Summary
While romance is not everything in ConcernedApe’sStardew Valley, it’s at least a significant contributor to the game’s heart and soul, effectively encompassing a sizable portion of the “life” part of the farm life sim genre it calls home. Not only is it a great way to get to know many ofStardew Valley’s NPCson a deeper level, it’s an opportunity for players to have the comfort of someone waiting at home for them after a long day’s work, and even someone who helps out around the farm. In light of that, it’s good news that ConcernedApe’s upcoming chocolate confectionery store sim,Haunted Chocolatier, includes romance in its gameplay as well.
Haunted Chocolatier’s inclusion of romance mechanics is all well and good, but there remains an argument for the whole system to take the opposite approach toStardew Valley’s romance.Haunted Chocolatiermay look, sound, and feel a lot likeStardew Valley, but its similarities don’t need to cross over into its romance mechanics.
Why Haunted Chocolatier’s Romance Should Be Opposite to Stardew Valley’s
Stardew Valley’s Romance Mechanics Might Feel Too Predictable in Haunted Chocolatier
One of the main reasonsHaunted Chocolatiermight want to move in the opposite direction toStardew Valleywhen it comes to its romances is that the mechanics might feel too familiar to those who have already spent plenty of time playing the farm life sim.Stardew Valleyhas now been out for nearly 9 years, which means players have had more than enough time to familiarize themselves with the ins and outs of its romance mechanics. As such, those same players who plan on migrating over toHaunted Chocolatieronce it launchesmay find its romance mechanics to be devoid of the challenge they once posed inStardew Valley, should they be similar.
IncorporatingStardew Valley’s romance mechanics intoHaunted Chocolatiermight also feel too repetitive for some, thereby taking the joy of discovery out of the whole experience. Heading intoHaunted Chocolatier, players would then immediately know what they would need to do in order to effectively romance their favorite characters — speak to them regularly, find out what their favorite things are and gift them those things, and visit them as often as possible to ensure noHeart Eventsare missed.
Of course, players would initially still need to put in the work to discover what their favorite NPCs enjoy, but the mechanics, being too similar toStardew Valley’s, might nonetheless be too repetitive.
Haunted Chocolatier’s Premise Allows for an Unconventional Approach to Romance
Another reasonHaunted Chocolatier’s romance might want to move away fromStardew Valley’s romance mechanics boils down toHaunted Chocolatier’s business-management premise. UnlikeStardew Valley, which revolves around players building a farm and simply living their life in Pelican Town,Haunted Chocolatiersees players managing a chocolate confectionery store. Presumably, this premise will be a bit more demanding of players than the farm they were tasked with developing inStardew Valley, as running a successful business might be a taller order than managing a farm.
Another reasonHaunted Chocolatier’s romance might want to move away fromStardew Valley’s romance mechanics boils down toHaunted Chocolatier’s business-management premise.
In light of that, players will need plenty of help running their shop, as they can’t hope to do it by themselves. According to some ofHaunted Chocolatier’s screenshots, players will be able to hire ghosts to assist them in the everyday operations of their chocolate confectionery store, but this mechanic could be applied to the game’s romances as well. WhereasStardew Valleyessentially encourages players to pursue a romance with any NPCs they find interesting,Haunted Chocolatier’s romanceable NPCs could come with traits that directly benefit the player’s store, should they court and even marry those NPCs.
This would makeHaunted Chocolatier’s romancean integral part of its gameplay, rather than more of an optional activity, as it is inStardew Valley. Players would be far more encouraged to pursue romantic relationships withHaunted Chocolatier’s NPCs, and that alone would set it apart fromStardew Valley’s romance. However, regardless of whetherHaunted Chocolatier’s romance mechanics remain the same or move in the opposite direction toStardew Valley, at least there will be another opportunity for players to personalize their experience and optimize their virtual lifestyle, just as they can in ConcernedApe’s acclaimed farm life sim.
