In 2016, Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone released his first game to the world called Stardew Valley. The cozy farm simulation game garnered a massive following, making the game one of the most popular indie projects in the last decade. The game continued to get updates after its initial release, with new areas and new gameplay mechanics introduced over the years.
However, Barone didn't want Stardew Valley to be his only project. In 2021, the developer announced a new project that he had been working on called the Haunted Chocolatier. There is not a ton known about the game as of yet, but Barone has shared a trailer and some details on the game's website that are worth looking into.
8 A Departure From The Valley
When watching the trailer, it's very clear that the art style is very similar to that of Barone's previous title. This is seen through both the character models and the UI design. However, Barone wants to make it known that Haunted Chocolatier is very different from Stardew Valley.
Even though he wants the new game to be just as positive in tone, Barone said in his blog that while Stardew Valley "channels the sun," he wants Haunted Chocolatier to "channel the moon." He also said the new game is more of an action role-playing game instead of just a simulation RPG.
7 Gameplay Revolves Around Chocolate
This may seem obvious, but Haunted Chocolatier seems very much about making chocolate. According to the description from Barone, the game revolves around the player moving into a haunted castle and turning it into their own chocolate shop.
Not only is it the job of the player to maintain the shop, but they must also find ingredients that can help make their chocolate great, cook them in the castle kitchen, and then sell them. There are more gameplay elements planned, but Barone didn't want to divulge more.
6 There Will Be More Combat
Stardew Valley did not have a ton of combat in it, limiting combat to the mines instead of everywhere else in the world. That said, Barone has stated that there will be a little more emphasis on combat in Haunted Chocolatier.
The system is being rebuilt from the ground up and will include the ability for players to have a shield on them. One clip shows players taking on a giant wasp and them stunning the wasp after they successfully block it. Those who liked Stardew's lack of combat may not be thrilled with this, but Barone promises he wants to make it "very fun, satisfying, and engaging."
5 A World Exists Within The Shop
While watching the trailer, it seems that the setting of the player's chocolate shop is in this wintery village. However, there is a way to escape the brutal winter, at least for a little bit. There's a room in the haunted castle that has a double door that, when opened, reveals a lush green landscape that players can explore.
This is, supposedly, where players will be able to get their ingredients for the chocolate. It also seems to be the area where players will face the most combat as well. There also appear to be some people living in this world and different biomes.
4 Decorating Still Exists
One worry some Stardew Valley fans may have is if there will be any customization in Haunted Chocolatier. Luckily, the trailer shows that at the very least, players will be able to decorate the haunted chocolate shop how they see fit.
In the decoration mode, there appear to be menus that have sections dedicated to plants, flooring, wallpaper, countertops, and various shop features. While the decorating was only shown for one room in the castle, it's a nice sign that those elements that made Stardew Valley special will spill over into this game.
3 Talking To People Has More Options
While Stardew Valley had a lot of focus on the farming and general simulation elements, there was also the social aspect of the game that involved the player forming better relationships with the different townsfolk. However, most of the interactions in the game were one-sided, and very sparsely there were times where players responded to character dialogue.
In the Haunted Chocolatier trailer, a dialogue between the player and character seems to give players a few different ways to respond to character questions. This opens up the possibility of expanded dialogue trees for each individual in the game.
2 Ghosts Serve As Workers
So where does the "haunted" part come into the Haunted Chocolatier gameplay? Well, it seems that, according to screenshots and the trailer, that the ghosts that live inside the castle are actually friendly. In fact, these ghosts seem to be the ones that run the shop while the player is busy doing other things.
"I wanted to explore more fantastical possibilities," said Barone in his blog announcing the project, "experiences that take you beyond the ordinary. That’s where magical haunted ghost chocolate comes in." What we know about the ghosts thus far are very surface-level details, so it will be interesting to see if there will be more to them when players get the game in hand.
1 Players Will Adventure Alone (For Now)
One thing that many fans may be wondering about is if Haunted Chocolatier will have any sort of co-op or multiplayer option. According to the FAQ page on the game's website, there are currently no plans for the implementation of multiplayer.
This may make some fans upset, but it's worth noting that there was a period of time where Stardew Valley didn't have a multiplayer mode either before it was implemented in later years. If Haunted Chocolatier is a great success, there is always the possibility that plans could change.
Haunted Chocolatier is currently in early development by ConcernedApe, and has no release date. Fans can follow the development progress on Ape's blog.