Summary
- Barone is knee-deep in developing Haunted Chocolatier, taking it gradually without stress.
- Fans should focus on enjoying Stardew Valley for now, as Haunted Chocolatier's release is still a long way off.
Stardew Valley and Haunted Chocolatier developer Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone sat down recently to discuss the upcoming game, and how its development is going. While his fans still adore Stardew Valley, there are many who are more excited to see how Haunted Chocolatier is coming along and what the game will eventually turn into.
Stardew Valley is one of the greatest indie game success stories around these days, with ConcernedApe creating the outrageously popular game all by himself. He now has a small team assisting with things, and it's clear that he's still passionate about Stardew Valley, as he has returned to the title multiple times to release patches and updates, despite simultaneously voicing his intention to focus on Haunted Chocolatier.
Haunted Chocolatier Shouldn't Be Afraid of Featuring Human Enemies
Haunted Chocolatier will be expanding on Stardew Valley's combat, and that expansion could potentially include a few human opponents.
Now, in a discussion with PC Gamer, Eric Barone has talked about how Haunted Chocolatier's development is progressing, and what his path is going forward. Barone says that with regard to the game, he's still tweaking the vertical slice, but he's also worked on content for the title. He describes himself as being "knee-deep" in development, and that he's trying to take it gradually without stressing himself out. He also acknowledged that Stardew Valley is at something of a settled place, and that he's committed to not working on the game until he's done with Haunted Chocolatier. However, he added that he won't say that he's ever going to completely cut off Stardew Valley, as he's repeatedly returned to the game despite saying he was going to focus on Haunted Chocolatier in the past.
Haunted Chocolatier Is Still a Long Way Out
Barone added that it's going to "be a while" still until Haunted Chocolatier is ready. With that said, he's still involved in how the fans are enjoying Stardew Valley, and it pulls him away from focusing on Haunted Chocolatier. He added that he feels that at some point he needs to cut off "everything else" and even mused about living in a cabin in the woods with no internet to complete Haunted Chocolatier. He joked that he'd tell his fans "I'll see you in two years" and that he wouldn't be heard from at all while he's working on the game.
Barone also went into a little more detail on Haunted Chocolatier and how it differs from Stardew Valley. He notes that it is a life sim, and that there are certainly similarities between the two, but that he's trying to increase the imagination and creativity in Haunted Chocolatier, with "weird, interesting things" and memorable experiences. He notes that some element of that went into Stardew, pointing to a specific trippy scene with the wizard Rasmodius, as wanting more of that. He wants to create "interesting, mysterious atmospheres" in Haunted Chocolatier, as opposed to Stardew, which he calls "sunny, bright, and lush."
From the sounds of it, fans should enjoy Stardew Valley for now, and not focus too much on how Haunted Chocolatier is progressing. Thankfully, the vast majority of fans have been extremely supportive of the dev and have encouraged him to take his time.
- Developer(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Publisher(s)
- ConcernedApe
- Engine
- MonoGame
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Adventure, Simulation
