Chocolatier
presents players the opportunity to travel the world and become a
well-respected chocolatier, or in other words,
become famous making wonderful chocolate confections. And, become rich!
Chocolatier
is made by the same folks that have brought us so many fun, casual games like
Diner Dash and Wedding Dash. However, arcade speed isn’t the winning ticket;
it’s the economics, stupid! Players will have to buy low, sell high,
build factories, increase output, and travel the
world in search of delectable recipes that are sure to be in high demand. In
order to be financially successful, it will be necessary to keep up with the
prices of goods in all the main cities.
On beginning the game, players are
presented a choice of either playing the Story or Free Play modes. In the
Story mode, players can opt for the tutorial or jump right into the game. The
story is that a family of famous chocolatiers is
making a bid for a comeback, after some disastrous financial decisions by a
member of the family in charge of the business. Now there’s a new family
member running the show, and she is pulling out all the stops. She needs your
help, though, in researching the best ingredient prices, the best locations
for new factories, and discovering new recipes for chocolate bars.
Players start with one factory,
some money, and a basic chocolate bar recipe. Soon, though, it’s time to start
traveling around the world to find more recipes in order to sell more
expensive candy, and also to find the best prices to buy and sell. In story
mode, there are all sorts of quests to undertake, most of which will either
earn more money, or lead to a new recipe. Each quest is listed in the message
window, and there will even be reminders to players that they need to finish a
quest before embarking on something new. Other handy items in the menu bar at
the bottom of the screen include the inventory of ingredients and manufactured
candy, and whether production is still ongoing at the factories.
This is a pretty simple, basic
type of economic simulation, but it is framed attractively. The main screen
displays the cities as a collection of buildings, which are usually a market
center, a restaurant/bar, a town center, a chocolate store and a few other
buildings. The time frame is the 1800’s and the music and artwork are
reflective of this era. There is not a whole lot of animation, but the still
graphics and the few moving objects are combined in a pleasing manner. The
music is nice to hear, and fits the theme well.
Players will purchase ingredients
at the market, sell their candy stock at the chocolate store, and read
comments by various characters in the other buildings. Each city market has
different types of ingredients at different prices than the other markets. In
order to make the most profit, it is necessary to keep up with the prices.
Often people in one city will tell about some good deals they have heard of in
other cities.
This is a cute game, and it offers
a lot of quests and chocolate recipes. It looks great, and the music is nice,
too. But, it’s an easy simulation and there really isn’t a whole lot of
thinking involved. It’s almost impossible to lose, and the money just keeps
pouring in. Although there are lots of quests, they mostly involve traveling
to another city to give someone some chocolate. There is an additional arcade
game where players shoot ingredients into pans in order to set the production
levels for a particular recipe, but it is easy, too. This game is priced at
$20, and there really isn’t a whole lot of variety for that price.
Best for either young players or players who want an
enjoyable game that won’t overstretch their brain.
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Gameplay: 6.5
It’s
a basic economic simulation that is easy and doesn’t offer a whole lot of
challenge. While there are quests, they never involve anything difficult. It’s
virtually impossible to lose in this game. Most of the fun comes from the look
of the game and the music. The old kid’s game DynoPark
Tycoon was much harder.
Graphics: 7.0
The graphics are fun
and really invoke the late 1800’s well, considering they aren’t cutting-edge
technology.
Sound: 7.0
The music is fun,
too!
Difficulty: Easy
This
game is so easy!
Concept: 6.0
There
isn’t anything new or different in this game, except for the chocolate theme.
Overall: 6.5
This is a basic and
simple simulation game. It’s enjoyable and easy to pick up, but it doesn’t
offer a lot of variety or depth. For the price, it should offer a bit more.
