Haunted Chocolatier’s Premise Raises a Major Setting Question

Highlights

• Haunted Chocolatier, from the creator of Stardew Valley, blends business management with ghosts in a fun concept for players to explore.
• The game’s emphasis on supernatural elements like ghosts could open the door for other iconic beings to make an appearance.
• While details are scarce, the casual acceptance of ghosts in everyday life hints at a whimsical world set to be a departure from Stardew Valley.

Haunted Chocolatier is a wonderfully weird concept from the solo developer behind the indie hit Stardew Valley. Players take on the role of a chocolate maker living in a castle, except there’s one catch: the place is crawling with ghosts. Similar to Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier embraces its predecessor’s RPG and simulation gameplay, but it’s set in a completely different environment this time around.

At the moment, there really isn’t a lot known about Haunted Chocolatier and its main story. Officially announced in October 2021, Haunted Chocolatier has received very few updates. When looking at ConcernedApe’s official website for the game, he hasn’t posted any substantial footage from the game since December 2021, leaving many with a variety of questions regarding the game’s world, especially when it comes to ghosts.

Haunted Chocolatier and the Casual Acceptance of Ghosts

The ghosts haunting the titular chocolate maker’s castle are a huge enigma. This brings up many questions about whether ghosts are just a normal phenomenon in the world of Haunted Chocolatier or not, and there will hopefully be plenty of answers given when the game finally launches.

Turning Up The Dial on Fantasy and the Supernatural

Although there isn’t much known about Haunted Chocolatier, the casual presence of ghosts in everyday life seems to suggest that this game will be a fun departure from Stardew Valley by kicking the fantasy and supernatural elements into overdrive. If ghosts are just a natural part of this game’s world, then that leaves the door wide open for a variety of other iconic supernatural beings to make their way into Haunted Chocolatier.

ConcernedApe has proven that he is talented at crafting a whimsical world to explore, and the supernatural elements definitely don’t have to stop at ghosts. In the official announcement for Haunted Chocolatier, ConcernedApe stated, “If Stardew Valley mostly channeled the energy of the sun, Haunted Chocolatier channels the energy of the moon. Both are vital.” The emphasis on Haunted Chocolatier being the moon to Stardew Valley‘s sun could just be explaining how the two games are complimentary to one another, but this statement could also be giving a sneak peek at what’s to come.

Haunted Chocolatier could possibly be set in the same world as Stardew Valley, but it may be a completely different region inhabited by a variety of supernatural creatures, like ghosts, werewolves, and maybe even vampires. ConcernedApe made it clear in the official announcement of the game that the presence of ghosts does not mean that they are evil or enemies to be feared. This could indicate that Haunted Chocolatier‘s setting is a world where supernatural beings and people live in harmony together. However, this doesn’t really answer how chocolate plays into the overall story, but all will likely be revealed at launch.

“If
Stardew Valley
mostly channeled the energy of the sun,
Haunted Chocolatier
channels the energy of the moon. Both are vital.”

Blending something as beloved and delightful as chocolate with the constant presence of ghosts is a really fun concept, and it will be exciting to see what the game’s world is all about. Haunted Chocolatier‘s focus on business management while ghosts are roaming about the castle is a strange idea, but if done well, it could prove to be on par with the likes of Stardew Valley.