Summary
ForHaunted Chocolatierto give players a full management experience, one classic mechanic will need to be accounted for. While there will be plenty of things to occupy players' time inHaunted Chocolatier, they will still have a chocolate shop to worry about. Some skills can likely be transferred over fromStardew Valley, but running a chocolate shop and running a farm have some distinct differences, and that will likely be reflected in the gameplay. This will probably warrant the introduction of some new mechanics. In particular, there is one mechanic that could be a perfect fit for the job.
Much like howplayers grow their farms inStardew Valley, the chocolate shop inHaunted Chocolatierlooks set to be the player character’s primary focus. Early footage has shown the player making chocolate sweets and selling them at the shop with the help of some ghosts, forming the game’s equivalent of growing and selling crops inStardew Valley. While this setup may not be as flexible asStardew Valley’s farms, which could expand into producing several types of goods, it will still be of vital importance to the player. What should be interesting is what options the player has to run their store.
Haunted Chocolatier’s Shop May Require a Team Effort
Haunted Chocolatier’s Shop Will Require a Different Approach Than a Farm
Unlike the rural farming ofStardew Valley,Haunted Chocolatier’s workplace simwill require a different set of skills. Most notably, the player won’t be taking care of the job alone. At the very least, ghosts can assist in stocking the shelves and ringing up customers, so the player will have employees in some way. Whether the player will only have ghosts, or if they will be able to hire human employees is still up in the air. Regardless, managing employees is an element of the management genre thatHaunted Chocolatiercould get some mileage out of, and it could make the game deeper overall.
While the player has no farmhands or assistants inStardew Valley, their spouse will occasionally water the crops after marriage.
Managing Employees Could Be Important For Haunted Chocolatier
Running the business could have several steps toward sellingHaunted Chocolatier’s titular desserts. The player could assign their employees to specific tasks based on their skills, with some performing better in certain areas than others. Likewise, they could also manage the various needs and personalities of the workers, keeping up their morale so that they can put in better work. Ensuring that the player’s employees are well-trained and happy could be key to keeping the shop running, with bonuses for good management and penalties for poor player decisions. This extra layer would make the gameplay loop deeper than just selling the finest chocolates.
Haunted Chocolatier Could Use Management to Face a Corporate Foe
Properly managing a business and employees could also come in handy ifHaunted Chocolatierhas a corporate antagonist. Tasking the player with running a local shop and managing their employees well could make it a great foil to a corporate competitor that is focused solely on profit. This could play heavily into the story, as managing the shop well could see more people coming to shop with or work for the player due to their better service and employee morale.Stardew Valleyshowed one way to fight off a corporation, andHaunted Chocolatiercould do the same through another method.
RunningHaunted Chocolatier’s shop could lead to some deep and intriguing gameplay with an employee management mechanic. Thehorror-themed elements ofHaunted Chocolatierwill already set the game apart fromStardew Valleyin one way, and including a full business sim feature would further ensure that the game stands out. SinceHaunted Chocolatierwill be putting players in charge of a business, it would make sense to give them a role in every aspect of running it. Going all in on employee management could help outHaunted Chocolatier’s shop over the top.
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.
