Stardew Valleyfans often look forward to the game’s many yearly festivals, so hopes are high thatHaunted Chocolatierwill have some of its own. But, of all the yearly traditions inStardew Valley, the best one forHaunted Chocolatierto emulate would have to be the Desert Festival.
Haunted Chocolatierlooks like it’s taking the life sim genre in a new direction with its combat and management focuses, straying from the small-town farm aesthetic ofStardew Valley. But, after the success of his first game, ConcerndApe would be wise to keep some familiar pieces in his next. One thing that worked well inStardew Valleywere its many festivals, which broke up the normal gameplay loop and helped the world feel closer to our own. In order to succeed,Haunted Chocolatiershould include some of its own holidays, but one celebration stands above the rest in gameplay importance. The multi-day nature of the Desert Festival would be a perfect fit to carry over into the world ofHaunted Chocolatier.
The Desert Festival Adds Content that Haunted Chocolatier Can’t Miss
Stardew Valley’s Desert Festival stands out as the only celebration in the game that lasts multiple days. Beginning at 10am on the 15th through 17th of spring, players can take the bus to the desert to participate in a variety ofactivities that only happen duringStardew Valley’s Desert Festival. Players can try their luck by betting on races, purchase limited time items, and take on special quests, all of which play into the desert theme. Though a desert might clash with the setting ofHaunted Chocolatier, which looks alpine so far, the residents of the city could still hold a days-long event with diverse activities for the player to participate in, offering a short departure from the normal gameplay to help it avoid getting stale.
Activities at the Desert Festival include:
One of the Desert Festival’s many activities is undertaking special missions in the Skull Cavern, an endless dungeon that players who enjoy the combat ofStardew Valleycan use to test their might. Based on the emphasis being placed on combat,Haunted Chocolatiermight benefit from its own Skull Cavern, which could also play a role in its equivalent of a Desert Festival. Perhaps the festival could even tie into the location with an explanation in the game’s lore.
Haunted Chocolatier’s Festivals Should Add Value to the Experience
One fan-favorite part of the Desert Festival are the shops that Pelican Town’s villagers set up, with each day hosting shops run by two random NPCs. These shops sometimes offer rare items for players to buy, but beyond that, they help each resident stand out as a character. Many of the villagers sell items that relate to their personality, such as Haley selling a hair iron or Sam selling his old skateboard. Seeing what each character brings to sell can tell players more about who they are and help them identify with each character on a deeper level.Haunted Chocolatier’s NPCs will be very important to its success, and they might benefit from a similar mechanic at their own festival. The more the player understands the surrounding characters, the more at home they will feel in the game’s world.
Of course, it’s also important that any new celebrations or holidays inHaunted Chocolatierdon’t resemble those inStardew Valleytoo heavily. As only the second game created by the same solo developer, it will face heavy comparisons to its predecessor. That might makeHaunted Chocolatierstruggle to stand on its own, so differentiating itself is a must. However, if there aren’t some unique festivals, the game may feel incomplete. The best course of action would be forHaunted Chocolatierto run with its own version ofStardew Valley’s successes. Overall,Haunted Chocolatiercould benefit from a large multi-day celebration both to give players extra activities and rare items, and to pack more development into the characters and setting.
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.
