Despite still having no release date nor an estimated completion time, ConcernedApe's cozy chocolate confectionery store simulator Haunted Chocolatier is nonetheless highly anticipated. The developer's other cozy sim, Stardew Valley, is one of the best and most successful indie titles ever made, so the anticipation surrounding Haunted Chocolatier is warranted — especially if it ends up being anything like Stardew Valley.
There is little doubt that Haunted Chocolatier will share a lot of similarities with Stardew Valley. Based on what has been revealed so far, Haunted Chocolatier mimics Stardew Valley's visuals and art style, but since that is one of Stardew's most charming features, it makes sense why ConcernedApe would choose to use it again. While there will likely be plenty of other similarities between the two games, Haunted Chocolatier's premise gives it opportunities Stardew Valley never had. One character archetype, in particular, is something Stardew Valley understandably didn't feature but would be a perfect fit in the world of Haunted Chocolatier.
One Stardew Valley Quest Type Seems Like a No-Brainer for Haunted Chocolatier
Haunted Chocolatier will likely share a good bit of DNA with Stardew Valley, and this ought to apply to one group of activities in particular.
Haunted Chocolatier Could Do a Lot With a Dedicated Business Rival
A Business Rival in Haunted Chocolatier Would Incentivize Players to Keep Up With Their Business
Stardew Valley doesn't have a rival of any kind for players to compete with, but it makes perfect sense considering the type of game that it is. Stardew takes the cozy part of its identity and runs with it, breaking itself down to be a simple, relaxing experience that allows players to go at their own pace and a rival would change all of that by making demands of the player's time and energy to perform a certain way. Haunted Chocolatier, on the other hand, is an entirely different story, though it will likely still have the same cozy elements that make Stardew what it is.
Stardew Valley 's premise is simple: the player character has inherited a farm that needs to be taken care of, and the life that happens around them can either be experienced or ignored.
However, in Haunted Chocolatier, players manage a chocolate confectionery store that will more than likely press on them to operate at a much higher capacity, simply due to the monetary and social demands that come with owning and managing a business. If Haunted Chocolatier were to throw a dedicated business rival into the mix, those demands might increase even more by incentivizing players to ensure their confectionery store is the best around.
A Business Rival in Haunted Chocolatier Could Lead to More Interesting Social Interactions
Another way a business rival would differentiate Haunted Chocolatier's gameplay from Stardew is by potentially creating more interesting social interactions, especially if players have plenty of agency in the story. Perhaps the player and their rival would begin in the story as enemies, competing for the business of the town's residents. The player could then choose whether to positively or negatively advance their relationship with their rival, with the result inevitably being either the closure of one shop or a lucrative business partnership.
It would be especially interesting to see what might have begun as a business rivalry eventually blossoms into a romantic relationship in Haunted Chocolatier. This is another opportunity for player agency to get involved, by giving players choices that ultimately define their romantic standing with their business rival. It could be that the player makes regular visits to their rival's store with gifts in hand, much like players can in Stardew Valley.
There are likely many more ways a dedicated business rival could directly influence Haunted Chocolatier's gameplay, but it seems probable that it would serve to incentivize players to ensure their business succeeds and potentially lead to more interesting social and romantic interactions. Of course, this is all speculation at this point, as ConcernedApe has given no indication of there being a business rival feature in Haunted Chocolatier.
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.
