Summary
Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone,Haunted Chocolatier’s developer, has admitted to being inspired by various life simulators and farming game franchises likeStories of Seasons. Some even liken his debut titleStardew Valleyto other hit titles likeAnimal Crossing. WhileStardew ValleyandAnimal Crossinghave similar gameplay, there is one great mechanic that the former didn’t get from the latter. Such a feature would be a great fit for ConcernedApe’s next game, too.
Haunted Chocolatieris one of the most anticipated games of the past three years. Barone announced the game back in 2021, and he posts updates sporadically on theHaunted Chocolatier’s official websiteand X (formerly Twitter). The game will focus on creating and selling chocolate, seemingly with help from ghosts. This game has an opportunity to make them and other characters more interesting by introducing a mechanic originally fromAnimal Crossing.
Haunted Chocolatier Should Have Randomized Villagers Like Animal Crossing
One of the most charming aspects ofStardew Valleyis its townsfolk.Players can befriendvillagerswith unique personalities and goals, each carefully crafted by Barone. They make the game’s world feel alive with their daily routines, family lives, likes, and dislikes. However, there’s always room for improvement.
What Animal Crossing Gets Right About its Villagers
Animal Crossing’s villagers also have distinctive personalities and relationships, just likeStardew Valley’s. The difference is that their order of appearance is randomized. Somevillagers inAnimal Crossingmay already be in the player’s town the moment they start a new game. There are also townsfolk that move in after some time, and the player can even send unwanted villagers off and force them to move out of their town.
This system makes each town unique. No single playthrough is the same because the player will almost always encounter a different mix of townsfolk. It’s comforting to come home to familiar faces for each new game, like inStardew Valley. However, some players may appreciate the depth and variety of having randomized villagers.
How Haunted Chocolatier Could Make its Randomized Villagers More Unique
Having randomized villagers inHaunted Chocolatierwould already be a big step up from its predecessor in terms of replayability and variety. However, the game could make this feature even more unique by using it onHaunted Chocolatier’s ghosts. Each poltergeist could have personalities that make them optimal for certain tasks. For example, a villager or ghost with a cheerful personality could be great for customer-facing tasks like manning the cashier. A unit with an aloof personality may be better for jobs in the kitchen, where they can do their own thing. Having randomized villagers isn’t just for cosmetics and immersion, it also adds an extra layer of complexity to the life-sim gameplay ofHaunted Chocolatier.
The “personality defines job role” concept is present in various city-building and simulator games, namelyFallout ShelterandThe Elder Scrolls: Castles.
The Difficulty of Implementing Random Villagers in Haunted Chocolatier
Animal Crossing’s randomized villagers feature works well because there are a massive number of villagers for players to encounter, with over 413 townsfolk present inAnimal Crossing: New Horizons. This ensures that the player truly has a unique set of villagers compared to their peers or their previous playthrough. Such a volume could be difficult to achieve inHaunted Chocolatiergiven thatConcernedApe is the game’s sole developer. Creating hundreds of characters from scratch is no easy task for a small team, much less a single person. This could be one of the reasons whyStardew Valleyhas a set cast.
The developer is also adamant about working alone, despite the success ofStardew Valley, which could limit how many unique charactersHaunted Chocolatiermay contain.An alternative would be procedural generation with AI, but this method could ruin the game’s honest and cozy feel. It may be a long shot to expect a randomized villager mechanic inHaunted Chocolatier, but it would definitely be a welcome surprise if ConcernedApe somehow pulls it off.
Haunted Chocolatier
WHERE TO PLAY
Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming adventure game from Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe (Eric Barone). The game is currently set to feature a lush explorable world, chocolate making and cooking, a spooky theme, and more. There is currently no release date or time period for the game.
