In between working on Stardew Valley updates, Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone is developing Haunted Chocolatier, an entirely new game in which players need to run a small shop with a menu full of sweets. While Barone likes working on the game in secret, Haunted Chocolatier gets occasional updates that give fans something to look forward to whenever it arrives.
However, ever since Haunted Chocolatier was revealed, one small piece of information that ConcernedApe has offered has stuck with many future players as they've wondered what exactly it means. Barone has stated that "if Stardew Valley mostly channeled the energy of the sun, Haunted Chocolatier channels the energy of the moon." Many fans have tried to come up with deep, metaphorical theories for this phrase, but it may be rather literal.
The Symbolism of Haunted Chocolatier's Moon
Suffice to say, even without what ConcernedApe had to say about his games, Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier feel like completely separate experiences from each other. Where Stardew Valley can be seen as upbeat and bright, Haunted Chocolatier seems full of melancholy and even comes off a bit cold. Both of these things match rather well with general images of the moon, as it sits in space, quiet and almost lonely. The moon is typically seen as a mysterious entity, and this tends to lead it to be heavily associated with magic.
As a result, it may be possible that Haunted Chocolatier has a bigger influence on the aspects of magic and the supernatural than Stardew Valley did. Stardew dabbled in magical and abnormal concepts, but how much magical elements players encountered in Stardew Valley depended on their particular goals. Haunted Chocolatier is likely going to be a different story and could likely feature magical elements that draw from the same mystery that the moon itself commonly exhibits in fiction.
Stardew Valley's Sunny Disposition
Another literal way Haunted Chocolatier could channel the energy of the moon doesn't take much thought. While Stardew Valley is inspired by Harvest Moon, it gets rid of one of the game's mechanics that lets players work far beyond midnight if they want to. Harvest Moon games typically allow fans to stay up as late as they want, provided their character's stamina holds out. ConcernedApe's farming simulator, however, makes players pass out automatically at 2 AM; a limiting feature many Stardew Valley players fix with mods.
Due to this, players are rather accustomed to what happens in Pelican Town between 6 AM to 2 AM. Stardew Valley is most definitely experienced through the in-game daylight hours, but Haunted Chocolatier is likely going to differ in that aspect. It's very telling that the entirety of the announcement trailer for Barone's next title shows the game at night rather than the day. This not only serves as a hint that the pesky time limit won't exist in Haunted Chocolatier, but it says that players may experience the game at night rather than the day, the complete reverse of Stardew Valley.
It's hard to say just exactly how Haunted Chocolatier channels the energy of the moon as not much is known about the game just yet. It's still very heavily into early development, and ConcernedApe has already had to stop progress on it to work out a few Stardew Valley updates. There's a very strong chance that Haunted Chocolatier may have been announced too early, which may lead to some players losing interest before the launch. However, if Stardew's success is anything to go by, there will certainly be a number of loyal fans ready and waiting once development on this spooky, yet sweet game finishes sometime in the future.
Haunted Chocolatier is currently in development.