the best features isFlow Trees,which require multiple players to work in real-time to cut them down, while other tasks require multiple people. This could be implemented inHaunted Chocolatierto make multiplayer more engaging, and NPCs could be befriended and asked to help in single-player.Haunted Chocolatiercould also borrow the island visitation system fromAnimal Crossingto let friends visit each other’s worlds. Alternatively, multiplayer games could eschew having a primary player and give everyone equal priority. Changes in this vein would make the multiplayer feel more like it’s everyone’s save file.
Haunted Chocolatier Could Borrow From Harvestella and Rune Factory
HarvestallaandRune Factorytake the cozy genre and deck it out with JRPG combat and leveling. TheHaunted Chocolatierreveal trailershowcased a player going through a painting into a wild area to hunt and gather. Rather than farming, this seems to be the way supplies for chocolate making are acquired. The trailer showed off a bow and arrow, and seemingly, the combat could have more depth than Barone’s previous title. Taking the more in-depth gear and leveling systems ofRune FactoryorHarvestellacould help to make the hunting and gathering elements ofHaunted Chocolatierfeel more robust and engaging in the long term.
ConcernedApeis very secretive about his games, meaning that many of the details aboutHaunted Chocolatier, including the improvements it is making overStardew Valley, will likely remain unknown until it is in the player’s hands. Despite fans being left in the dark,Stardew Valleyis still getting new content and quality-of-life enhancements, which shows Barone’s commitment to making his games the best they can be. The developer has also said that on top ofStardew Valleygetting new festivals, the next update will flesh out skill areas and add more crafting options.Haunted Chocolatierwill hopefully continue its predecessor’s legacy of extensive post-launch support.
Stardew Valleyis currently available for Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS Vita, and Xbox One.
