The indie farming game Stardew Valley took the internet by storm, catapulting its one-man developer team Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone to stardom. Now, ConcernedApe has turned his focus to another title, the upcoming Haunted Chocolatier, which is scheduled to add to the foundation of Stardew Valley with more focus on combat and added shop mechanics. Recently, ConcernedApe went out of his way to show off some of the ways Haunted Chocolatier's combat will differ from what Stardew Valley players may remember.
In Stardew Valley, combat was relatively simple, focusing on mobility, timing, food buffs, and the strategic use of bombs. This straightforward approach to battle worked well in a game where combat was only a small part of the mechanics, but Haunted Chocolatier is set to feature more incentive for players to seek out and fight monsters, so the combat mechanics are set to get a serious overhaul.
According to a recent ConcernedApe blog post, Haunted Chocolatier's combat will not be copy/pasted from Stardew Valley--in fact, it's being coded and drawn from the ground up. Haunted Chocolatier's combat will feature shields that can block most attacks, which immediately changes up the rhythm of battle. After the player blocks an attack, there is a good chance the enemy will become stunned, allowing the player to attack them much faster.
ConcernedApe stated that the shield and stunning mechanics will reward cautious, patient players willing to wait for a window of opportunity, but this isn't the only way to play Haunted Chocolatier. Players will also be able to charge in aggressively and defeat enemies more quickly at higher risk to themselves. According to ConcernedApe, more aggressive players will be able to equip offhand items other than shields that will compliment less defense-oriented playstyles. Presumably, these new items will come with similarly effective mechanics.
The developer also noted that as he is creating the game's visuals from scratch rather than editing Stardew Valley's visuals, the combat mechanics currently look a bit rough. He stated that this is because Haunted Chocolatier's combat is still a work in progress and warned fans that he could end up changing his mind in the future and reworking everything he's shown off so far. Additionally, he plans to keep his cards close to his chest and leave as many mysteries as possible to be discovered by players. This means he has no plans to release the game until he considers it fun--and completed--in every way.
Haunted Chocolatier is currently in development.
Source: ConcernedApe