Grave Seasonsis an upcoming farming life-sim from developer Perfect Garbage Studios. Following a period of silence, after its announcement in April 2023, the title was featured duringthe official reveal of Blumhouse Gamesat Summer Game Fest 2024.Grave Seasonsis set to mix the coziness of titles like developer ConcernedApe’sStardew Valleywith overt horror elements. However, it is not the only upcoming title looking to do so, as ConcernedApe is working on a horror-tinged life-sim of its own,Haunted Chocolatier. WhileGrave SeasonsandHaunted Chocolatierseemingly seek to deliver a similar aesthetic, their implementation of horror elements couldn’t be more different.
Grave Seasonswas announced while still very early in development, which led to its long absence from the spotlight. However, its central concept of mixingStardew Valley-like gameplay and visceral horror quickly gained the attention of horror fans worldwide. Joining the ranks of Blumhouse Games’ initial slate of indie horror releases, the title asserts itself as a true horror experience. WithHaunted Chocolatierconcurrently making headlines, the two titles look to distinguish themselves through their respective approach to horror. While the two may appear quite similar at first glance, digging a little deeper reveals thatGrave SeasonsandHaunted Chocolatierplan to deliver very different experiences.
Grave Seasons and Haunted Chocolatier Define Horror Differently
Life-sims have long provided a pleasant escape from gaming’s more intense mainline genres, delivering calm, life-affirming experiences to fans of any genre.According to ConcernedApe,Haunted Chocolatierseeks to continue this trend, albeit with a spooky twist. The title features a variety of horror-inspired elements, such as ghosts, a haunted castle, and other macabre elements. However, these elements are meant to deliver Halloween-style frights, rather than overt horror.
Grave Seasonsdefines its horror very differently, with Perfect Garbage Studios injecting elements that one would expect to find in a modern slasher film.The core focus ofGrave Seasonsis to explore the relationship between romance and horror, with the relationships between players and the NPC inhabitants of Ashenridge taking the spotlight. However, the title features a killer twist, as one of the inhabitants is secretly a serial killer. As players build, create, and romance their community, the serial killer will pick off inhabitants one by one. Players are tasked with revealing the killer’s identity before they too fall victim; each time players start a new game, a random NPC will be chosen as the killer, making each run a new and horrifying experience for fans.
Grave Seasons' Killer Mystery is the Antithesis to Haunted Chocolatier’s Life-Affirming Spookiness
Grave Seasons' serial killer provides the perfect antithesis toHaunted Chocolatier’s lighthearted spookiness. It delivers a gripping, and brutal, murder mystery in the form of a traditional life-sim, flipping the genre on its head.Haunted Chocolatierseeks to deliver a life-affirming, yet spooky, experience that players can return to time and again. On the other hand,Grave Seasonsthrusts death and visceral horror into the forefront, with players working against the clock to save the inhabitants of Ashenridge, before starting the experience again from scratch with a new killer. In doing so, the title delivers the complete opposite of a life-affirming experience, makingGrave Seasonsthe perfect antithesis toHaunted Chocolatier.
Grave SeasonsandHaunted Chocolatieraim to deliver a unique twist on the life-sim formula, opening the door for even more players to experience what the genre has to offer. WhileHaunted Chocolatierseems to offer a lightly spooky experience to fans of all ages,Grave Seasonsoffers a distinctly mature brand of horror that is sure to appeal to fans ofthe survival horror genre. Fans hoping to learn Seasonsand its central mystery are encouraged to stay up to date with the developer’s social media or join the official Discord server, where the team promises to provide updates throughout development.
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.
