Chocolatier: Decadence by Design

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 406 reviews
  • story
  • stability
  • gameplay
Chocolatier: Decadence by Design Game Cover
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"Chocolatier: Decadence by Design" is an economic simulation game where players create and customize their own chocolate recipes, while traveling the world to discover exotic ingredients. The economic impact of chocolate customization affects players' success in building their own chocolate empire and following the Baumeister family's saga. This game is the latest installment in the award-winning Chocolatier franchise.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 406 reviews
story16 positive mentions
stability30 negative mentions
  • The game is highly addictive and provides a nostalgic experience for players who enjoyed it in their childhood.
  • It offers a fun and creative gameplay experience, allowing players to design their own chocolate recipes and manage a chocolate business.
  • The game runs well in windowed mode, avoiding many of the crashing issues reported in full screen.
  • The game frequently crashes, especially when played in full screen mode, making it frustrating for many players.
  • There are significant compatibility issues with modern operating systems, particularly Windows 10 and newer MacOS versions.
  • The game can feel outdated and buggy, with issues like cursor glitches and performance slowdowns affecting the overall experience.
  • story60 mentions

    The story in the game is described as straightforward and engaging, set against a post-WWII backdrop with a charming premise involving a chocolatier heiress searching for her missing husband. While the narrative may not be deeply intricate, it provides a satisfying framework for the gameplay, which focuses on chocolate-making and business management. Players appreciate the well-written dialogue and the variety of quests, though some note that the story's impact diminishes as the game progresses, leading to occasional lulls in quest availability.

    • “The storytelling is straightforward and rewarding, and the customization options in the chocolate-making process are very inspiring and satisfying.”
    • “It's a really pleasing little game with plenty to do, an adorable little storyline, and a fun end goal.”
    • “This game starts out with an interesting story hook about a chocolatier heiress who leaves you in charge of her company while she flies around the world trying to find her missing husband after WWII.”
    • “The main plot surrounds the former owner who is looking for her missing husband or something... honestly, I can't remember the details because I haven't played in a while and now that I'm thinking about it, I don't think I've ever beaten the game!”
    • “Once you get to a certain point, quests stop becoming frequent, so it tends to drag on a bit between them.”
    • “You have to maintain tasks such as creating your own hit chocolates and coffees, playing ingredient shooting mini-games to get a bigger weekly production, and balancing buying costs with selling price, tied together with a tidy, but lackluster, story.”
  • stability30 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent crashes, glitches, and freezing reported by users. Many players note that it is nearly unplayable in full-screen mode, while some have found temporary relief by switching to windowed mode. Overall, the game's nostalgic appeal is overshadowed by its persistent technical problems.

    • “It's unfortunate to report that the game is buggy beyond a playable condition, and it crashes far more than what it's worth.”
    • “I bought this because I loved the game when I was young; it saddens me to see the reviews are correct and that the game does not work properly anymore. It crashes after so many transports and the mouse/cursor is buggy at times.”
    • “The game constantly freezes and needs to be restarted.”
  • gameplay26 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by simple mechanics that require skill in ingredient management, but many players find it repetitive and occasionally tedious. While the game offers a relaxed experience with appealing aesthetics, it suffers from bugs, crashes, and minor compatibility issues that can detract from the overall enjoyment. Nostalgia plays a significant role in players' appreciation, though some express disappointment with the lack of innovation and the presence of obnoxious mini-games.

    • “Same fun mechanics, takes skill to get the ingredients you need and don't need.”
    • “Nothing mind-blasting about the mechanics, but it's a relaxed and fun game with nice aesthetics and a simple story.”
    • “Very simple gameplay; you click to shoot items when making items like chocolate or coffee, etc.”
    • “The mechanics are all still there, but there are little bugs - the fullscreen massively warps the game to be almost unplayable unless it's on a square screen, there's clipping under the mouse in a lot of the areas of the game, and so on.”
    • “I found the mini-games obnoxious, the 'capitalist empire building' easy, and the gameplay overall repetitive and uninspiring.”
    • “The game constantly crashes after about an hour of gameplay.”
  • graphics22 mentions

    The game's graphics are praised for their unique and detailed artwork, which remains appealing even after more than a decade, thanks to a clean art style. While there are some minor graphical glitches and compatibility issues on newer systems, these do not significantly impact gameplay. Overall, the visuals are considered sharp and effective for the game's relaxed and fun atmosphere.

