The most anticipated indie game in development right now isHaunted Chocolatier, the next game by solo developer Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone. His upcoming title is a sugary-sweet supernatural RPG in which players will run a confectionery store inside a haunted castle. The game will be full of ghosts and candy and take a spookier direction from ConcernedApe’s first game,Stardew Valley, butone characterneeds to appearin both titles.
Hat Mouse, the tiny business owner who supplies players with a vast range of hats, must appear inHaunted Chocolatier. By bringing Hat Mouse, or another mousy relation, over to the next game,ConcernedApe could easily connect his two gameswithout worrying about lore issues. Not only would it allow the hat achievement system to continue, but it would allow the very bestStardew Valleycharacter to get even more screen time.
Who Is Hat Mouse And Why Are They Beloved?
The Most Stylish Rodent In The Valley
Of all the characters inStardew Valley,Hat Mouse might be the very best and the most whimsical. Near the Wizard’s Tower, on the bottom left of the map in the Cindersap Forest, isan abandoned house. At first, this house is completely empty, but after players have earned their first achievement – which can quite literally be any achievement – the house will have a new resident, Hat Mouse. This gray mouse wears a tiny green cap and sits right at the door of the abandoned house to sell players their hats at any time of the day, every day of the week.
Hat Mouse first makes its introduction by sending the player an incredibly endearing letter that reads, “Hi. Me sell hats. Okay, poke? Come to old old old haus, poke. Bring coins.”From that point forward,Hat Mouse will sell a catalog of hats based on player achievements. Common first hats are likely the “Sou’wester”, a classic yellow fisherman’s hat for catching ten fish, or the “Good Ol’ Cap”, a round brown hat for earning 15,000 gold. More hats come in time, like the Junimo Hat for achieving “Perfection.”
How Hat Mouse Could Work In Haunted Chocolatier
Keeping Achievement Hats Would Work In The Next Game
Hat Mouse never interacts with another resident of Pelican Town and its surrounding areas. In fact, it seems thatthe player is the only person aware that Hat Mouse has taken up the abandoned housefor its shop. It appears that Hat Mouse decided to move into the abandoned house completely of its own volition. It could also decide to up and move at any point, which allows Hat Mouse to appear in ConcernedApe’s next title:Haunted Chocolatier.
Similarly to how Hat Mouse appears inStardew Valley, Hat Mouse (or a close rodent relative) could move into the community inHaunted Chocolatier.This addition wouldn’t need much explanation or setup, since Hat Mouse would only need a small empty space to take over. It would also allow the same achievement reward system to continue inHaunted Chocolatier,as players could unlock special hats tied to candy-themed achievements.
Do It For The Lore Please, ConcernedApe
The Fandom Needs More Hat Mouse
Bringing Hat Mouse over toHaunted Chocolatierwould be an effortlessway to interlink the newest game withStardew Valleywithout forcing the two titles to share any other inconvenient connections. Even ifHaunted Chocolatieris set years before or after the timeline ofStardew Valley, they could share a universe in which barely literate mice sell hats to intrepid farmers or confectionary store owners.
ConcernedApe has indicated thatHaunted Chocolatierwill be more supernatural,whimsical, and intuitivethanStardew Valley. While the 2016 classic does have some fantastical elements, like the Junimo spirits and the various talking animals, including Hat Mouse, a bear, and the Tree Stump raccoons, the overall vibe of the game is very based on realism. Bringing Hat Mouse over toHaunted Chocolatierwill allowa connection toStardew Valleythat isn’t basedon realismbut still indicates that the two games share a world in some capacity.
