Twitter (now known as X) user @CanYouPetTheDog scours different video games to see if they have any dogs and other pets and if the player can pet them. It has amassed over 529,200 followers, proving that many people find the account’s test vital to a game’s overall likeability, which is why some game developers tag it in tweets showing their titles’ advanced petting mechanics. Stardew Valley passes this test, as players can pet the cats, dogs, and turtles they adopt and even give pets gifts to improve their bond with their animal companions. While Haunted Chocolatier will likely have this cute feature, it can still make a few improvements to make pets even better.

ConcernedApe’s latest title, Haunted Chocolatier, the player crafts and sells chocolate in a castle haunted by supernatural creatures. It’s one of the much-awaited games of the past few years because of its retro graphics and fresh take on the farming and life simulator genre. Its gameplay looks similar to Stardew Valley, but the sole developer says that this game will have a more prominent combat system, an engine and assets mostly made from scratch, and a more contemplative and moody vibe. Hopefully, it also builds on its predecessor’s pet system and makes it better.

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How Haunted Chocolatier Can Make its Pets Better Than Stardew Valley

The pet system in Stardew Valley is endearingly simple. The player gets a cat or dog at the start of the game. They can also adopt these additional pets from Marnie for a price:

• Cat or dog: 40,000 gold
• Turtle: 60,000 gold
• Iridium Turtle: 500,000 gold

The player pets their companion every time they interact with them, which also improves their friendship by 12. They can also provide fun gifts that make their pets love them even more. Haunted Chocolatier has a chance to innovate on this already great mechanic by taking notes from real life or other games with great pet interactions.

Give Pets a Chance to Help Out

Video game pets already help the player character by offering serotonin from their cuteness and companionship. However, some real-life pets can also help out in the household and farm. As such, Haunted Chocolatier should consider having its animal companions assist the player throughout their journey.

• Foraging: Pets could help players forage for items and ingredients. If the game has barn animals, the pets could help in shepherding them, too. The game could even take cues from Monster Hunter's Palicoes and have pets assist the player in adventures.
• Adventuring: Maybe they could automatically pick up dropped items after players slay a monster or carry a small backpack that slightly increases inventory space. However, using companions in combat may not be ideal, as it could ruin the game’s cozy vibe.

Increase Pet Variety and Interactions

Haunted Chocolatier can also improve its pet system by simply adding more companion varieties. The game could add other reptiles, rabbits, or even birds. It would be cool to have a pet falcon carry secret messages, like Shogun's Lord Toranaga, or have a bearded dragon rid the castle of possible pests.

The game could even have quests and achievements surrounding pets. For example, the game could reward the player with special pet treats when they get their pets to forage a rare item or have their companion assist them in adventures for x amount of hours. Such rewards could either improve the player’s friendship with their pet or grant the pet bonuses to their skills.

Add Different Ways to Adopt a Pet

Haunted Chocolatier should also create different scenarios for adoption. For example, a player could rescue stray cats and dogs from dangerous forests or city streets, like in Little Rock Games' To The Rescue! Then, they could choose to adopt the fur baby for themselves or give it to townspeople looking for a pet. It would be wonderful to see Haunted Chocolatier’s town filled with people walking and playing with their pets, and such a scene would definitely be worthy of a seal of approval from @CanYouPetTheDog.

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.