The Spooky Secrets Chocolatier Unravels: Lessons from Stardew Valley-Inspired Games

Highlights

Stardew Valley's massive success created a boom in the cozy farming game genre, inspiring new titles like Haunted Chocolatier.

Haunted Chocolatier can enhance its multiplayer by drawing inspiration from Palia and Animal Crossing, ultimately creating more captivating and balanced gameplay experiences. By incorporating the intricate combat and leveling systems seen in games like Rune Factory and Harvestella, the hunting and gathering elements in Haunted Chocolatier can be further improved.

Released in 2016, Stardew Valley became a sensation in the cozy game world. Despite the existence of other farming games, none had gained widespread attention like this one. While Rune Factory and Story of Seasons found success within niche audiences, it was Animal Crossing that held the spotlight in the cozy genre. However, Stardew Valley's charming art style, endearing characters, and addictive life-simulation elements captivated a larger audience than anyone expected, resulting in a massive boom for the genre. Now, the developer behind Stardew Valley, ConcernedApe, is working on their next game, Haunted Chocolatier, and they must learn from the inspiration that Stardew Valley provided.

Haunted Chocolatier serves as a follow-up to the immensely popular Stardew Valley, which continues to be one of the coziest farming games available. Not much information is currently available about Haunted Chocolatier. Eric Barone, the sole developer behind ConcernedApe, occasionally shares screenshots of the game on social media, but has not revealed much about its content. From what has been shown, it seems that the new title is embracing the fantastical elements present in Stardew Valley, and there is a possibility that the two games coexist in the same universe. Barone has stated that the game will be released when it is deemed complete, indicating that it may still be several years away.

Haunted Chocolatier Needs Beefier Multiplayer

Stardew Valley introduced multiplayer approximately two years after its initial release. In this multiplayer mode, one player assumes the role of the main host and has control over the save file, while the other players act as farmhands with limited freedom and are not permanent residents in the virtual world. While playing with friends can be enjoyable and enhance productivity, other games in the cozy genre, such as Haunted Chocolatier, have made significant advancements in their multiplayer features. Haunted Chocolatier could draw inspiration from Palia and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, both of which offer more extensive multiplayer experiences.

Palia, a cozy life simulation massively multiplayer online game (MMO), incorporates farming and resource gathering similar to Stardew Valley. However, Palia has developed more comprehensive multiplayer systems. One noteworthy feature is the inclusion of Flow Trees, where multiple players must collaboratively work in real-time to cut down these trees. Furthermore, certain tasks within the game require the participation of several players. Haunted Chocolatier could benefit from implementing similar engaging multiplayer mechanics, allowing players to recruit and befriend NPCs who can then assist them in single-player mode. Additionally, Haunted Chocolatier could take cues from Animal Crossing by incorporating an island visitation system, allowing friends to explore and interact with each other's virtual worlds. Alternatively, multiplayer games could deviate from having a primary player with exclusive control, and instead, prioritize equal involvement and participation among all players. Such changes would create a multiplayer experience that feels collectively owned by everyone involved.

Haunted Chocolatier Could Borrow From Harvestella and Rune Factory

Harvestalla and Rune Factory combine the cozy genre with JRPG combat and leveling, elevating the gameplay experience. The reveal trailer for Haunted Chocolatier showcases a player venturing into a vibrant area through a painting to hunt and gather resources for chocolate making, rather than traditional farming. The trailer reveals the use of a bow and arrow, suggesting that the combat in this game could offer more depth than Barone's previous title. By incorporating the intricate gear and leveling systems found in Rune Factory or Harvestella, Haunted Chocolatier could enhance the hunting and gathering elements, creating a more robust and engaging experience in the long run.

ConcernedApe, the developer, keeps a veil of secrecy around his games, which means that many details about Haunted Chocolatier, including its improvements over Stardew Valley, will likely remain unknown until players can experience it firsthand. Despite the lack of information, Stardew Valley continues to receive new content and quality-of-life updates, demonstrating Barone's dedication to making his games the best they can be. Additionally, the developer has announced plans to introduce new festivals, expand skill areas, and provide more crafting options in the next update for Stardew Valley. Hopefully, Haunted Chocolatier will follow in its predecessor's footsteps by offering extensive post-launch support.

Stardew Valley is currently available for Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS Vita, and Xbox One.