‘Haunted Chocolatier’ Takes Center Stage: Stardew Valley Creator Shifts Focus, Promises a ‘Weird, Interesting’ Experience
Fans eagerly awaiting Haunted Chocolatier, the next game from Eric Barone, the creator of the beloved Stardew Valley, have reason to celebrate. Barone, also known as ConcernedApe, has announced a firm commitment to prioritize the development of Haunted Chocolatier, signaling a potential shift away from further updates to Stardew Valley.
This news comes after years of on-and-off development for Haunted Chocolatier, a project Barone formally announced in October 2021. While he continues to express his deep affection for Stardew Valley and its dedicated fanbase, he acknowledges the need to fully dedicate himself to his new venture. "I think at some point I’m going to have to completely cut off everything else," Barone told PC Gamer.
According to Barone, the 1.6 update for Stardew Valley is now "pretty settled at this point", suggesting that the major improvements he envisioned for the game are largely complete. This allows him to confidently state that he is "committed to not working on Stardew Valley until I’m done with Haunted Chocolatier." For those who might discover Stardew Valley for the first time in 2025, Barone assures them that he is "very proud of it, and I think they'll have fun with it if they like this kind of game."
The core concept of Haunted Chocolatier, according to Barone, revolves around intuitive chocolate making, moving beyond the formulaic crafting often found in games. "Instead I'm thinking, well, what if you do intuitive chocolate making? What if it's not such a mechanical process and it's more creative? You have to let go of your designer to engineer the perfect chocolate, and just accept there's a mystery and a whimsy." This hints at a more imaginative and less rigid gameplay experience.
Barone contrasts the grounded nature of Stardew Valley, focused on "the fundamentals of human sustenance," with the more ethereal and creative exploration promised by Haunted Chocolatier. He said, "Stardew Valley was a very grounded game—it's about growing things in the earth... But with Haunted Chocolatier, I wanted to explore what's next... You might even say luxury—things that are beyond the very basics."
Despite the shift in focus, Barone emphasizes that Haunted Chocolatier will retain similarities to Stardew Valley in its "life sim" structure. However, he aims to "crank up the imagination, the creativity," promising a "weird, interesting" experience with a "dark and mysterious, a little bit paranormal" atmosphere.
With Barone's full attention now directed towards Haunted Chocolatier, the wait for this highly anticipated title might finally be nearing its end. Are you excited to see what kind of "ghost chocolates" and "paranormal chocolates" await us? Share your thoughts and expectations in the comments below!