Haunted Chocolatier Is Set To Be 'Way Bigger than Stardew Valley'

"“It's way bigger than , at least in terms of the amount of maps, the amount of monsters, the depth to the whole item system, and all the equipment slots and all the stuff like this,” he told Stardew Valley Game Informer. “Everything is cranked up.”"

"“I'm interested in exploring a darker theme, a darker atmosphere,” he said. “The ghosts, the haunted nature, the castle, allows for a lot of interesting, creative things that I can do that are kind of creepy, like not totally horrifying, but maybe slightly, you know, creepy stuff.”"

"Barone suggested that Haunted Chocolatier has slightly darker themes than Stardew Valley . He also talked about being afraid to make certain changes, like making characters like Caroline and Robin romanceable via divorces, to because plot beats like these might feel “too real.”"

"He said that he's now trying to work on Haunted Chocolatier five days a week and spending the other two on Stardew Valley , which is set to receive its much-hyped soon."

Development time is split between Haunted Chocolatier and Stardew Valley, with five days focused on Haunted Chocolatier and two days on Stardew Valley. Haunted Chocolatier is expected to be larger than prior expectations, with more maps, more monsters, deeper item systems, and expanded equipment slots. The project includes darker themes and a less cozy tone than Stardew Valley. Writing choices are influenced by concerns about making certain relationship changes feel too real. Haunted Chocolatier’s haunted setting, ghosts, and castle environment enable creative, slightly creepy elements rather than fully horrifying content.

Read at Kotaku