Exactly how similarHaunted Chocolatierwill be to its spiritual successorStardew Valleyremains to be seen, but it’s reasonable to assume that the two will share quite a bit of DNA. Based on what developer Eric Barone has revealed aboutHaunted Chocolatier, it appears to, at the very least, retainStardew’s wholesome pixelated art style and light life sim mechanics, alongside an apparent focus on customization.
This can only be a good thing, asStardew Valley’s well-wrought core systems are nothing if not easy to iterate upon—something that has been evidenced by countlessStardew-like indies over the past several years. At the same time, it would be rather disappointing ifHaunted Chocolatierwere to just be a spin-off ofStardew. Of course, Barone has made it clear thatChocolatierwill be more of an action-RPG, with a greater emphasis on combat and progression, but the game’s slice-of-life elements should grow in accordance with this fundamentally new identity. As such, the way thatHaunted Chocolatierhandles its NPC-protagonist interactions and relationships may be vital for its success as a creative project, and there’s at least one fundamental change that could lead to meaningful growth.
Haunted Chocolatier Should Give Relationships Room to Go South
Stardew Valley’s Relationships Can Only Improve
While players can technically losefriendship progress with NPCs inStardew, either by neglecting them or through certain behaviors, the relationships can never truly bebad. Rather, the worst thing that can happen is that the connection can get closer to its baseline, which is essentially a neutral view of the player-character. This has its benefits, of course—players don’t have to worry about being punished too severely for their actions—but it also makes things a bit too simplistic, watering down the life simulation systems that are so central to the game.
In real life, relationships can and do sour. Of course, people generally don’t want these things to happen, but the fact that they can happen is a big part of what makes human relationships so beautiful: they are fickle and unpredictable, and can hurt just as much as help. Through the absence of “negative relationship points” or something similar,Stardew Valleywinds up presenting an unfortunately dumbed-downrendition of human interaction, leading to a social sim sandbox that is shallower than it could be otherwise. ComeHaunted Chocolatier, adding an edge to its various social systems could wind up being a boon.
The most obvious purpose that bad relationship scores could serve inHaunted Chocolatieris to be a punishment, incentivizing players to engage with its social simulation mechanics. This could work, but the concept could also be far more nuanced. For instance, ifHaunted Chocolatierhas a particularly unlikable NPC, players wouldn’t just be limited to bonding with them or ignoring them: they could also actively nurture animosity. It’s not the most wholesome way to engage with a cozy game, sure, but it would certainlylendChocolatiera sense of freedom.
Negative character relationships could also deepen social interactions and role-playing systems by offering trade-offs. For instance, perhaps the game could introduce a particular piece of gear that can only be obtained by stealing it from a particular NPC, thereby decreasing their relationship status. This would force players to choose between having a good relationship with a character, reaping those benefits, and getting the gear that they want. Another example would be through quest design: players could choose to side with one NPC or another, strengthening one relationship to the detriment of another. However such a concept manifests, making room for “bad” character relationships could add more weight toHaunted Chocolatier’s social simulation features, which would only be a good thing.
