Highlights
- Haunted Chocolatier could benefit from revisiting content cut from Stardew Valley, reworking old ideas into new features to meet high expectations.
- The connection between Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier could be established by incorporating scrapped ideas from the former game into the latter, like certain content with the Wizard.
- Stardew Valley decided not to incorporate a straightforward antagonist, but a character like that might fit in Haunted Chocolatier.
Given that Haunted Chocolatier has a high bar to meet thanks to ConcernedApe's debut success with Stardew Valley, it could be beneficial for the developer to revisit content cut from the first game and rework old ideas into brand-new features. Since ConcernedApe has been upfront that Haunted Chocolatier would have a different, darker focus than Stardew Valley, players have seen some of these changes in trailers, ranging from combat to world design. But Haunted Chocolatier’s contrast to its predecessor could lead it back to the scrapped ideas that didn’t make it into Stardew Valley.
Coincidentally, there even seems to be overlap between features cut during Stardew Valley’s development that would be better suited to the supernatural and combat-heavy differences in Haunted Chocolatier. Certain characters, areas, and storylines that didn’t fit within the Stardew Valley experience could easily be repurposed for Haunted Chocolatier, whether it’s a larger returning role for the Wizard to connect the two or a dedicated antagonist instead. These older cut ideas that the two games share could help establish the hidden connections between Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier by embracing the former’s former content.
The Cases For and Against Haunted Chocolatier Going All Out on Horror Elements
Haunted Chocolatier draws obvious parallels to Stardew Valley, but being a more horror-fuelled affair could make it feel truly unique.
What Was Cut During Stardew Valley's Development?
As a solo indie developer, it isn't surprising to know that features planned during Stardew Valley's development were ultimately cut from the final game, either because there wasn't enough time or certain ideas didn't meet expectations. For instance, multiple unused food icons exist within Stardew Valley. ConcernedApe said that mechanics for butchering livestock were removed as they clashed too much with the game's tone. In addition to this, there are several more sprites, items, dialogue options, and even maps that were removed from Stardew Valley.
- Several Wizard festival-specific dialogue lines
- An extended introduction set on the Bus
- Multiple weapons, such as a Rapier and Galaxy Slingshot
- Three skill-based player titles
- Penny's pre-release sprite sheet as "Dana"
Content Cut From Stardew Valley That's Perfect for Haunted Chocolatier
While some elements like the unused skill-based titles of "Agriculturalist," "Cropmaster," and "Farm King" would be difficult to adapt to Haunted Chocolatier, others could be directly lifted without any problems. One example of this would be the multiple character-specific weapons that seemed to connect combat with Stardew Valley's romance options. Haunted Chocolatier's focus on fighting could adopt this idea for its own romances and reward players for going out of their way to bond with NPCs. However, other features cut from Stardew Valley might have better potential for enhancing Haunted Chocolatier's story instead of just gameplay.
Connecting Stardew Valley to Haunted Chocolatier With the Wizard
Since Haunted Chocolatier is more open about its supernatural side, many are expecting that it will build on the mystical elements established in Stardew Valley, such as monsters like Krobus or a possible cameo from the Junimos. With Haunted Chocolatier including supernatural ghosts as a key part of the game, an alternative cameo from Stardew Valley's Wizard could connect the two games together. Stardew Valley seems to have scaled back the Wizard's development, as he appears out-of-bounds during certain festivals with unused dialogue and an implied mystery about Abigail being his daughter, so Haunted Chocolatier could give him a bigger role to explore his backstory.
Stardew Valley's Cut Antagonist Would Work for Haunted Chocolatier
As part of the extended introduction that was removed from the final game, it was originally planned for the players to explore the bus heading to Pelican Town and meet Stardew Valley's intended villain from Joja Corporation. ConcernedApe scrapped the idea of having a specific antagonist for Stardew Valley, though JojaMart and its employee, Morris, continued to serve as an antagonistic force in the game's background. But with Haunted Chocolatier's combat focus and darker tone, giving the player a dedicated villain to fight against could work better, especially if it's another JojaMart representative as another possible link back to Stardew Valley.