    • “The artwork is unique, detailed, and the different characters from around the world don't feel stereotypical in their appearance and names.”
    • “Despite being 10+ years old, the game doesn't feel outdated at all due to its simple nature and clean art style.”
    • “The graphics have held up well.”
    • “On Windows 11, with an AMD 4500U and integrated graphics, I had to put it in Windows 95 compatibility and disable full screen optimizations.”
    • “The only solution I have been able to find online for this issue is to play it in the tiny windowed mode, and literally use the Windows magnifier at 175% to avoid the mouse glitching and blinking, dragging graphics all over.”
    • “There's some graphical glitching, but nothing unplayable, and I'm sure it can be fixed.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    The replayability of the chocolatier games is mixed among users; while some find it enjoyable and nostalgic enough to revisit periodically, others feel that the lack of a compelling story limits its long-term appeal. Overall, it offers a fun experience, but the depth of replay value varies significantly depending on individual preferences.

    • “The replay value is amazing, and every few years I keep coming back to this to just play the characters, explore the world, and the nostalgia from my childhood kicks in!”
    • “This game has replay value.”
    • “Exactly what I remembered the chocolatier games being like - it didn't take too long to finish and the replay value isn't really there if you're playing for the story, but it's fun and a good way to spend time.”
    • “Not a ton of replayability, but meh, sort of.”
    • “The story may not be the most intricate, but chocolatier still has a lot of replayability for me.”
  • optimization6 mentions

    Users report significant optimization issues on Windows 11, particularly with AMD 4500U and integrated graphics, requiring compatibility mode adjustments and disabling full-screen optimizations to improve performance. Additionally, a repetitive minigame mechanic affects production rates, adding to the frustration despite the nostalgic enjoyment of the game.

    • “On Windows 11, with an AMD 4500U and integrated graphics, I had to set it to Windows 95 compatibility and disable full screen optimizations.”
    • “You also have to perform this minigame every time you start to produce a new treat where you have to shoot ingredients at these rotating discs, and your performance determines the rate at which you produce those specific chocolates.”
    • “On Windows 11, with an AMD 4500U and integrated graphics, I had to put it in Windows 95 compatibility and disable full screen optimizations.”
    • “I played this game when I was 12 and loved it intensely, and playing it again was very fun (even though I was annoyed about the performance).”
  • music6 mentions

    The music in the original game was integral to the chocolate-making mechanic, providing a rhythmic cue that enhanced gameplay and player performance. In contrast, the music in "Decadence by Design" is perceived as less impactful, fading into the background and failing to engage players as effectively, leading to disappointment.

    • “In decadence by design, the music seems to fade into the background; in comparison, it is a tad disappointing.”
    • “In 'Decadence by Design', the music seems to fade into the background; in comparison, it is a tad disappointing.”
    • “My single problem with this version of the game is that in the original, the music accompanying the chocolate-making mechanic was a way of measuring how much time you had left to make chocolates.”
    • “The beat of the music always fit well with how you shot the ingredients, and it feels like I was able to play better when I paid attention to it.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Players find the grinding mechanics in the game to be somewhat tedious, which can detract from the overall experience, though nostalgia for the franchise helps mitigate this issue. Despite the repetitive nature of the gameplay, many still consider it a charming and enjoyable title.

    • “The grinding in this game feels excessively tedious, making it hard to stay engaged for long periods.”
    • “I found the repetitive nature of the grinding to be a major drawback, as it detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
    • “While the game has its charm, the grinding mechanics can become frustrating and lead to burnout.”
  • character development2 mentions

    Character development is a key element in the game, as players experience significant growth while building their chocolate-treats empire, enhancing overall gameplay enjoyment.

    • “The character development as you travel the world building your chocolate-treats empire drives the player to greater heights of gameplay ecstasy.”
  • monetization2 mentions

    Reviewers appreciate the monetization model of this game, noting it as a refreshing alternative to modern mobile games that often rely heavily on in-app purchases and energy systems. The game's approach is seen as more favorable and less intrusive compared to typical idle phone apps.

    • “In my opinion, this is way better than its modern counterparts - idle phone apps and games jam-packed with in-app purchases and energy counters.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is noted to be particularly effective when players are tired, with a specific character's requests for a certain creation eliciting laughter. This suggests that the comedic elements may resonate more in relaxed or fatigued states, enhancing the overall enjoyment.

    • “It's hilarious to see a particular character ask for x cases of your '________' creation, especially when you're very, very, very tired.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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