Highlights
- The upcoming game Haunted Chocolatier by Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone may have more connections to Stardew Valley than previously thought.
- A screenshot from Haunted Chocolatier reveals an unnamed character resembling Grandpa from Stardew Valley, sparking speculation about their relationship.
- The identity of the character in Haunted Chocolatier remains unclear, leaving fans to speculate on potential connections, with theories involving the Wizard and the afterlife being shared.
Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone is hard at work on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier. The enigmatic solo developer is notoriously secretive about his work and has been very selective about what he has revealed about the upcoming game. As a result, fans are left to wildly speculate each time he shares new details about his new project.
The burning question that often pops up whenever Haunted Chocolatier is discussed is whether it has any connection to Barone's previous work, the smash-hit farming simulator Stardew Valley. It is probably safest to assume that the two games only bear superficial similarities such as the pixel art style, relationship mechanics, and mysterious yet cozy atmosphere. With that said, new information has revealed that there may be more of a connection between Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier than previously thought.
ConcernedApe Stirs The Pot With A Screenshot
As already mentioned, Barone is careful not to divulge more information than absolutely necessary. This is true for both Haunted Chocolatier and any updates he is working on for Stardew Valley. He sometimes shares new information via Twitter where he seems to enjoy teasing and interacting with fans. The latest Haunted Chocolatier information is a screenshot that reveals an unnamed character that looks almost exactly like Grandpa from Stardew Valley right down to the long nightcap he is wearing.
When asked how he decides when to share new information about Haunted Chocolatier, ConcernedApe responded saying "I just feel like it somedays." Many responses to the post immediately recognized the similarity between Grandpa and this Haunted Chocolatier character, but ConcernedApe chose not to respond to any of them.
First and foremost, the Grandpa doppelganger could simply be a new character that has no relation to Stardew Valley whatsoever. One key difference is the color of the characters outfit. In the Stardew Valley introduction Grandpa is wearing green pajamas, while the character in the new Haunted Chocolatier screenshot has blue attire. The character portrait also has some differences to that of Grandpa's from Stardew: Grandpa's beard is smooth, while the new character's beard is somewhat scruffy.
Exploring The Possibilities of Haunted Chocolatier's Old Man
If the unnamed Grandpa-like character from Haunted Chocolatier is, in fact, Grandpa from Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier would have to take place before Stardew Valley. This is unlikely since Grandpa from Stardew Valley lived on his farm near Pelican Town for a long time as evidenced by the letter he writes to the player. The letter clearly says that Grandpa moved to the place he "truly belongs" long before the events of the game, and while he doesn't explicitly mention the farm in the letter, his ghost's dialogue implies that he was an avid farmer when the player gets his highest approval.
Another possibility is that the character revealed in the latest Haunted Chocolatier screenshot is an older version of the Wizard from Stardew Valley. This might be something of a stretch for a number of reasons. The Wizard has a surly expression unlike the kind-faced old man from the Haunted Chocolatier screenshot, but perhaps the wizard grew kinder in his old age.
There is also no evidence that the old man in the Haunted Chocolatier screenshot practices magic. The room is littered with books, but they may just be regular books. However, The Wizard from Stardew does have bushy eyebrows and spiky hair that resembles the mysterious old man. Books can also be seen littering the Wizard's residence in Stardew Valley, albeit not to the extent of the room in the new Haunted Chocolatier screenshot.
The Far-Reaching Implications For Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier
If the old man in the Haunted Chocolatier screenshot turns out to be the wizard, this raises some interesting possibilities. His likeness to Grandpa from Stardew could then imply that they are somehow related, but this is pure conjecture. It stands to reason that Grandpa had children, but it is never revealed who his partner was. The only definitive fact that can be gleaned from Grandpa's limited dialogue is that he has other grandchildren. Grandpa will say "maybe I should've left the farm to one of the other grandkids..." if the player gets the lowest approval in his evaluation of their progress with the farm.
It is possible that Grandpa had multiple children. The Wizard could potentially be the Stardew player character's uncle if this is the case. This is one area where Stardew shines; it can be brilliantly ambiguous about how some of the characters are related. For example, a popular fan theory is that Abigail is the Wizard's daughter. This is supported by some of Caroline and Pierre's dialogue, with the former telling the player that they took secret walks to the Wizard's tower and the latter wondering if he is really Abigail's father. The Wizard himself has dialogue where he wonders if he has a child in Pelican Town.
Stardew Valley's Afterlife Theory
There is yet another possibility based on yet another Stardew Valley fan theory. Perhaps the events of Haunted Chocolatier take place in the afterlife, with all the townsfolk being stuck in a kind of purgatory. Even if this is the case, it is difficult to place Grandpa in this town since it seems like he spent most of his life at his farm. It is more likely that this is an entirely separate character, or that Haunted Chocolatier takes place in alternate universe of sorts.
While there are many possibilities as to the identity of the old man from Haunted Chocolatier that could connect the upcoming game to Stardew Valley, fans of ConcernedApe's work will likely have to wait until Haunted Chocolatier eventually releases to get any definitive answers. Even then, the character's identity might be left in the limbo of ambiguity, much like the existence and identity of the Wizard's daughter.
Haunted Chocolatier is in development.