PlayFirst, a casual entertainment company known for publishing the popular franchise Diner Dash and Choclatier series, has begun testing the waters on Facebook. Their new game, entitled Chocolatier: Sweet Society, is a virtual business management game where players create and manage their own chocolate shoppe, making an assortment of chocolates to sell to their friends. The game has been adopted properly for the Facebook platform and is good example on how other casual gaming companies can follow suit.
Chocolatier, a casual strategy video game that was first released for the PC platform in 2007, put the player in the role of a chocolate maker in 1880 during the Victorian era. In the game, you revamp your tarnished chocolate empire by traveling around, locating lost recipes, establishing vendor relations and creating delectable chocolates. The Facebook version takes the economic aspects of the game, essentially buying low and selling high, and marries it to the social atmosphere of Facebook.
With games like Cafe World already in the market, PlayFirst is putting a fresh spin on the business genre with its Chocolate theme which is seemingly targeted towards chocolate-loving women. The gameplay is reminiscent of Restaurant City and Cafe World but with a new twist. The actual chocolate production takes place in a factory that is a different area than the display area. Once chocolates are created, you can display them in your store, creating a realistic experience. The rest of the game play is similar to what we’ve seen before – sell items, buy items, gain XP, level up etc.
The game has a great presentation and although in its infancy, looks like it can attract a significant crowd. With established brand equity, we will see more brands and IP companies enter the space, although many will miss the mark. We hope to see Playfirst succeed in this space and bring quality titles to Facebook. You can check out the game here.
