Haunted Chocolatier's Premise Hints at a Big Change to Player's Home Base

Haunted Chocolatieris one of the most hotly anticipated indie games of all time—not a huge surprise, given the genre-defining success of its spiritual predecessorStardew Valley.While developer ConcernedApe hasn’t been shy aboutHaunted Chocolatier’s obvious similarities toStardew, it’s clear that the solo game-maker is targeting different goals this time around, looking to make a meaningfully different project instead of just"Stardew Valleywith ghosts."

In fact, this ghostly premise is likely where much ofHaunted Chocolatier’s ingenuity and originality will stem from. Rather than using it as a mere backdrop or aesthetic element, ConcernedApe appears to be positioning the “haunted” part of the equation as a meaningful part of the gameplay and game world, which will set it apart from the comparatively grounded nature ofStardew Valley. This distinct starting point will surely inform several, if not all, of the gameplay and narrative elements ofHaunted Chocolatier, but one significant feature—a “cozy” game staple—could see a particularly significant shake-up.

Haunted Chocolatier Tag Page Cover Art

Haunted Chocolatier’s Castle HQ Makes Base-Building and Customization Radically Different

Haunted Chocolatier’s Player-Character Lives In a Castle, not a Quaint Farmhouse

Stardew Valleyis about a lot of things—falling in love, increasing financial potential, improving one’s community, et cetera—but home-making is a particularly lode-bearing pillar of the gameplay experience. An important driver in the gameplay loop is upgrading and personalizing one’s farm and home, which can be quite a time-consuming, ever-unfolding process. Adding rooms, finding or crafting new pieces of furniture, and rearranging buildings like coops and barns are inextricable facets of the broaderStardew Valleyexperience.

One might assume thatHaunted Chocolatierwill swing for a similarly involved level of customization, specifically with respect to the player’s base of operations. But in this case, the player-character’s HQ is a haunted castle, something that is naturally much bigger (and more complex) than the rustic stretch of land bequeathed to theprotagonist ofStardew Valley. How exactly this building will function will be an important question to consider, and one that only the game itself can fully answer, but the nature of the premise hides a wealth of potential as great as the castle is large.

haunted chocolatier progress update stardew valley developer

Haunted Chocolatier Could Explode Customization Opportunities

As previously mentioned, expanding and personalizing the player’shome base inStardew Valleyis already quite a deep experience, but it could be dwarfed by whatHaunted Chocolatierhas to offer. Indeed, the sheer size of the castle, coupled with the fact that it is haunted and thereby potentially disconnected from corporeal logic, flings the door wide open for customization and upgrade possibilities.

MaybeHaunted Chocolatierwill have more complex home customization, allowing players to add and remove rooms in a modular, flexible fashion. There could be a wider array of potential rooms to unlock as well, since castles are naturally more multifaceted than single-family farmhouses. And even then, each new room could be its own world of customization. The furniture and decor of a great hall are quite different from those of a kitchen, after all.Haunted Chocolatier’s sparse promotional material has indicated a plethora of friendly ghosts, so perhaps these creatures will live in the castle and be assigned to certain rooms and tasks, lending the base-customization process an element of management simulation.

A character from Haunted Chocolatier swinging a stick at Kel from Stardew Valley

Then again, maybe the castle customization will take a backseat to whatever customization options are available for the in-game chocolate store—it’s hard to know exactly what ConcernedApe is planning at this stage. But the potential is undeniably there, and no matter what, expectant fans can probably expect the existence of the castle to play a major role in shapingHaunted Chocolatier’s identity.