ConcernedApe, developer of Stardew Valley and the upcoming Haunted Chocolatier has confirmed a key Stardew feature will be included in his next game – relationships. Haunted Chocolatier was announced earlier this year, and is set to feature similar graphics to ConcernedApe’s incredibly popular farming sim. The game will put players to work as chocolate makers, running a shop from a haunted castle.
Stardew Valley is perhaps one of the biggest indie success stories of all time, reaching worldwide acclaim despite coming from a solo developer. The game takes inspiration from classic pixel farming and life sims like Harvest Moon, and has wowed countless players since it launched in 2016. Stardew‘s popularity has cemented the title as a household name, meaning hopes are high for ConcernedApe’s next release. While ConcernedApe hasn’t divulged too much information on the game, it’s expected to be similar to Stardew Valley, which may even be set in the same universe as Haunted Chocolatier.
In a new interview with VGKami (via GameRant), ConcernedApe has confirmed that Stardew Valley‘s relationships will be a feature of Haunted Chocolatier, meaning users will likely be able to romance the locals and forge relationships. While the developer revealed he hasn’t yet decided how relationships will work, and how they may be different to those players can form with NPCs in Pelican Town, the mechanic is a key feature of Stardew, and fans will likely be pleased to see it return for the new game. ConcernedApe explained:
“Yes, there will be relationships like in Stardew Valley. I haven’t decided exactly how the system will work yet. And I expect to approach some things differently this time around.”
Players can befriend and even marry Stardew Valley townsfolk by building their relationship with them through talking and gift-giving. Users can even have Stardew Valley weddings, and once married, spouses can provide benefits to the player by helping out on the farm. The mechanic is one that could easily work in the spooky setting of Haunted Chocolatier, and while the exact details haven’t yet been decided, players can likely expect to see similar benefits in the chocolate shop setting.
ConcernedApe still has lots of details to share on Haunted Chocolatier, with players still in the dark on much of its story, setting, and themes. While some features have been confirmed, such as Haunted Chocolatier having more combat than Stardew Valley, it seems it’s not yet been decided how big of an impact relationships could have in the game. In Stardew, relationships aren’t required, and players can, in theory, play without forging any meaningful relationships. It’s hoped more Haunted Chocolatier details will emerge in 2022, though the game doesn’t yet have a release date.
