Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone's Stardew Valley took the gaming world by storm upon release in 2016, and has established itself as a true indie classic in the years since. In fact, Barone recently confirmed Stardew Valley will receive a version 1.6 update in the near future, though it won't be nearly as expansive as version 1.5. The quality on display has left fans excited to see what his next announced project, Haunted Chocolatier, will entail.
Haunted Chocolatier has an uncertain timetable as of this writing, having been announced with an early gameplay trailer in October 2021 that simply said it's in development, and is "not going to be ready for a while still." Barone has dived into the game's focus on fantasy elements and combat compared to Stardew Valley through blog posts, but Haunted Chocolatier also shares its predecessor's interest in community building and relationships. One thing the game should do better is give NPCs more room to build friendships and romances outside the player's influence.
Relationships in Stardew Valley
In Haunted Chocolatier's announcement blog post, Barone describes Stardew Valley as having a "humble" focus on living off the land while connecting with other people and nature. There were 12 romance options with six bachelors and six bachelorettes, and players were able to work toward marrying (or even potentially divorcing) any of them regardless of their character's gender presentation. This has inspired a host of indie games to add more in-depth romance systems in its wake.
However, while Stardew Valley had a good deal of relationship options for the player that eschewed heteronormative standards, the inhabitants of Pelican Town were more static. There are a few pre-established relationships in Stardew Valley that the player can learn more about; including shopowners Pierre and Caroline (who theories suggest gave birth to Abigail after an affair with the Wizard), Robin and her second husband Demetrius, elderly couple Evelyn and George, as well as a secret romance between mayor Lewis and rancher Marnie. Yet many of the relatives who make up Stardew's marriage candidates don't see advancing relationships among themselves.
There are plenty of friendships that the player can pick up on if they spend enough time connecting with their neighbors. Abigail, Sebastian, and Sam spend time together even outside their band; Harvey and Maru work together in Pelican Town's medical clinic; and Sam and Penny are long-time friends who do things like climb trees together. The Flower Dance festival each spring pairs up a number of characters who could arguably be canonical marriage options if a player doesn't step in, but these pairings never fully develop because that outside influence is always possible.
How Haunted Chocolatier Can Improve
The initial trailer for Haunted Chocolatier shows that talking with one's neighbors is a mechanic that carries over from Stardew Valley. Notably, the player is given what looks like branching dialogue options during a typical conversation with someone named Maddie, despite this often being reserved for Heart Events in Stardew. While it's good to give users more options, it would also benefit Haunted Chocolatier to let its NPCs have more defined social lives beyond the player; possibly going so far as to lock romances if they wait too long.
Stardew Valley offers key cases where its spiritual successor can expand. After a player's first year in Pelican Town, Kent returns from serving in the army, offering more conversations with his wife Jodi and their kids. There are also some rare opportunities for players to seemingly set relationships in motion, such as a Heart Event where they can encourage Clint the blacksmith to ask out his crush Emily (a dynamic that turns toxic if the player romances her instead).
Yet these opportunities are few and far between, despite there being plenty more options the player could help with. For example, many characters wonder when Sebastian is planning to ask out Abigail, and Haley seems infatuated by her friend Alex. Haunted Chocolatier could make more apparent queer romances beyond what the player initiates, building on interactions that Stardew Valley fans have latched onto like Maru and Penny spending time together on benches around town. Barone's next world would greatly benefit from making its NPCs feel more dynamic with one another than ever.
Haunted Chocolatier is currently in development.