One of Stardew Valley's most iconic elements is the ability to romance and marry one of the many residents of Pelican Town, such as the artist Leah, the introverted goth Sebastian, or the novelist Elliott. Modeled after the style implemented by the Harvest Moon/Story of Seasons franchise, every player has had their favorites and, aside from some lost personality during the marriage phase, it's seen positive reception among the Stardew Valley player base. Now that ConcernedApe is working on his next game Haunted Chocolatier, fans' expectations for the romance system will be high.
Haunted Chocolatier will also include romances, though it hasn't been confirmed how exactly the mechanic will work. As shown in the trailer, it looks like players may be able to woo a character named Lily, who boasts a small red dot in the corner of her dialogue box, similar to Stardew Valley. And in an interview with VGKami, ConcernedApe confirmed romance will occur in the game, and though he reportedly hasn't fully decided on the approach, it'll be somewhat different from courtship in Stardew Valley. While many might expect the same gift-to-marriage method, Haunted Chocolatier can expand on these relationships for an even more memorable experience.
Stardew Valley's Romance System
Stardew Valley's dating and marriage gameplay is simplistic, but the unique personalities thoughtfully written into each romanceable character is why so many players love it. After meeting a villager, players can then give them gifts that they like or love to increase their affinity levels. For example, Abigail loves pumpkins and amethyst and likes quartz but dislikes sugar and hates holly. Every couple of heart levels (ranging from one to 10), players can happen upon a heart event if they're in the right place at the right time. After reaching 10 hearts, players can propose to the candidate with a Mermaid's Pendant, and they'll automatically have a wedding shortly after.
Relationships in Stardew Valley lose a bit of momentum during marriage because the spouse will essentially dedicate their life to the farm. However, players can also have up to two children, biologically if the couple is opposite-gendered and adopted if they're of the same gender. Though it's a bit melancholic, should players want more children or simply don't want the kids anymore, they can abandon them in the witch's hut by turning them into doves, effectively wiping their spouse's memory as well. Players can also get divorced, re-marry, and even re-marry the same person on the same save file if their memory has been wiped. Many players have experienced these strange routes simply because it adds a bit of pizzazz to the normal dating experience.
How Haunted Chocolatier Can Change Up Its Romance
Stardew Valley's brand of romance is very characteristic of farming simulators and other genres where there is a list of NPCs available to date, but it doesn't necessarily deep-dive into the relationship in the way narrative-driven games do. But Haunted Chocolatier, being more of the latter than a farming sim, can make the romance more impactful.
One thing missing from Stardew Valley's romances is something that can also be found in games of very different genres, such as the Life is Strange franchise and the Mass Effect series, where characters are actively involved in the protagonists' stories and they face challenges together. That's not to say Stardew Valley's NPCs don't have their own struggles—the most iconic one likely being Shane and his alcoholism—but it doesn't influence the main story because of Stardew's inherent nature.
In both newer Life is Strange titles like True Colors and the Mass Effect trilogy, players embark on a journey that features multiple romanceable characters like Steph and Ryan or Liara, Jack, Miranda, and Garrus, respectively. Each has a complicated backstory and quests to discover both their best and worst sides, but they're also actively involved and invested in Commander Shepard's life and mission, helping them every step of the way. Especially in Mass Effect, quests must also be done correctly in order to woo these characters, and handling certain tasks wrongfully can even result in their untimely deaths. It's unlikely that Haunted Chocolatier will get this morbid, but adding stakes as well as more meaning and motivation for being in a relationship could prove to be a moving and resounding part of Haunted Chocolatier, should it adopt gameplay that ties heartfelt romance into a complex narrative.
Haunted Chocolatier is currently in development.