Stardew Valley Creator Gives Official Update On Haunted Chocolatier Size And Gameplay

Published Oct 13, 2026, 11:34 AM EDT

Lee D’Amato is a writer born, raised, and based in Queens, New York. With collective thousands of hours in games like Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, Elden Ring, and The Legend of Zelda, he's now writes game features, guides, and reviews for Screen Rant, but has covered a wide range of topics, including ancient history, affordable travel, and overall health.

Stardew Valley developer Eric Barone, better known as ConcernedApe, has provided a long-awaited update on his next game, Haunted Chocolatier. First released in 2016 — just over a decade ago — Stardew Valley has since taken the world by storm. It's still widely played and updated today, and has launched a thousand cozy game imitators.

Now, Barone is developing a follow-up to Stardew Valley: the much-anticipated Haunted Chocolatier. Although set in the same universe as Stardew Valley, it features different gameplay mechanics and a new central conceit, casting the player as a confectioner instead of a farmer.

We've seen precious little of Haunted Chocolatier at this point; it still doesn't have a release date, for example. However, Barone has now provided a few updates on the upcoming title's scope and gameplay in a new interview with GQ.

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Of Haunted Chocolatier's physical size, Barone told GQ, "It is still what I call a 'town game.'" In other words, its action, like Stardew's, will likely center on a single town. We're likely to see some emphasis on forging relationships with townspeople, completing requests, and generally becoming a pillar of the community — although perhaps less so than in Stardew Valley.

Barone went on to describe Haunted Chocolatier as "for the people in Stardew Valley who go into the mines." The follow-up, says Barone, is decidedly more of an action RPG than a farming/life sim; you progress by finding more powerful equipment, which you largely do through exploration and adventuring. There are even boss fights in Haunted Chocolatier, something that Stardew lacked.

Barone also told GQ that he's found himself somewhat intimidated by Stardew's success during the development of Haunted Chocolatier. "I really want to recapture that feeling that I had when I was making Stardew Valley," he continued. "Back then, there was no audience, there was no precedent. Everyone's watching me, and if I don't do things a certain way, it might disappoint millions of people."

In an effort to recapture that feeling, Barone explained, he's returned to solo-developing for Haunted Chocolatier. Barone worked solo in the early days of Stardew Valley, but, after it became a monumental success, took on a development team a few years post-release.

It'll likely be a while before we get our hands on Haunted Chocolatier, though, as Barone says he hasn't let anyone touch the thing — not even his loved ones — and doesn't plan on doing so until it's ready for release. "If you have a turkey in the oven, you're not going to pull it out halfway and have the guests taste it, right?" he tells GQ. "It needs to be done."

So, while the Stardew Valley dev's next game is still likely a ways away, it's encouraging to know that he's putting so much care into his next release. Until then, we'll just have to wait until Haunted Chocolatier gets its next development update.

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