Stardew Creator Explains Haunted Chocolatier

Eric Barone, aka ConcernedApe, who reached millions with Stardew Valley, made the long-awaited announcement about his new game Haunted Chocolatier. Fans have been worried for a while about the production, which was announced in 2021 and has been on the agenda with very limited information since then. However, Barone’s new interview clearly shows that the game is still in development and the project is actively ongoing.

Haunted Chocolatier Development Process Continues

Speaking about the development process of Haunted Chocolatier, Barone stated that he is currently focusing on the “vertical slice” phase of the game. This phase means testing the game’s basic systems and gameplay examples in a small section. Barone also stated that he continues to produce content, and that the project may take longer than expected, but is completely on track. “I’m in the middle of development. But I still need time,” said Barone, adding that he is careful not to rush things and not to produce under stress.

Barone also gave an indirect response to fans who were expecting more action on the Haunted Chocolatier front after the 1.6 update for Stardew Valley. Stating that the new game has not been canceled and is still being actively worked on, the developer occasionally made fun of his desire to be invisible on the internet and said, “I want to disappear for two years and just deal with this game.”

Although not much new content has been shared, apart from some screenshots shared at the end of 2024, the similarity of the game’s visual style to Stardew Valley is striking. However, this similarity does not mean a one-to-one copy in terms of gameplay. Barone emphasized that the new production will be shaped around chocolate production and will feature a deeper combat system. Unlike the optional combat structure in Stardew, combat will be one of the fundamental parts of the game here.

Although there is no definite release date yet, Barone’s latest statements show that Haunted Chocolatier is still on the agenda and continues to develop slowly but steadily. It looks like the wait will continue for fans, but according to Barone, the game they finally get will be worth it.

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