In between working onStardew Valleyupdates, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone is developingHaunted Chocolatier, an entirely new game in which players need to run a small shop with a menu full of sweets. While Barone likes working on the game in secret,Haunted Chocolatiergets occasional updates that give fans something to look forward to whenever it arrives.
However, ever sinceHaunted Chocolatierwas revealed, one small piece of information that ConcernedApe has offered has stuck with many future players as they’ve wondered what exactly it means. Barone has stated that “ifStardew Valleymostly channeled the energy of the sun,Haunted Chocolatierchannels the energy of the moon.” Many fans have tried to come up with deep, metaphorical theories for this phrase, but it may be rather literal.
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The Symbolism of Haunted Chocolatier’s Moon
Suffice to say, even without what ConcernedApe had to say about his games,Stardew ValleyandHaunted Chocolatierfeel like completely separate experiencesfrom each other. WhereStardew Valleycan be seen as upbeat and bright,Haunted Chocolatierseems full of melancholy and even comes off a bit cold. Both of these things match rather well with general images of the moon, as it sits in space, quiet and almost lonely. The moon is typically seen as a mysterious entity, and this tends to lead it to be heavily associated with magic.
As a result, it may be possible thatHaunted Chocolatierhas a bigger influence on the aspects of magic and the supernatural thanStardew Valleydid.Stardewdabbled in magical and abnormal concepts, but how much magical elements playersencountered inStardew Valleydepended on their particular goals.Haunted Chocolatieris likely going to be a different story and could likely feature magical elements that draw from the same mystery that the moon itself commonly exhibits in fiction.
Stardew Valley’s Sunny Disposition
Another literal wayHaunted Chocolatiercould channel the energy of the moon doesn’t take much thought. WhileStardew Valleyis inspired byHarvest Moon, it gets rid of one of the game’s mechanics that lets players work far beyond midnight if they want to.Harvest Moongames typically allow fans to stay up as late as they want, provided their character’s stamina holds out. ConcernedApe’s farming simulator, however, makes players pass out automatically at 2 AM; a limiting feature manyStardew Valleyplayers fix with mods.
Due to this, players are rather accustomed towhat happens in Pelican Town between 6 AM to 2 AM.Stardew Valleyis most definitely experienced through the in-game daylight hours, butHaunted Chocolatieris likely going to differ in that aspect. It’s very telling that the entirety of the announcement trailer for Barone’s next title shows the game at night rather than the day. This not only serves as a hint that the pesky time limit won’t exist inHaunted Chocolatier, but it says that players may experience the game at night rather than the day, the complete reverse ofStardew Valley.
It’s hard to say just exactly howHaunted Chocolatierchannels the energy of the moon as not much is known about the game just yet. It’s still very heavily into early development, and ConcernedApe has already had to stop progress on it to work out a fewStardew Valleyupdates. There’s a very strong chance thatHaunted Chocolatiermay have been announced too early, which may lead to some players losing interest before the launch. However, ifStardew’ssuccess is anything to go by, there will certainly be a number of loyal fans ready and waiting once development on this spooky, yet sweet game finishes sometime in the future.
