Haunted Chocolatier Shouldn’t Imitate Stardew Valley’s Story

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 5, 2024 41 Views 7 Min Read
Haunted Chocolatier Shouldn't Imitate Stardew Valley's Story



Key Takeaways

  • Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon rely heavily on the inheritance premise.
  • Haunted Chocolatier could provide a unique narrative by avoiding the farm inheritance trope.
  • The dark and mysterious premise of Haunted Chocolatier could warrant a unique storyline departure.



For decades, farm life sims have leaned heavily on a familiar narrative trope, where the player inherits a farm or business that must be restored to its former glory. From Harvest Moon to Stardew Valley, the premise has become a rather comfortable storytelling strategy, and risks feeling repetitive if kept up — assuming it isn’t already seen as such. Now, the upcoming release of Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone’s Haunted Chocolatier has a chance to turn that trope on its head by offering something the genre isn’t known for.

Despite having similar gameplay elements, there is enough that is unique about Haunted Chocolatier that it could go in a different direction with its story than life-sim games like Stardew Valley and Harvest Moon have. Of course, Haunted Chocolatier already stands out with its promise of running a chocolate shop haunted by friendly spirits, blending cozy gameplay with supernatural mystery. However, this is arguably why it should also explore an “origin” story that sets it apart even further from the games it shares a genre with.


Sebastian and the farmer on a cliff overlooking Zuzu City in his ten-heart event in Stardew Valley

Related
Even After Updates for Stardew Valley End, Haunted Chocolatier May Not Spell the Game’s End

Stardew Valley’s major updates will likely stop coming sometimes after Haunted Chocolatier’s release, but the game won’t disappear.

Haunted Chocolatier Should Avoid Stardew Valley’s Inheritance Trope

Stardew Valley Begins as an Inheritance Story

Just as is the case with Harvest Moon, which Stardew Valley is based on, Stardew Valley is an inheritance story in its premise. The game’s story begins with the player inheriting their grandfather’s old farm in the rural community of Pelican Town, after which players are essentially set free and allowed to play the game as they please. The inheritance of the farm serves as the catalyst for the player leaving behind a monotonous corporate job to start a new life focused on farming, community building, and personal growth.


Again, while the inheritance sets up Stardew Valley‘s narrative, the story is less about the legacy of the farm itself and more about how the player chooses to shape their life and relationships within the town. The freedom to customize and develop the farm, build relationships, and explore the world is what drives the overall experience of Stardew Valley, rather than focusing on the inheritance itself. In its earliest days, the Harvest Moon franchise required players to restore their farm to a certain point within a specific time period, which is why Stardew Valley‘s more free-form approach has been met with praise.

Despite its willingness to allow players to play the game the way they see fit, as opposed to being tied down to its inheritance premise,
Stardew Valley
has nonetheless preserved the inheritance story tradition that farm life sims have been doing for decades now, so
Haunted Chocolatier
might be better off avoiding that to give players something more unique.

Haunted Chocolatier’s Story Should Be as Dark and Mysterious as Its Premise

Given Haunted Chocolatier‘s premise, perhaps its story and player character’s introduction should be just as dark and mysterious. Specifically, rather than seeing the player character simply inheriting a chocolate factory from their late grandfather, Haunted Chocolatier could set up the story in a way that might be considered “off brand” for a farm life sim.


Perhaps the player character is a chocolatier from another world, and upon stepping into a mysterious portal, they happen upon the deprived setting of Haunted Chocolatier, where the only thing they have to offer the quaint town is their expertise at making chocolate. The player then brings prosperity to the once dilapidated town by drawing people from the surrounding area, where news of the player’s chocolate has spread.

Rather than seeing the player character simply inheriting a chocolate factory from their late grandfather,
Haunted Chocolatier
could set up the story in a way that might be considered “off brand” for a farm life sim.

On the other hand, perhaps Haunted Chocolatier could make the inheritance story work, but not from a relative. Maybe the player character stumbles upon the chocolate confectionery shop during a stormy night in an unfamiliar town and is compelled to stay by the spirits that inhabit it. These spirits then guide the player, sharing cryptic stories about their past lives and why they are bound to the shop. From there, the player’s journey involves building relationships with the ghosts in Haunted Chocolatier to uncover their histories, and helping them find peace by crafting unique chocolates for them.


There are plenty of different directions Haunted Chocolatier could go with its story, especially given its unique premise in the life sim genre. While it could certainly make the inheritance story work, it might be better off avoiding that trope, as it has been repeated far too many times to count. Instead, Haunted Chocolatier could make waves by having a story that is just as fantastical as its premise.

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