Stardew Valley Creator Reconfirms Next Task Is Haunted Chocolatier

It might not be arriving anytime soon, but Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone has made clear that work is resuming on Haunted Chocolatier. The Stardew Valley creator has returned to the game after focusing on that title’s 1.6 update.

Barone wrote a new blog post on the Haunted Chocolatier website, acknowledging it’s “been a while” since the last update. The main reason for that has been the developer’s commitment to Stardew Valley 1.6. Even since launching the considerable patch, bug fixes and console porting have been a priority. But now, Haunted Chocolatier should get the spotlight.

“My next task will be to tweak the existing bones [of Haunted Chocolatier] until I’m happy with them, add all the rest of the bones, and then flesh it all out with all the content that will need to be in the game,” wrote Barone. “Yes, it’s going to be a lot of work still, but it’s okay, I’m addicted to the grind.”

Additionally, Barone noted that Haunted Chocolatier will be created similarly to Stardew Valley. “I’m coding it (mostly from scratch) in C#, and I’m working solo in all areas,” wrote the developer. “Why? It’s what I’m comfortable with, it’s what I enjoy, and it worked well for Stardew Valley.” Barone adds that help technically might be needed down the road, but Haunted Chocolatier would basically be complete before that.

Returning to Haunted Chocolatier after Stardew Valley 1.6 has always been the plan for Barone, acknowledging the situation throughout this year. Haunted Chocolatier was originally unveiled over three years ago. The RPG/simulation title will see players living in a haunted castle, with gameplay leaning heavier into action-RPG territory compared to Stardew Valley.