Stardew Valley Developer Announces A New Game, Haunted Chocolatier

It looks like ConcernedApe, creator of the outstanding Stardew Valley, is now working toward his next charming project!

The developer has revealed Haunted Chocolatier – a brand new game that will see players gathering ingredients, making chocolate, and running a chocolate shop in the midst of spooky and mysterious happenings! While the game is only confirmed for PC right now, ConcernedApe shared in an FAQ that he had “every intention of bringing it to the other major platforms as well”.

While we await more details in the future, here’s a first look at the new title below:

Who’s making this game?

Haunted Chocolatier is being developed by Eric Barone (aka ConcernedApe), the creator of Stardew Valley.
(So far, I have been working alone on this game, and I have no plans to get anyone else involved at this time. However, when it’s close to being done I will most likely get help for console ports and localizations. I will also be self-publishing this game.)

When does it come out?

I can’t commit to a release date yet. It’s still relatively early in development and I want to be able to work in peace without the pressure of a release date, or even an estimated release date.

Does it take place in the world of Stardew Valley?

I’m not ready to reveal anything like that just yet.

Is the gameplay similar to Stardew Valley?

In some ways, yes, but in many ways, no.

Like Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier is another “town game”, where you move to a new town and try your hand at a new way of living. You’ll get to know the townspeople, achieve your goals and make progress in many ways. All of that is similar to Stardew Valley. However, the core gameplay and theming are quite a bit different. Haunted Chocolatier is more of an action-RPG compared to Stardew Valley. And instead of a farm being the focal point of your endeavors, it’s a chocolate shop.

How long has it been in development?

I started working on this game a little over 1 year ago, in 2020. Since then, I’ve been working on it mostly in evenings and on the weekends, because I’m still actively working on Stardew Valley related things.

It’s actually not the first or only “new project” I’ve been working on, but it’s the one that I believe I will finish first.

Is it Multiplayer?

No, it’s currently just single-player. I have no current plans to make it multiplayer.

What platforms will it come out on?

The only platform I am 100% certain about is PC. However, I have every intention of bringing it to the other major platforms as well.

What languages will it have?

The only language I know for sure at this point, is English. That being said, I intend to localize to other languages. But I’m not even close to doing that yet, and I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, so to speak.

Is it the same engine as Stardew Valley?

No, it’s a new engine written in C#/Monogame… however there are some areas where I can reuse code from Stardew Valley, so that is nice.