As much as I loved Stardew Valley 1.6, I am so, so ready for Haunted Chocolatier. The game is in early stages of development and I know I’ll be waiting for a while, but this may be my most anticipated game…like, ever. Stardew Valley is easily one of my favorite games of all time, if not the favorite.
I’ve sunk hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of hours into the game across 3 or 4 different platforms (Ps Vita, PC, mobile, and Nintendo Switch spring to mind, at the very least). I’ve 100%-ed the game, gotten every achievement I can stomach (boooooo Joja run and Journey of the Prairie King), and have a save file for very nearly every bachelor/bachelorettes (I will never marry Shane, I can’t fix him).
And now? Bring on Haunted Chocolatier!
I don’t mind waiting, though. I know that Eric Barone AKA ConcernedApe is doing the majority of the work solo and I would never want to rush him. I strongly condemn anyone spewing vitriol at him over delays or development wait times. Not only is it rude and not at all in the spirit of what the cozy game community is supposed to be, but it’s not beneficial to the success of Haunted Chocolatier.
I want a polished game that matches Mr. Barone’s vision as closely as possible and I condemn “crunch” and hustling-to-burnout across every industry. That means I don’t mind waiting! I want to wait. I want Haunted Chocolatier to be great. And I have a huge backlog of cozy games I want to play anyway.
However, that won’t stop me from obsessing about Haunted Chocolatier and writing about it as much as possible. LOL Sorry, I can’t be stopped. Here are my personal notes-gone-public about Haunted Chocolatier announcements, what we know so far, and every new Haunted Chocolatier update.
Welcome—or welcome back—to the chocolatey sweet madness!
Can’t wait to play? I have plenty of recommendations for games like Stardew Valley in the meantime.
Official ConcernedApe Updates
December 2024
After a month+ of hard focus on Stardew Valley 1.6, we finally got a new Haunted Chocolatier update. Key takeaways include:
- A “vertical slice” of Haunted Chocolatier now exists behind-the-scenes—Barone notes, “[this is] essentially a skeleton of the game with most (not all) of its bones in place”
- Barone is coding the game mostly from scratch in C# and is doing the bulk of the work alone, so it will take time to complete
- There will not be any “early access”, crowdfunding, or pre-orders for the Haunted Chocolatier release
- All screenshots are “work in progress” and likely to change before release; however…
…we have new Haunted Chocolatier screenshots! In them, we see how equipment might work (adding more accessories and a shield slot), a beautiful array of pastel slimes, two new character portraits, and a serene cabin with a waterwheel.
Sometimes I feel like sharing things [about Haunted Chocolatier], and sometimes I don’t. My preferred approach is to disappear and work in isolation, and only emerge when I have something complete and worthy, rather than share a bunch of stuff that is unfinished, and therefore not in accordance with the final vision.
Eric Barone (AKA ConcernedApe), 2024
October 2023
A batch of screenshots are revealed to celebrate ConcernedApe passing 1 million followers on X (formerly Twitter).
September 2023
A quick screenshot reveal, with a new and this far unnamed older character. From ConcernedApe on X.
March 2023
Potential concept art of types of chocolate you might be able to craft in Haunted Chocolatier. From ConcernedApe on X.
December 2022
Eric Barone does an interview with Screen Rant, where he talks about his musical collaboration with the band Alvvays.
Here’s the TLDR regarding any Haunted Chocolatier news from the interview:
- Haunted Chocolatier will “go into more of the imaginative stuff” than Stardew Valley through a more magical and “haunted” setting
- Haunted Chocolatier is a “big game” for which he has a “big, ambitious vision”
- Stardew Valley took 4 years to make; he has been working on Haunted Chocolatier for around 1.5 years at this point
- A release date for Haunted Chocolatier is a long way off; “it’s still gonna be a while”
- He expects Haunted Chocolatier to have many updates, much like it’s predecessor
- The game will have a heavier focus on combat, which is “what [Barone] like[s] to play”
- Barone: “Getting loot and seeing your numbers go up on the stats? I like that stuff.”
