Stardew Valleyhas continued to be the blueprint for indie life sims since 2016. Developed by a single developer named Eric Barone (also known as ConcernedApe),Stardew Valleyremains one of the most beloved indie hits of the 21st century. With nearly a decade of success under the game’s belt, many fans have been wondering what lies on the horizon next for Barone.
Thankfully, there’s a clear answer, as Barone announced his first follow-up toStardew Valleyback in 2021.His next project is titledHaunted Chocolatier, and it follows a candy maker who also happens to live in a haunted castle. It’s a unique premise, but what’s even more intriguing is that Barone recently stated that he may not be done withStardew Valley, despite working on a fresh project.
A Stardew Valley Sequel Could Look A Lot Different From the Game That Started it All
Eric Barone Continues to Evolve As a Developer
Right now,Barone is quite busy working onHaunted Chocolatier, and while small previews of the game promise the same charm and aesthetic asStardew Valley, it’s already bound to be different in a variety of ways. Over the years, Barone has fine-tuned his dev skills, and that already signals big changes forHaunted Chocolatier. From mechanics to how smoothly it runs, Barone has nearly 10 years of experience behind him now to make sure thatHaunted Chocolatieris able to sidestep any hiccups felt by the first game. So, if the difference betweenStardew ValleyandHaunted Chocolatieris clearly felt at launch, then the difference betweenStardew Valleyand a sequel may be destined to be astronomical.
Haunted Chocolatiercurrently has no release window in sight. While announced in 2021, development on the project began in 2020.
Barone’s Comments On a Potential Stardew Valley Sequel
When discussing the future ofStardew Valleyon TigerBelly, Barone stated, “I might eventually make aStardew Valley 2, to be honest.” Of course, this isn’t necessarily a confirmation that a sequel will ever get made, but the fact that he’s already thinking about it is promising. So far,the wait forHaunted Chocolatierhas been long, and there’s no telling when the game will be ready. With this in mind, ifHaunted Chocolatierhas the same pull as its predecessor, thenStardew Valleycould be 20-years-old by the time a sequel sees the light of day.
Game development has evolved leaps and bounds between 2016 and today, so there’s no telling how far the industry will have changed in another decade.The legacy ofStardew Valleyis impressive, and while one-upping the farm simulator is no easy task, Barone having both his first game andHaunted Chocolatierto learn from, combined with potential tech that hasn’t even come out yet, could makeStardew Valley 2a truly monumental indie project.
There has yet to be aStardew Valleyport announced for the Nintendo Switch 2.
Stardew Valley Remains an Influential Indie Title
Since the game’s 2016 launch,Stardew Valleyhas inspired a variety of developers to make their own projects.Stardew Valleyhelped kickstart an indie renaissance that completely reshaped the life sim genre, and it’s a testament to the game’s success.Stardew Valley 2may have a hard timereaching the bar set by the original game, but it’s thrilling to imagine just how much the passage of time could benefit a sequel.
Only time will tell if Barone ever gets around to making aStardew Valleysuccessor. He even recently claimed thathe could work onStardew Valleyfor 50 years, and with the nine years' worth of updates and new content, that’s definitely easy to believe.Stardew Valley 2may be years down the line, but ultimately, that could be a great thing.
