Highlights
- Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone revealed a new scene from his upcoming game Haunted Chocolatier, which aims to deliver a single-player, action RPG experience with mysteries and exploration.
- Haunted Chocolatier has been in development since 2020 alongside updates for Stardew Valley, and fans have been eagerly awaiting news about its release and additional platforms.
- The recent screenshot shared by ConcernedApe prompts speculation about the identity of an old man in the game, leading some fans to believe that Haunted Chocolatier may be connected to Stardew Valley. Development for both games is ongoing, and more updates will be shared in the future.
Stardew Valley creator Eric "ConcernedApe" Barone revealed a new scene for his upcoming confectionary simulation game, Haunted Chocolatier. Although Haunted Chocolatier takes inspiration from Stardew Valley with its life-sim elements, ConcernedApe's project aims to deliver a single-player, action RPG experience with mysteries to solve and fantastical locales to explore.
Haunted Chocolatier began its development in 2020 as ConcernedApe continued to work on updates for Stardew Valley. One year later, the solo developer formally revealed Haunted Chocolatier with a new gameplay trailer in October 2021. In the two years following the initial reveal, fans have been clamoring for news about Haunted Chocolatier alongside Stardew Valley Version 1.6 due to the lack of substantial announcements involving release dates and additional platforms.
On Twitter, ConcernedApe shared a new Haunted Chocolatier screenshot depicting a scene with an old man waking up from the "most terrible dream." The old man's room is vast with opened and unopened books placed near his bed. Although ConcernedApe did not reveal any more details regarding the story, the screenshot prompted fans to speculate about the old man's identity. Some fans believe the old man is Grandpa from Stardew Valley, the character that gifted players with the farmhouse in the game. The two characters share similar designs, causing many fans to believe that Haunted Chocolatier is connected to Stardew Valley.
According to ConcernedApe, Stardew Valley Version 1.6 development is still ongoing, and the developer has plenty more Haunted Chocolatier screenshots to release over time in the future. A subsequent reply from ConcernedApe reiterates that he prefers to work in secret, which likely explains the lack of major news about Haunted Chocolatier. Moreover, ConcernedApe asks fans for their patience in order to avoid pressure while development on Stardew Valley's new update and Haunted Chocolatier continues.
The new screenshot will likely cause fans to continue speculating about Haunted Chocolatier's setting and story for quite some time. Fortunately, ConcernedApe is seemingly willing to share more screenshots in the future, and the brief development update for Stardew Valley Version 1.6 is reassuring for fans who were worried about the update.
ConcernedApe's secrecy involving Haunted Chocolatier may cause fans to become impatient, but the minimal amount of updates may prove to be beneficial for the game's inevitable release. A pressure-free environment will help ConcernedApe develop Haunted Chocolatier and fully realize his vision for the exciting title. In the meantime, fans may continue playing Stardew Valley in preparation for the 1.6 update, which is expected to release by the end of 2023 at the earliest.
Haunted Chocolatier is currently in development for PC.