Even with a surprise Stardew Valley update on the horizon, all eyes are on Haunted Chocolatier. According to ConcernedApe, the new content won’t delay the next project, which means every passing day brings us closer to finally experiencing it. And while waiting is part of the process, it’s hard not to speculate about what this game could become and what elements of Stardew Valley we're hoping will make the jump.
For me, cozy games thrive when they balance survival and structure with creativity and self-expression. Whether it’s farming, building, or creating a digital family, these games are at their best when they let players leave a personal mark on the world. That’s why, as Haunted Chocolatier leans more heavily into combat, I can’t help but wonder how much of that creative freedom will carry over. Most of all, I fear a future in which the beloved character creation feature could quietly slip away.
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Stardew Valley’s Character Creator Was Better Than People Remember
When Stardew Valley first launched, its character maker was often dismissed as simplistic. Players could choose a hairstyle, outfit, skin tone, and a handful of accessories. But while customizing your character in Stardew Valley wasn’t revolutionary, it did exactly what it needed to: it gave you ownership of your farmer. Whether you played as a bright-eyed newcomer in overalls, a gothic recluse in black, or someone who resembled yourself in real life, the game made it easy to project your story onto your little pixel sprite.
And let’s not overlook how that simplicity carried charm. Unlike sprawling RPGs with customization menus that can enthrall a life-sim veteran for hours, Stardew Valley gave you just enough tools to define your character without overwhelming you. Further customization avenues were added in version 1.4 of Stardew Valley, cementing the importance of an avatar as unique as every farm.
Was it perfect? No. Would I have loved more hairstyles, clothing items, or body diversity? Absolutely. There are boundaries to how much customization is suitable in Stardew Valley, but the character creator is one area that shouldn’t be limited. Yet, it worked because it complemented the core of the game: you weren’t just farming a plot of land, you were roleplaying as someone who belonged in Pelican Town.
Haunted Chocolatier Is Already Teasing a Different Focus
Everything shown so far about the project suggests that Haunted Chocolatier will lean more into combat and exploration than Stardew Valley ever did. That’s exciting in its own right. It’s not meant to be a sequel at all, so it’s a new world with new mechanics. Still, there’s a real risk here. With a stronger focus on dungeon crawling and resource-gathering, the slower, self-expressive elements that made Stardew Valley feel so personal could end up taking a backseat.
If ConcernedApe decides to streamline or limit the character creator to highlight combat, it could make the game feel less like a sim and more like a traditional action-RPG. That’s not inherently bad. But it would be a loss for players like me who see customization as central to immersion.
Why Character Customization Matters in Cozy Games
Cozy games are, at their heart, about inhabiting a role and sticking to it. The farming layouts in Stardew Valley, the relationships in Palia, the decorating in Animal Crossing—all of it becomes richer when you can anchor yourself in the world through a character that feels like yours. A detailed or expanded creator in Haunted Chocolatier could go a long way toward maintaining that connection.
Games with character creators don’t have to be complicated. Even small additions, like seasonal clothing options, broader hairstyle diversity, or the ability to tweak body shapes, could reinforce the fantasy of truly living in this sweet-but-spooky town. Without that, there’s a danger of feeling more like an adventurer in someone else’s story rather than a chocolatier in your own.
To be clear, I don’t need Haunted Chocolatier to reinvent the wheel. The original Stardew Valley character creator was far from groundbreaking, and yet it worked because it struck a balance between simplicity and personality. If anything, I hope that Stardew’s character customization is treated as Haunted Chocolatier’s foundation to build on rather than something to downsize. My wish list is modest:
- More hairstyles and clothing options that reflect diverse identities.
- Outfits that evolve with the chocolatier theme (aprons, shop uniforms, seasonal wear).
- A touch more body diversity to reflect the variety of players who love these games.
- The same ability to project a story onto my character without being forced into one mold.
Haunted Chocolatier Needs Its Life-Sim Heart
Haunted Chocolatier doesn’t need to be Stardew Valley 2. But part of what made Stardew Valley so magical was how it balanced farming and adventuring with the quiet joy of self-expression. If Haunted Chocolatier shrinks down or oversimplifies the character creator in pursuit of combat mechanics, it risks losing that heart. I’ll happily battle monsters in spooky dungeons, but only if I get to do it as a character that truly feels mine.
Haunted Chocolatier
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Engine
- MonoGame
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Simulation
