Summary
Haunted Chocolatiergetting a prominent story could be the biggest distinction that sets it apart from its predecessor. WhileStardew Valleylaid out an impressive blueprint,Haunted Chocolatieris tasked with not only building on it, but becoming a unique game in its own right. It already has a few building blocks towards distinguishing itself, with its setting and more explicitly supernatural nature being the most prominent. Even with that in mind, a change in story focus could be the biggest shift. It could be enough to completely change howHaunted Chocolatierfeels compared to its predecessor.
Considering thelengthy development ofHaunted Chocolatier, a lot is expected of the game. The fact that it’s being developed by the creator ofStardew Valley, one of the most beloved indie games to date, only gives fans more reason to be excited. While it is taking a different angle, granting players a haunted chocolate shop rather than their grandfather’s farm, early gameplay looks like much of the charm ofStardew Valleywill still be present inHaunted Chocolatieras it introduces yet another new town. As a result, players have a good chance of recreating those pleasant experiences all over again.
Haunted Chocolatier Could See Plenty of Benefits With its Own Story
Stardew Valley Doesn’t Really Have a Major Storyline
While players do have thelooming threat of JojaMart inStardew Valley, it acts as more of a motivation for the game than an overarching story. The decision between Joja and the community center is set up, and aside from a couple of events, is mostly a goal rather than the main plot. In fact, a lot ofStardew Valley’s storytelling involves a lot of small unrelated plots, from friendships with villagers to mysterious details that the player can investigate.Stardew Valleygave its players plenty of things to do in the game, but it wasn’t in the service of a bigger story.
A More Prominent Story Could Help Haunted Chocolatier Stand Out
A major storyline could be one of the biggest ways thatHaunted Chocolatiercould differ fromStardew Valley. The premise alone already provides a good amount of intrigue. For instance, the circumstances of how the player got their chocolate shop could be interesting. Not to mention, with so many ghosts around, there would be plenty of opportunities for the player to learn about a deeper story surrounding the town. With the game’s supernatural themes, there are a lot of directions that a potential story could go. Handled well, a fully-incorporated story could makeHaunted Chocolatierinto a significantly deeper experience.
Haunted Chocolatier Has Potential For a Highly Interesting Story
Haunted Chocolatier’s story could make the player’s actions feel more important. For example, one possible route would be forHaunted Chocolatier’s equivalent of Jojato be more active throughout the game, and have their actions be shown throughout rather than as a framing device. That would give players even more incentive to defeat them. Another possibility is for the chocolate shop itself to have a long list of secrets regarding its history that the player needs to solve while also running the shop. This option would keep the shop itself as the focus, while also putting more attention of the ghosts in the process.
Handled well, a fully-incorporated story could makeHaunted Chocolatierinto a significantly deeper experience.
Haunted Chocolatierdoes not necessarily need a prominent story, but it could give the game more of an identity. A storyline could be theupgrade thatHaunted Chocolatierneedsto make itself a solidly different experience fromStardew Valley. Early information about the game already paints an interesting world for players to step into, but adding a backstory and overarching plot could help that world come to life even more. A full storyline could end up being one of the most defining aspects ofHaunted Chocolatierif ConcernedApe includes one.
Haunted Chocolatier
WHERE TO PLAY
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.