- The game will include “magical world” where you gather ingredients and engage in combat—this will be the “biggest part of the game”
- You will turn the ingredients into chocolates and sell them in your shop
- Ghosts can eventually help you run and automate your shop
- You can add additional features to the shop, like a hot cocoa bar
- There are business sim elements to the game, where you can address customer desires and your shop rating will rise
- Trends may affect what products customers want most week to week
- An improved method of designing cutscenes will speed up the development process, and potentially mean there will be more cutscenes available at launch compared to Stardew Valley
“‘What if I made a game that was like the mines in Stardew Valley, but fully fleshed out and done really well?‘ All the bells and whistles that I would like, in a game that has combat but also exploration and resource gathering.” —Eric Barone, for ScreenRant
October 2022
A potential new enemy type is revealed via GIF on Twitter. ConcernedApe also comments that Haunted Chocolatier will not be coming to mobile (Apple and Android) at launch, or maybe ever. He also confirms in the same thread that the soundtrack will be available on Spotify eventually.
August 2021
A screenshot reveal and music track suggests there will be boss battles in Haunted Chocolatier. This is a big departure from Stardew Valley and quite the juicy update! From ConcernedApe on Twitter.
Plus, another screenshot sneak peek on Twitter. Also ConcernedApe on Twitter.
December 2021
A few new screenshots are unveiled on Twitter. ConcernedApe on Twitter.
October 2021
Indie game developer “ConcernedApe” (AKA Eric Barone) announces his new, upcoming game Haunted Chocolatier. It comes with a short teaser trailer released on YouTube. He also links out to a dedicated website for announcements.
His announcement came with the following note: “In Stardew Valley, the focus was more humble: living off the land, growing food, and connecting to the people and nature around you. However, with my next game, I wanted to explore more fantastical possibilities… experiences that take you beyond the ordinary. That’s where magical haunted ghost chocolate comes in.”
Here are some key elements of the first peek at the game:
- No farming or animal rearing is seen in the trailer
- Your homestead appears to be a large, eerie mansion of sorts
- Social elements like gift-giving, dialogue options, and event scenes are confirmed
- You have the ability to design and customize a chocolate shop
- Ghosts either serve as coworkers/employees, customers, or both
- The game has a larger focus on combat than Stardew Valley
- Combat includes different areas, enemy types, and weapons (rod/stick, bow, shield)
- The shield can be used to stun enemies, a new combat mechanic
- You can craft recipes at a large cauldron
- Screenshots reveal a firewatch hut, recipe book, and other snapshots around town/the wilderness
Haunted Chocolatier 101: The Basics
Here are the essentials. We don’t have a lot of Haunted Chocolatier news yet so I will update this section as we learn more.
- Title: Haunted Chocolatier
- Developer: ConcernedApe
- Genre: Action RPG/simulation game
- Release date: Too early to know yet
- Platforms: PC (100% confirmed); all major platforms eventually
- Language: English with plans for localization later
- Multiplayer: Not for now
- Started Development: 2020
- Game Engine: New engine written in C#/Monogame
Haunted Chocolatier News: Characters Revealed So Far
One of the best things about Stardew Valley is how rich and interesting the characters are. The game takes NPC storylines to new heights compared to most modern farming sims. I am willing to bet we’ll see the same thing in Haunter Chocolatier. Here are the characters we know about so far (not including sprites that don’t have a close-up or name reveal yet):
Lily
Burk
Maddie
Jett
Migel
That’s what we know about Haunted Chocolatier so far. Personally, I can’t wait for more updates and, eventually, the full game release!
Stay tuned and stay cozy!
Other Cool Stardew Valley Posts
- Stardew Valley Meets LEGO in Stunning BrickCon 2024 Display
- Modders are Using GenAI to Create Dynamic NPC Dialogue in Stardew Valley
- ConcernedApe Can Now Check “100% Stardew Valley” Off His Bucket List
- ConcernedApe Drops Secret Stardew Valley Co-Op Mode on Mobile with 1.6.9 Update
- THIS Game is the Next Stardew Valley – but Should You Wait to Play It?