Summary
- An update on Haunted Chocolatier was recently shared by ConcernedApe.
- Development had been paused for Stardew Valley updates.
- ConcernedApe is excited to work more on Haunted Chocolatier moving forward.
Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone has finally shared an update on the status of his next pixelated life-sim video game, Haunted Chocolatier. The Stardew Valley developer first announced Haunted Chocolatier back in 2021, and this is the first major update on the game since then, sparking enthusiastic responses from fans.
ConcernedApe's first foray into video game development began with the release of Stardew Valley in 2016. The indie title has cemented an impressive legacy as one of the best life-sim video games of all time, garnering a dedicated fan base that has continued to grow over the years. Wanting to expand his passion for game development even further, ConcernedApe has been slowly progressing on another major release, and he has finally shed more light on how he plans to pursue the development of his second game.
In an announcement on the official blog site for Haunted Chocolatier, ConcernedApe revealed that the title was left "getting dusty on the shelf" while he focused on Stardew Valley Update 1.6, but he still has a "strong desire" to pursue his next project. Haunted Chocolatier will see players take on the role of a chocolate maker living in a small town and working to make a name for themselves. While ConcernedApe acknowledged that Haunted Chocolatier took a backseat to Stardew Valley, he assured fans that he has completed "a ton of work on the game," such as mostly completing the "skeleton" before fleshing it out with content. He stated that Haunted Chocolatier will not feature any "early access" or pre-orders tied to a fixed timeline, and he will instead focus on only releasing the game when it is complete, and he is "happy with it."
ConcernedApe Continuing Work on Haunted Chocolatier
ConcernedApe further revealed in the blog post announcement that he prefers to "disappear and work in isolation" on one game at a time, hence why development on Haunted Chocolatier needed to be paused while he focused on pushing out updates for Stardew Valley. He confirmed that Haunted Chocolatier is also a solo development project and that the game, just like Stardew Valley, is being coded "mostly" from scratch with C#. The game creator did share some sneak peek snapshots of the current version of Haunted Chocolatier, including some character sprites, a HUD, and a look at gameplay, though he did note the images shared are not a final product and are subject to change. Fans have responded with words of encouragement, with the Stardew Valley community voicing patience and support as ConcernedApe continues his work of Haunted Chocolatier.
While details about Haunted Chocolatier remain scarce, Stardew Valley fans continue to share their excitement for the next life-sim gaming experience from ConcernedApe. The launch of the highly-anticipated title may still be some time away, but interested players can stay tuned for when more updates about Haunted Chocolatier are finally revealed.
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Engine
- MonoGame
WHERE TO PLAY
Haunted Chocolatier is an upcoming adventure game from Stardew Valley creator ConcernedApe (Eric Barone). The game is currently set to feature a lush explorable world, chocolate making and cooking, a spooky theme, and more. There is currently no release date or time period for the game.
- Platform(s)
- Microsoft Windows
- Developer
- Eric Barone, ConcernedApe LLC
- Publisher
- ConcernedApe LLC
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Simulation
