Summary

• Stardew Valley is filled with a variety of creepy moments and Easter eggs that add to the game's eerie atmosphere.
• Many of these creepy features were added in the 1.6 update.
• These features hint at some of the creepy features players may see in The Haunted Chocolatier

The 1.6 update for The Haunted Chocolatier, but it seems the developer has carried over some of that haunted energy to his first game.

Though there were already some unsettling mysteries left unsolved in Stardew Valley, the update doubles the strange encounters players can have. ConcernedApe has remained mum about spoilers for his next game, but if the creepy additions in 1.6 are any indication, players have a lot to look forward to in The Haunted Chocolatier. Here’s a rundown of just 10 of those creepy moments players can find in Stardew right now.

10 The Cursed Mannequin Is A Creepy Follower

Poltergeist Activities of the Cursed Mannequin in Stardew Valley

Alongside the regular mannequins players can purchase from Sandy’s shop in the Desert following the 1.6 update, the cursed mannequin was added as a more terrifying alternative. Dropped by Haunted Skulls in the Quarry Mine, the cursed mannequin will move around, swap clothing with the player, and even change the wallpaper or flooring of the room it’s placed in. These poltergeist activities only occur at night — and more than one player has woken up to their cursed mannequin standing over their bed, blocking them from getting out of bed.

Once placed, those who try to remove it from their home will be met with the spirit haunting the mannequin. The fiend will burst from the object and fly at the screen, seemingly going after the player instead of the farmer. It’ll take a pretty powerful tool, but the cursed mannequin can be removed and shoved into a chest, but it won’t go willingly.

9 The Dark Shrine Of Selfishness Can Turn Children Into Doves

Using a Prismatic Shard to Erase Children

Once the player marries one of the townspeople, they have the option to raise children with their in-game spouse. This can only be done if the player has upgraded their home to include a room for the children and if they agree when their partner asks if they want kids. But the life of a farmer is a busy one, and as there’s little players can do to help raise the child (that never grows past toddler-hood), regretting them is possible.

By offering a Prismatic Shard to the Dark Shrine of Selfishness in the Witch’s Hut, the children can be turned into doves. It’s a kinder alternative to killing them, but their existence is essentially wiped from the memory of all NPCs. Only the farmer knows what they’ve done to their kids — and it comes with surprisingly few repercussions.

8 The Ancient Dolls Are Mysterious

Creepy Doll Artifacts and Their Mysterious Origins

There are three different dolls players can donate as artifacts to the museum, but their origins have never been explained in the game. Each of these dolls has a particularly creepy disposition, and the description of one of them even says it may have been used in some sort of ancient ritual, while the others are only described with "???". One of these artifacts is also sacrificed in a pool of lava for those who want the Sword of Meowmere, though that’s arguably one of the least scary encounters with the dolls.

The item’s description reads, “This doll may have been used as a toy, a decoration, or a prop in some kind of ritual.” Unfortunately, even after donating to the museum, Gunther won’t divulge more information about these toys straight out of a horror movie. Jas will happily accept it as a gift if the farmer gives it to her, though she is the only one who loves it.

7 The Ancient Doll Attacking The Player After Turning Children Into Doves

Haunting Aftermath of Using the Dark Shrine of Selfishness

Though there are no repercussions among the townsfolk for turning the farmer’s children into doves, the ritual does seem to unleash something. Following the dove-ification of the children, players can receive an odd phone call filled with static. Under the static, an “otherworldly voice” says, “Y-O-U H-A-V-E F-O-R-S-A-K-E-N U-S.”

When using the TV, there will also be a new channel available, labeled “???”. Selecting this channel will show an ancient doll on the screen, telling the player, “You've brought this upon yourself... now I'm free... Hee hee hee!” The doll will then swoop out of the screen and attack the player. Any time the farmer visits the Witch’s Hut and the Dark Shrine of Selfishness after that, they will be attacked by the doll, discouraging them from disposing of any other children they may have in the future.

6 The Strange Capsule Is An Unsolved Mystery

The Mysterious Disappearance Linked to the Strange Capsule

The strange capsule is an item that can appear on the player’s farm during the night. There’s a small chance of it spawning on an empty block, and it’ll be pulsing when the player approaches it, as the machines do when in use. It can be picked up using the pickaxe, so players do not have to leave it where it lands.

