Stardew Valley is a game that wears many hats. It's a detailed farming title where harvesting crops and tending to livestock are essential, and a life simulator that balances real-world elements like shopping, exploring, and socializing to make each in-game day feel genuinely productive. It's constantly updated with new fixes and features by developer Eric 'ConcernedApe' Barone, and so while it launched in 2016, the game has evolved greatly. Development of the follow-up, Haunted Chocolatier, must live up to its predecessor while also doing something different.
There are a few clear parallels between Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier, including its visuals and use of NPC friendlies. The upcoming game will also feature a romance mechanic, much like the 2016 masterpiece, but while it would be easy to do something familiar, shrinking the number of available bachelors and bachelorettes could give the game more focus.
Haunted Chocolatier's Quality Could Counter Stardew Valley's Quantity
There are twelve available romance options in Stardew Valley, from the wholesome and charming Penny, to the rude, shielded, but worthwhile Shane. Each feels unique, and has personality traits that are grounded in reality. It makes Pelican Town feel alive, but after greeting each person, it's not easy to determine which can be wooed. It stands testament to the game's superb writing, but also shows that the romance choices, while plentiful, don't offer much to make them stand out.
In Haunted Chocolatier, the romance options could be used as something to potentially alter the story, progression, or presentation. Instead of having a partner feel like part of the scenery, they could have more to do to feel substantial, and to be this way, it could mean that fewer options are available to make sure that they are properly developed, instead of feeling like window-dressing and something that doesn't drastically change the experience. Haunted Chocolatier likely won't be a complex dating simulator, but improving the system currently in place could be dependent largely on the developer's willingness to offer fewer characters to start a relationship with.
Fewer Romance Options Could Accelerate Haunted Chocolatier's Development Cycle
As the developer continues to work on making Stardew Valley the best it can be, Haunted Chocolatier's release date feels further and further away. While no fans want corners to be cut to shorten the game's development time, there's a reality where fewer side characters and romance options could speed up the process.
Haunted Chocolatier Can Shine Where Stardew Valley Doesn't
In order to stay fresh and new, Haunted Chocolatier needs to take risks while remaining somewhat familiar. Having a similar number of romance options that are developed similarly could make it feel too samey. Fewer, or even none at all, could prevent the player from being distracted from all the new mechanics and innovations that Haunted Chocolatier makes. A life simulator doesn't have to include a bounty of romance options. Instead, having just two or three could even serve to be more realistic, reflecting the dating pools in small towns.
The Future is Bright for Haunted Chocolatier
Given the reputation of the developer and their dedication to making Stardew Valley great, the potential for Haunted Chocolatier to be something special remains high. However, in its pursuit of innovation and a relatively timely release date, fewer romance options could benefit the end product in the long run, and give fans a new perspective on a mechanic that helps Stardew Valley to be so fun to go back to.
