Many people regardHaunted Chocolatieras the sequel toStardew Valley. Created by Eric Barone, also known as ConcernedApe,Haunted Chocolatieris a cozy game that involves creating chocolates for their confectionery store, while befriending the locals and ghosts that live in the town.Haunted Chocolatierwill have RPG and combat mechanics in addition to the other cozy mechanics that are staples ofStardew Valley. Players will need to venture into the world to gather ingredients for their chocolates, implying a variety of creative combinations.
Haunted Chocolatierwas announced in 2021, and will likely be in development for some time. ConcernedApe recently stated in an interview that he hopes thatHaunted Chocolatierwill be released sometime before 2030. Despite the long wait,Haunted Chocolatierwill be built on the successes ofStardew Valley, learning from its mistakes and improving on features that worked.Stardew Valleywas a massive success, andHaunted Chocolatierwill be developed with very different financial support, giving ConcernedApe the freedom to create the game that he envisions.
Haunted Chocolatier’s Long Development Time May Benefit It in the End
Haunted Chocolatieris a separate project fromStardew Valley, although it is rumored that there will be story or setting connections between them.Stardew Valleywas released in 2016, and ConcernedApe has been working on it even after its release, with periodic updates that add more content, bug fixes, and changes that make modding easier. With all thework happening onStardew Valley,Haunted Chocolatierwas put on hold for a good part of 2024.Haunted Chocolatierhas already been in development for some time, and is likely not to get a release for several years at least.
While it’s frustrating to wait so long for a game, theStardew Valleyand cozy game community are generally aware of the difficulties of developing a game solo, and are mostly supportive of ConcernedApe’s timeline. The success ofStardew Valley, ConcernedApe’s frequentupdates onHaunted Chocolatier’s development, and the ease of moddingStardew Valleyhave all made ConcernedApe a video game developer that elicits trust from the community.Stardew Valley’s success has made ConcernedApe a trusted figure in the industry, and adding his name to a project in turn gives that project legitimacy.
Lessons Learned From Stardew Valley
There are also some advantages to ConcernedApe’s current focus onStardew Valley. As it will be his second project,Haunted Chocolatierwill likely include many of the elements that were missing fromStardew Valleyat launch.Haunted Chocolatierwill ultimately benefit from ConcernedApe’s experiencesonStardew Valley, as much of the code that was built from scratch inStardew Valleywill likely be used forHaunted Chocolatier. This will give ConcernedApe more time to focus on refining existing mechanics to be better than ever, and to create new ones that improve quality of life or exciting new mechanics for a more satisfying gameplay loop.
Stardew Valley’s Financial Success Will Benefit Haunted Chocolatier
Stardew Valleysold over 20 million copiesand is still considered a major indie title even nearly a decade after its release.Haunted Chocolatierwill also have the financial backing thatStardew Valleydidn’t have during its development time. This financial success means that ConcernedApe doesn’t need external funding and has no need to adhere to the demands of external investors.
WithStardew Valley’s success, ConcernedApe likely has more money to put intoHaunted Chocolatier. ConcernedApe has also earned his reputation for being a talented and dedicated video game developer withStardew Valley’s success. While he’s stated that he’s not interested in bringing on any other developers, it still remains an option if it ever becomes necessary thanks to the extraordinary sales ofStardew Valley, and that he created it all on his own.