But despite the item’s description, indicating “there’s something fleshy bobbing around in the fluid,” players can’t investigate it further. After about three days of pulsing, the capsule will break open, leaving the glass behind it shattered. From here, it’s essentially useless, though players never learn what the fleshy item inside it is.

5 Green Rain Isn't Actually Bad For Plants

Eerie Effects of the Green Rain Weather Event

The green rain weather event was another new addition to Stardew with the 1.6 update. The day before it happens, players will receive an unsettling message from the weather channel in place of the typical weather prediction; when the rain starts, all television channels, phone lines, and jukeboxes will not work. The first year, most of the NPCs will gather at the Saloon out of fear of the odd-colored rain. Demetrius will wear a hazmat suit every year as a precaution.

Though the green rain event is essentially harmless, just encouraging plant growth, its interference with electronic devices is part of what makes it an unsettling encounter. Every area of the map, whether the player in indoors or outdoors, will have a green tinge to it because of the rain.

4 The Secret Statues Have Unknown Origins

Following Strange Messages to Unknown Figures

There are three strange statues that can be obtained by deciphering a strange message left in one of the books in the Museum. Placing a super cucumber in the box by Clint’s will produce ??HMTGF??, duck mayonnaise put in the box behind the Saloon will give ??Pinky Lemon??, and putting a strange bun in the toy box in Vincent’s bedroom will produce ??Foroguemon??

These three statues, while harmless, look deformed and a bit eerie. There’s no explanation as to where they came from, what they’re for, or if they were meant to have any other purpose. All three can be placed as decorations, should the player want to display them. Or they can be just another odd item squirreled away into a chest.

3 The Maze In Lewis’ Basement Contains One Odd Enemy

Lewis’ Bedroom Now Is The Door To a New Area

Mayor Lewis has a handful of secrets he keeps from the people of Pelican Town: there’s his affair with Marnie and the gold statue hidden behind his house. But the 1.6 update brought with it a secret maze below his home. Placing a staircase in Lewis’ bedroom will let the player access the maze, where at the end they can find his Lucky Purple Shorts again.

Attempting to take his shorts, however, produces a new horror. A pair of flying shorts will attack the player after they steal the boxers, chasing them back through the maze. These airborne shorts are immune to damage, so no matter how powerful the farmer’s sword is, escaping the basement is the only option.

2 Sam’s Possession During The Spirit’s Eve Festival

Expanding What Players Already Loved

Another addition brought by the 1.6 update is the dialogue with Sam during the Spirit’s Eve festival. Though players can navigate through the maze and find the same NPC encounters in Year 1, Year 2 brings with it a bigger maze and some new dialogue with the townsfolk. Sam, in particular, seems to be having a pretty scary experience at the festival.

When speaking with Sam during the Year 2 Spirit’s Eve festival, his portrait in the dialogue box will be darkened, as though he’s in shadow. The only line he has is “Am I Sam?” None of the NPCs react to this change in his demeanor, and it could just be a prank, but considering the other creepy things scattered around the game, he could just be an unlucky target of a Spirit’s Eve possession.

1 Mr. Qi’s Cut Scene At The Summit

Only For The Cheaters

The summit, only available to player who have achieved perfection in the game, isn’t a 1.6 addition to the game. But ConcernedApe added a pretty horrifying cutscene option for those who try to cheat their way out of the grind to 100 percent. Though the boulder blocking the summit doesn’t move until perfection has been achieved, there are certain cheats that allow players to walk around it.

Instead of getting the serene perfection cutscene, though, Mr. Qi is waiting for the player as the sky glitches with different items. After calling the player “despicable” for cheating the system, he attacks them. The screen immediately cuts to black, and the farmer wakes up in Harvey’s clinic, where he says he had to perform an emergency surgery. Mr. Qi has never been a fan of taking shortcuts, if his Skull Cavern dialogue is any indication.

Though there’s little information about The Haunted Chocolatier available, these small creepy easter eggs embedded into Stardew Valley hint at some of the scarier components ConcernedApe could include in the game. The original farming sim is still a cozy and relaxing title to play, but those looking for creepy secrets have plenty to uncover behind its serene facade.