Chocolatier: Decadence by Design is a casual strategy video game with action elements, developed by Big Splash Games LLC and published by PlayFirst. The game was released in 2009 for Windows and Mac OS X and in 2011 for iOS. As the third game in the series, it directly follows the story of Chocolatier (2007) and Chocolatier 2: Secret Ingredients (2007), and was published after the spin-off game The Great Chocolate Chase: A Chocolatier Twist (2008). Decadence by Design features similar gameplay to its predecessors, but with a greater focus on creating original recipes and the possibility of making coffee recipes, both liquid and as blends of roasted beans.
| Chocolatier: Decadence by Design | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Big Splash Games LLC |
| Publisher(s) | PlayFirst |
| Producer(s) | Michael Thornton Wyman |
| Designer(s) | Jon Blossom Stephen Lewis Michael Thornton Wyman |
| Programmer(s) | Jon Blossom |
| Artist(s) | Stephen Lewis |
| Series | Chocolatier |
| Engine | Playground SDK™ |
| Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows Mac OS X iOS |
| Release | Mac, Windows January 22, 2009[1] iOS January 28, 2011[2] |
| Genre(s) | Business simulation, strategy |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Originally, Big Splash Games had planned an episodic release for Chocolatier: Decadence by Design, a model that had to be abandoned due to technological limitations.[3] On 12 August 2009, the game was published on Steam for Windows,[4] and it was also made available at the launch of the digital platform for Mac on May 12, 2010.[5] In 2010, a social network game spin-off from the series entitled Chocolatier: Sweet Society was published on Facebook.[6]
Gameplay and plot
editWhile Chocolatier was set in the 1880s and Chocolatier 2: Secret Ingredients was set in the 1920s, Chocolatier: Decadence by Design is set during the period of economic growth that followed the end of the Second World War, in the second half of the 1940s.[7] As in the second game, the player must team up with Alexandra Fletcher,[a] Evangeline Baumeister's granddaughter, this time to become CEO of Baumeister Confections. At the same time, the player must help her find her husband, Sean Fletcher, who hasn't returned home after the end of the war.[9] Unlike its predecessors, Decadence by Design includes only one game mode, the Story Mode, with no option for Free Play.[9]
The main addition to Decadence by Design is the possibility of creating and customising the appearance and name of new recipes with ingredients discovered in different cities around the world.[1][10][11] The taste laboratory, this time located in Reykjavík, is no longer limited to pre-defined recipes, unlike in Chocolatier 2.[12] There are 20 ports available in the game: Baghdad, Bali, Bogotá, Cape Town, Douala, Falkland Islands, Gobi Desert, Havana, Kailua-Kona, Las Vegas, Lima, Reykjavík, San Francisco, Tangier, Tokyo, Toronto, Uluru, Wellington, Xunantunich and Zurich.[12] It is still possible to haggle with sellers and buyers in markets and shops.[8][9]
The minigame played when making a chocolate recipe for the first time is still present, but with some factories allowing you to recycle an item that isn't useful at the moment.[8] Moreover, the minigame for making coffee is different, resembling a tile-matching game.[9] The system of matching colours to get bonuses, introduced in Chocolatier 2, is still present.[8] Some shops in the game exclusively buy coffee, but no chocolate, such as the one in Tangiers.[12] At a certain point during the story mode, the player can buy a telegraph, allowing the recipes made in each of the factories to be changed remotely.[12]
Reception
edit
Critics praised Chocolatier: Decadence by Design's polished gameplay,[2][9] its story,[2][9] and the possibilities provided by the taste lab.[2][8][9] On the other hand, the similarity to the first game[9] and the lack of a real ending or post-game content were criticised.[8][9] Some also highlighted the game's low difficulty.[2][8]
Gamezebo's Marc Saltzman said that although he wished "there were a few more delicious surprises" in the game, "Chocolatier: Decadence by Design returns to its roots and proves to be [...] very entertaining and challenging." The journalist praised the creation of original recipes in the taste lab, wishing it were possible to share his creations with other players on an online platform.[9] Parisa Vassei, from Slide to Play, praised the game as superior to its competitors on the App Store, stating that it "offered a unique approach to this style of gameplay with a fascinating plot and delicious story", while lamenting the lack of Game Center integration.[2]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Kruse, Cord (22 January 2009). "Chocolatier: Decadence By Design Released Today". Inside Mac Games. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g Vassei, Parisa (14 February 2011). "Chocolatier: Decadence by Design iPad Review". Slide to Play. Archived from the original on 17 April 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b "An interview with Aaron, the only game producer who has been involved with the entire Chocolatier series". PlayFirst. Archived from the original on 23 July 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Chocolatier®: Decadence by Design™". Steam. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (12 May 2010). "Steam For Mac Is Live, Includes Free Copy of Portal". Kotaku. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Tanner, Nicole (21 July 2010). "Facebook Games: Chocolatier: Sweet Society". IGN. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Bell, Erin (14 November 2008). "Chocolatier: Decadence by Design Preview". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on 4 September 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Chocolatier III: Decadence by Design Review". PC Games for Steam. 25 June 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Saltzman, Marc (26 January 2009). "Chocolatier: Decadence by Design Review". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on 27 November 2011. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Chocolatier: Decadence by Design". TouchArcade. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Chocolatier: Decadence by Design". Kotaku. 12 May 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d Becker, David (23 January 2009). "Chocolatier: Decadence by Design Tips". Gamezebo. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 26 August 2024.