When I first started playing Stardew Valley, I was entirely too stressed about completing tasks as fast as possible in the unique RPG. It wasn’t until later into the game that I realized that the point was to do whatever I want whenever I want to. I could fish, gather resources, talk to townsfolk, and even go dungeon crawling. All in all, Stardew Valley has become my favorite indie game on Switch — which is why I was so excited to hear about the upcoming sequel: Haunted Chocolatier.
When is the Haunted Chocolatier release date, though? The only information we have is from a blog post from Stardew Valley creator, ConcernedApe, who did not give a release window for the new game. It will likely be years before the finished product is released, but here’s everything I’ve been able to find about the sequel.
Everything We Know about Haunted Chocolatier
While there hasn’t been much information about Haunted Chocolatier, there are quite a few things in the trailer that we can extrapolate. The Stardew Valley sequel will feature many of the same gameplay features as the original game, but instead of a farm, you will own a haunted chocolate factory. Here are some of the things we’ve been able to glean from the trailer.
Similar Gameplay to Stardew Valley
In his blog post, ConcernedApe compared the differences between Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier to the differences between the sun and the moon. Both are vital and provide light, but with completely different energies. In short, the games will have an overall similar aesthetic and concepts.
More specifically, we know there will be fighting, gathering ingredients, home decorating, and interactions with townsfolk. You will also be able to make and sell chocolate as the story progresses.
There Will Likely be Relationships
One of my favorite aspects of Stardew Valley is the relationship building you do with the townsfolk. As you get to know the likes, dislikes, and opinions of the people you share a town with, the game starts to feel more real. You can even get to the point where you explore a relationship beyond friendship.
While we don’t know whether or not you’ll be able to date or marry folks in Haunted Chocolatier, there’s no reason to suggest you wouldn’t be able to. The trailer shows the main character giving a gift to an NPC as well as multiple interactions with these characters in the game.
There Will be Ghosts
It isn’t exactly shocking that a game called Haunted Chocolatier will feature ghosts in the gameplay, but we don’t exactly know the extent in which they will be involved. According to the blog post, the ghosts are meant to represent imprints of the past. They are not going to be inherently evil.
That being said, we don’t know exactly what the roles of the ghosts will be. The trailer shows a ghost behind the counter accepting chocolate purchases, so my guess would be that they will probably be a mix of helpful poltergeists that assist with day to day work at the chocolate factory. There could also be some rich backstory to dive into with ghosts inside the factory itself, but that’s purely speculation.
Fighting Looks to be Expanded
One of the most surprising elements of Stardew Valley is that you can break out your sword and go dungeon crawling. It seems like Haunted Chocolatier will have a similar element to this, but without the dungeon aspect. The gameplay trailer shows the main character entering a portal in the mansion and then fighting various creatures in a more open landscape. While it could be a similar concept to the dungeon level by level fighting in the original game, it seems like the creator is expanding it to be more.
It’s unclear how much dungeon crawling and fighting will be incorporated into the main game, but it’s safe to assume that will be an essential part of ingredient and resource gathering.
Are There any Good Alternatives to Play?
If you’ve already played Stardew Valley multiple times and find yourself in need of a similar game, it can be hard to find one with the same vibe. Considering Haunted Chocolatier isn’t likely to come out any time soon, there are a few alternatives worth playing while you wait.
The closest thing to a ConcernedApe title is pretty much any games like Animal Crossing. This includes titles like Spiritfarer, Cozy Grove, and Harvest Moon. If it’s mostly the dialogue and RPG elements you like about Stardew Valley, then it might also be worth looking into Golf Story for Switch.
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